By far the most common mode of transportation is car travel. Certainly, car travel has advantages and for some it truly is the easiest way to get around. The big advantage is the convenience of being able to control how you commute and plan your own routes to and from a destination. However, public transport comes with its own advantages that are often overlooked.
Before you decide to drive your car to work, you might want to consider the following 6 benefits of using alternative transportation – these have the potential to save you time, money, and help the environment!
1) It Frees Up Time
If you have dealt with a work commute before, you are familiar with the soul-sucking feeling that comes with countless minutes and hours wasted idling in traffic. By switching to public transportation, you automatically gain a lot more time in your day. You can get a head start on work while you wait for the train or read a book on the bus. Better yet, you could simply look out the window, put headphones in, and enjoy the journey. You can make it through the day without having to commit so much time and attention watching the road.
2) Reduces Local Air Pollution
The math for this is simple. By more efficiently moving people around the area, public transit produces less air pollution than a typical single passenger-carrying car on a work commute day. Buses release significantly fewer emissions per passenger mile compared to single- occupant vehicles.
3) Increases Fuel Efficiency
In addition to the reduction of air pollution, another great benefit of public transportation is its fuel-efficiency per passenger mile. This contributes to a major decrease in how much energy is required for transportation. Statistics have shown that various means of public transit, such as trains, buses, and rentable bicycles and scooters, are to thank for saving over 4 billion gallons of gas every year.
4) Reduces Traffic Congestion
Public transit can move more people than individual cars while taking up a significantly less amount of space. What this means is that traffic congestion is further decreased, lowering the number of idling vehicles (and therefore unnecessary emissions), and even lowering the amount of stress that drivers experience as a result of driving through high traffic areas.
You don’t necessarily have to take the bus to reduce your contribution to traffic congestion. If most of you destinations aren’t too far, faster electric scooters have recently become very popular in small towns. A very powerful scooter with a high mph limit is the best way to get around town.
5) It Saves Money
Chances are, you have a vehicle, so you are familiar with all the associated costs that come with owning one. Between regular maintenance, gas, and automotive insurance, the annual cost of owning a car adds up. By not taking a car every day to commute or enjoy recreational plans, you can save thousands of dollars every year. Say goodbye to surprise car troubles that clear out your savings.
6) It is Safer
Transit options such as the light rail, train, or bus are safer for passengers than driving a car. Public transit vehicles are maintained much more often than personal vehicles. The average auto driver doesn’t receive nearly as much training as transit operators, much less the regular refresher training that these operators receive.
Train and bus-related accidents are statistically less common with fewer fatality rates for passengers compared to car travel collisions. For your own wellbeing, it might be worth it to cut down on how much you drive your own vehicle. Even if you take the bus, train, or smaller vehicle just once a week, you’ll cut down your time on the road and enjoy all of these benefits.