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Binit Shah
Successful Mass Transit Systems Some Examples
1. The Advantages of Mass Transit Systems
Industrialized countries are encountering a steep rise in the number of vehicles being operated. A resulting effect of this rise is a higher amount of carbon monoxide and other toxic pollutants being emitted into the atmosphere, contributing to the green house effect, and in turn to environmental deterioration. Statistics indicate that the United States consume about one quarter of the world's amount of energy (while constituting only about 5% of the world's population). In an effort to preserve the environment, most industrialized countries are trying to emphasize mass transportation as opposed to private transportation.
Mass transportation has been proven to minimize the emission of toxic gases. Researchers have found that a bus carrying six passengers is an equal pollutant to a private motor vehicle. In turn, a bus with twenty passengers is synonymous to six cars, and this is equivalent to one carriage on a train. Simply put, trains pollute the environment less than buses and cars.
The idea of rail transportation originated in the United Kingdom around 1825 and spread across continental Europe by 1835. Rail tracks were first laid for inter city transport. It was only in the late 1800's when railroads were laid for transportation inside the cities. As technology advanced, and trains began to move faster, mass transportation became more and more popular. The introduction of the diesel trains, the lightweight trolleys and the electric train in the twentieth century marked a new era in mass transportation.
As the number of cars increases, driving in cities becomes increasingly arduous. Metropolitan cities that are home to many industries, businesses, and tourists are largely overcrowded. With the number of cars exceeding the number of drivers in the United States, driving in the downtown areas of most metropolitan cities is an aggravating task. Most cities experience congested traffic every day, even on interstates that have speed limits of seventy miles an hour. Yet, most people will not arrange a work schedule to avoid traffic jams. Gigantic webs of roads, bridges, state roads, interstates and highways have, lately, become too small to accommodate such a large pool of cars.
Many countries are taking advantage of already existing mass transportation systems to overcome the problem of efficient traveling. Instead of destroying precious land to erect new roads, countries like Britain, Australia and New Zealand are remodeling old tracks and setting up new trains to expand the sphere of influence of the railroad. Occasionally, new underground tracks are built. Railway stations usually attract many businesses, and hence encourage vertical growth instead of horizontal growth that tends to be more destructive to the environment.
Mass transportation systems typically include rails and busses. Many European cities and the northeast United States have complex arrays of railway lines and bus routes spanning across cities, suburbs, adjacent towns, and often into the next country. A popular form of rail travel is the subway, which usually consists of an underground railroad network. Subway trains are low-maintenance, high-speed electric trains that can travel as fast as hundred and ten miles per hour. However, this speed is usually not apparent because the train stops every few minutes. Having stations closely spaced is vital for a subway system to work. Cars are popular because of the convenience they offer. Most people would avoid walking a few miles to get to the subway station, and instead just take the car. Hence, it is important that subway stations are in accessible places and are not too far apart, so that people can hop onto a train and get off a few blocks down the street.
Cities are linked for commercial, economic and social purposes. More communication results into a larger sphere of influence, and hence a greater influx of people into a region due to increased living amenities. This results in population growth and, eventually, a need to accommodate for efficient transportation.
A mass transportation will be successful only if the needs of a population are met. For instance, the subway system must stop in downtown, at malls, at city attractions, near the movie theaters, the university, high schools, and it should connect to other transportation systems such as the bus terminal, the inter city rail station and the airport. An urban mass transit system that consisted of a single rail line running from north to south through a city would be inefficient. Instead, such a system ought to be structured like a web allowing easy access at numerous locations throughout the city. In addition, a mass transit system requires frequent trains as well as well-maintained facilities in order to attract riders.
2. The Mass Transit System of Philadelphia
Philadelphia is a great example of efficient mass transportation. Philadelphia has a complex network of railway lines in conjunction with a bus system. Philadelphia is similar to Tampa both in terms of population size and quantity of area. Both Tampa and Philadelphia attract professionals and tourists, and both are growing metropolitan cities. In contrast to Tampa, Philadelphia has narrow roads and has invested in a mass transit system. This investment has helped to alleviate traffic congestion, such eliminating the need for a major urban road building program.
Philadelphia has a dense subway system. In addition, bus lines connect urban subway stations with suburban locations that are not within walking distance for the subway rider. You can go to anywhere within the city by using public mass transportation.
Philadelphia has three major rail lines. These are the Blue line, the Orange line and the South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Many other small lines project outwards from these lines, and buses help in linking downtown to Center City, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Chatham, and neighboring suburbs.
The Orange line, also called the Broad street line, runs from north to south. The Blue line runs from east to west. Smaller lines join to these two lines and form a dense subway system. As both lines approach downtown, they have common stations. Splitting the blue line and the orange line does this. At these common stations, people can interchange lines, at no cost. The fares for traveling are a little over a dollar per trip. Travel cards can be purchased at vending machines or at stores. These offer a small discount per trip.
