Automobile Dependency and the Working Poor Essay

Car dependency is one of the most important problems in the United States. Owning a personal car is mandatory in most small towns. All roads are designed for cars without pedestrian ways, and so much of the land is reserved for parking lots. Pedestrian-friendly cities’ rates are really low when it is compared with car-friendly ones.

The automobile has had a profound impact on the United States. It has brought us

Second, the development of new public transit systems, was important in shaping the design of our cities and the growth of our cities by enabling people to move further away from the inner city. Early on, large cities didn’t really have public transportation. Their main source of transportation were horse drawn wagons and walking. In conclusion, most people lived near on in the downtown area, where most of the working establishments were located. Because of this, it made big cites crowed and congested. With the breakthrough of the “el”, electric streetcars, and subways, around 1867, cities began expand more. Those who were fortunate enough to move out of the dirty cities and into better neighborhoods surrounded outside the city, did so. The new transit systems in most cities allowed people to escape the chaos of urban life and provided potential for growth of our cities.

Second, the development of new public transit systems, was important in shaping the design of our cities and the growth of our cities by enabling people to move further away from the inner city. Early on, large cities had very little and inadequate transportation. Their main source of transportation were horse drawn wagons and walking. As a result, most people lived or took housing near downtown, which was where most of the working establishments were located. This made the big cities very congested. However with the breakthrough of the “el”, electric streetcars, and subways, around 1867, cities began to open up more. Those who were fortunate enough to move out of the slums and into better surrounding neighborhoods, did so. The more affluent of the white-collar classes moved into the suburban areas. In contrast, many of the very wealthy continued to live in city mansions. The new transit systems in most cities allowed people to escape the chaos of urban life and provided potential for growth of our cities.

Transportation in the region has a long and successful past. However, public transportation has consistently taken a back seat to the personal automobile. There has been a strong core of persons who rely on public transportation to achieve mobility, and governmental

Many communities a part of metro Atlanta are against the expansion of public transportation since they believe that crime rates increase in their communities. There is also a distorted economic view associated with the main public transportation service. Many natives in Atlanta connect poverty with public transportation, resulting in a higher amount of people choosing to buy and rental vehicles or ride taxis instead of riding Marta. An additional hindrance of the progression of public transportation is gerrymandering, manipulating boundaries in order maintain desired

The author of this article wrote that it is important for the citizens of Detroit to vote for a public rail and bus transit system. Puentes states that there are a myriad amount of jobs but there is also no way to get to them. Although there are many buses, trains and routes in Detroit, there are no connecting routes from one region to another or to the city itself. This makes it harder for people to get to their jobs in less than an hour. Something else the author mentions is that most of the families in Detroit receive low income, so they cannot pay for all the buses needed in order to go to work.

Threats of substitutes: In U.S., an automobile was considered as necessity so for every adult there was car on roads. Even for inter-city travel more than 70% time cars were used. Buses, trains and other means didn’t have much impact. The growing array of higher priced imported models had negative effect.

Once families could afford two cars because of the lowering price, many women could now drive. African Americans could now drive as well; putting them at the wheel gave them new respect. The car also enables people to make a decision to go somewhere and leave immediately, no more waiting for a bus or a train. Cars gave Americans the freedom to move to other cities and start new lives. Although some people say that cars are dangerous because of accidents, there are many accidents involving trains, planes, and buses as well. Some may continue with “Cars are polluting the environment,” But other forms of transportation pollute just as much as

Owning a car can be a burden on an owner; they are very expensive to purchase, and require additional money for insurance, gas, and maintenance for the vehicle. Furthermore, encouraging people to bike and walk to nearby destinations rather than drive there could help resolve America’s obesity epidemic. In What Is the Total Cost of Owning a Car, the author provides information relating to various, auxiliary car expenses that can add up to appalling amounts. She says, “For an average vehicle that’s driven 15,000 miles a year, all costs of ownership added up to $8,698 a year, according to AAA’s 2015 Your Driving Costs study. That’s about $725 a month” (Lee). This means that it costs drivers a yearly average of nearly $9,000 to own and operate a car, let alone purchase one. By restricting the use of cars, people could save these expenses and put that money towards travelling, a new home, or other luxuries. On top of expenses, driving cars promotes unhealthy habits and contributes to problems for overweight Americans. In Mapping the Link Between Obesity and Car Driving, the author describes the correlation between cars and obesity, and how bikes can help resolve the crisis. She writes, “It stands to reason that the less you bike or walk, the more you drive. And the more you drive, the less exercise you get from the aforementioned activities” (Schwartz). The author also provides maps that illustrate links between areas with high percentages of obese adults and high percentages of people who drive to work. These two pieces of evidence demonstrate how slowly incorporating bikes instead of cars (for short trips) into a person’s life can have incredible health benefits. By restricting cars, people would be encouraged to utilize these alternate, healthy forms of transportation and ultimately enhance their lives. Notwithstanding, some people feel banning cars would make long distance

The auto industry has been around long before I was born. Automobiles have become a necessity in American culture. “With the invention of the automobile and the mass production techniques of Henry Ford, which made the machine affordable, the American economy has been transformed by this key element in its prosperity.” (Davis, 2014) Being able to transport quickly from one destination to another is a great convenience. Almost every working family living in the United States owns at least one vehicle.

Some people believe that the benefits of the automobile far outweigh the consequences. These people

Public transportation is serious need of a massive overhaul in this nation. We are in desperate need to catch up to the European standard of public transportation in this country. In Europe, citizens can travel across cities, bodies of water, and even counties with their state of the art public transportation system. Europeans are not nearly as reliant on cars and oil as the United States is because they have the much more practical option of taking the transportation provided to them by the government to where ever they need to go. They have set a model that the United States needs to strive for and meet in the near future.

Public transportation can help reduce stress caused by driving, save money, and also protect our environment by reducing the number of vehicles on the road. In order to get more people off the road and into the public transportation system we must increase the number of buses and taxis that are available. We must also increase the number of stops available for daily bus routes. With more stops on the map more people are likely to use the bus system. Each city or town will be able to decide where more bus stops are needed and make the adjustments necessary to provide better service for the taxpaying citizens. Of course, none of this is possible without adequate funds in each town/city and the gas tax is guaranteed to provide those funds. Providing more public transportation will help us reach our ultimate goal of protecting the environment and ourselves.

Vehicles are a part of a person’s everyday life these days. You see them everywhere, no matter if it’s a big city, or a little country town. People use cars to travel to all sorts of places, whether it is a school or work. We push our vehicles to the maximum so they seem to wear out really fast. It seems like every five to six years you have to purchase a new one. People have so many causes to by a new car these days but owning a car also comes with a lot of effects. New cars come with a lot of benefits like reliability and warranties. The biggest downfall with buying that brand-new car is the car payment and that expensive car insurance. A new car might look good, and you might get more attention, but you pay for that attention. You must ask yourself is the cost worth the award?