The SEPTA train system is separately owned and managed. It is mostly for travel into the suburbs and out of the city. It has many different routes, each projecting in a different direction away from the city. Most of the routes are connected to Philadelphia International Airport. The cost for travel on this train varies according to the distance being traveled. For an hour-long journey, one may expect to pay approximately five dollars.
Linked to the rail systems is a bus transportation system. Bus routes are extensive, and they go to almost anywhere in the city. Their arrival and departure timings are reliable. Although the SEPTA does not run as frequent as the subways, it manage to run every half hour on all routes, although the busier ones are passed more often. All buses going north eventually drive into a common bus terminal where passengers can get on another bus, if they need to. The route then forks in different directions as different buses take different paths, and hence encompass more suburbs and towns. At the same terminal, there is a platform for southbound passengers. A similar system extends for buses headed east, west and south from Philadelphia.
3. The Mass Transit System of London
Another great example is the rail system that exists in the United Kingdom. London, in particular, is known as a city of hustle and bustle! The traffic there is unbelievable. It is so dreadful; lately it has become a tourist attraction. Talk about the need of an efficient transportation system, and London's got it.
The M-25 highway links Gatwick airport to the city. Heathrow airport is also accessible from this highway. Naturally, from airports where planes fly out or in every five seconds, these routes are busy at all times of the day. It so happens that the M-25 highway is home to various multinational corporations and Silicon Valley industries. Although not in the heart of the city, the M-25 circles around the city of London and provides exits into the city. Even though it has speed limits of ninety miles per hour in many places, congestion often slows speeds to about fifty miles an hour. Traffic is dreadful.
Nevertheless, every cloud has a silver lining. Mass transportation systems in England are very popular. There is the London Transport, commonly known as the Underground, a well-designed subway system that connects London's periphery to the center. In addition, an efficient bus system provides a further mass transit network, supplementing the subway, the British Rail and the Euro Rail.
London's subway system is laid out differently than Philadelphia. It is larger and has more stops. It has many more trains and deals with a volume of passengers that is about three times the ridership of the mass transit system in Philadelphia.
In 1987, London had a population of seven million. However, effective coordination between transportation and land use planning has enabled London to develop an impressive, low cost traffic management and transit service improvement program. (Center city transportation). The land area of London encompasses 1,561 square kilometers and has three concentric rings of traffic. Central London is like any other metropolitan American city, having a large daytime working population that tends to keep the streets congested. Inner London, the second ring, consists primarily of industry and older housing. The outer ring (M-25) has been developed recently by the expansion towards other towns.
In 1969, the British government introduced the Transport Act, which was to deal with traffic congestion and pollution. The primary objectives of this policy were to discourage low occupancy vehicle operation in congested areas, improve public transportation, and to improve traffic flow generally.
To further promote use of public transportation, the Greater London Council has undertaken several steps that discourage motor vehicles from inner city. The largest factor was the reduction of parking spots from 48,000 in 1962 to less than 4000 now. More than 80 streets in central London have an all day parking ban. Parking rates in London have been jacked up by about 200% since 1980, hence discouraging driving into the inner city. In addition, park and ride lots have been increased that cater for out of town parking. Currently over 100,000 spaces are available at the lots adjacent to London Transport and the British Rail stations. This system increases the speed of travel and hence decreases the amount of environmental pollution. It also helps to maintain traffic flow in the inner city, and on the three highways bordering the city. An additional feature that the Great London Council introduced to reduce unnecessary flow into the heart of the city was, the building of two additional highway rings around the city. These allow people to bypass the city without having to go through it.
The subway that goes to the inner city has many stops; usually, one station every three to five blocks from any point within the city. Everything is underground and thus, space for commercial units is not lost. The busiest part of the city has more subway stations than the suburbs. Most of the subway stations have been commercialized by the introduction of fast food restaurants, vendors and information bureaus. The subway system is designed mainly for travel in London. The subway route is divided into four zones, each having a major track projecting through it. Travel within a zone is very cheap, less than a pound. Travel between zones could cost as much as 1.5 £. But one can save money by purchasing travel cards that offer a twenty five percent discount. Students get automatic discounts with a valid student I.D. Seniors travel for free, if they are on pensions, or for a mere sixty pence. In January 1988, the British government authorized a thirty percent discount for sixteen and seventeen year olds.
The subway system on the periurban belt runs parallel to the highway rings. There are three major concentric tracks, from which project tracks that lead towards central London. Most people use the highways to approach London, park their vehicles at the subway station and take the train to their destination.
Another neat feature of this highly complex system is that it is linked to other cities. For instance, the city of Portsmouth in southern England is linked to London via the British rail. While a road journey would take a good couple of hours, inclusive the time wasted in traffic congestion, this town could be affordably visited if one used the British rail. The train ride is a little over an hour, and it is amazingly smooth. It offers the luxuries of comfortable seats, meals, snacks, drinks, and on the newer trains, television and radio stations. Lately, internet access is being considered. The belief that train travel is slow is a myth. A 107 mile journey from Bath to London, takes an hour and eleven minutes. Moreover, a first class round trip cost would be a mere 113 dollars. Naturally if you travel economically, second or third class may be more suitable. The prices for such travel are substantially lower. A second example would be traveling from Manchester, northwest England, to London city, a journey of 180 miles, costing round trip on first class, US$ 166, and taking no more than two and a half hours. Further more, there are sixteen trains that follow this route daily. Therefore, in a period of twenty-four hours, each train would depart every hour and a half. Convenience. The British Rail primarily serves inter city communication within Great Britain.
In addition to the British Rail there exists the Euro Rail, which is one of the largest train networks in the world. Euro Rail provides transport across the continent and links different European countries with each other. Euro Rail uses high-speed trains that are an economical alternative to air travel. The British Rail is only present in the United Kingdom, with most of the rail system catering for transport around southern England. The Underground, largely provides transport for the north, and the city of London.
To add to the convenience, the Euro Rail, and the British Rail offer several different travelers packages that encourage people to travel via mass transportation systems more frequently. These include discounted tickets if purchased in advance, a massive twenty five percent discount for teens between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, a discounted travel card, etc. In addition, they offer packages such as five day travel pass and a rental car at your destination for a set number of days. The prices are very affordable and are cheaper than traveling by car.
4. Back to the States: Why Amtrak Does Not Work
In comparison to Euro Rail, the U.S Amtrak system has failed to meet the needs for efficient mass transportation. Although Amtrak links important cities, such as New York, Washington DC, Miami, or Los Angeles, it is rarely used. Most Americans do not even think of this mode of transportation when planning their travels.
An important disadvantage of Amtrak is the limited speed of the trains. Although the train does attain speeds as high as ninety miles per hour, a trip from Florida to Chicago may take a few days. Riding Amtrak is not comfortable either. Unlike the continuously welded speed rails laid on concrete ties in Europe, Amtrak trains often travel on sectional track laid on wood ties, leading to a bumpy and noisy ride. Moreover, Amtrak schedules are pathetic! They have a limited number of departures every week from a city. These problems probably explain why most people do not consider Amtrak as a travel option.
The federal government has funded Amtrak rather poorly. Due to the lack of money, Amtrak has not been able to expand its vast network of services to smaller towns, let alone radiate around stations to provide access to adjacent towns. Lately, Amtrak has run into many financial defaults, many forcing it to lay off its already small work force. This had lead to inadequate maintenance, and hence inadequate service.
To Amtrak's acknowledgment, this rail transit system has catered well for transporting goods across the country and to docks. However, transporting goods alone does not generate enough income to cover the company's expenditure.
A possible solution to this problem, I believe, would be to get more attention from the federal government and invest in modernizing the whole system. Putting more trains on the rails and making more trips between popularly visited cities should help.
Indeed, Amtrak has not performed well over the years as compared to other mass transit systems in foreign countries. It has encountered many problems, but there is more to account for why the system has failed. The American economy, and the widespread market it encourages, is a mountain that Amtrak has yet to overcome. With the economy becoming stronger, and the standard of living, of Americans, rising, more people can afford to pay more and fly rather than take a train. Also, in an economy where stringent competition amongst airlines causes reduction of fares, the Amtrak system stands little chance. A roundtrip airline ticket from Tampa to New York costs as little as US$ 150. Amtrak, by comparison, charges about US$ 210 for the same trip.
Mass Transit in Tampa?
Tampa has not only an economically important access to the ocean, it is also a tourist attraction and is not too far from Orlando. Every year as many as two million tourists visit Tampa from Orlando. It would be wrong to say that tourists would rather prefer driving. Tampa has the ability to build a mass transit system. It has the population to ride it and make it successful. Every factor necessary for a viable mass transit system is present in South Florida, except the rail carriages. We need to invest in mass transit. Initial expenses may be high, but a transit system will prevent destruction of the beautiful lands and will be environmentally beneficial to us.
Another advantage Tampa has currently is that it is still an emerging metropolitan city. The population is rising steadily and so is the investment in this region. Setting up a mass transit system now would attract additional investors and would boost the economy of this area. Tampa can do it!
References and Further Readings
Public Technology Inc., US department of Transportation Administration, Office of Policy, Budget and Program Development and Ofice of Intergovernmental Affairs: Center City Environment and Transportation: Transportation Innovation in five European Cities, 1980
http://members.aol.com/chictafan/railroad.html, April 10th 1998.
http://www.dpwt.com/TransSvcDiv/TransSvcDiv.html
http://www.londontransport.co.uk/homefrm.html
http://www.heathrowexpress.co.uk/home.htm
Additional Readings
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/docua3&md5=867doa6591fala9c267ff7aofce3780
http://members.aol.com/chictafan/signals.html
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