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shyMommy

How important is it to use mass transit?

I just took a train from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. It took 8 hours! It only takes about 6 hours to drive. Plus, I had to get someone to drop me at the station and pick me up at the other end. In other words, it was very inconvenient. I want to know, from an energy-saving point of view, was it worth it? By the way, there were two travellers. I imagine that's a factor.

Neil_H

Lets examine the situation from two points of view. First, from the individual's perspective, driving saves time and, if you have a fuel efficient car, it is economical. While it is convenient when there are no accidents or construction delays, it can be tiring for the driver(s).
OK, so lets examine the situation from the point of view of those in charge of planning transportation systems. They are more concerned with moving many people on a regular basis. A well-designed mass transit system can work well and be convenient.The Washington, DC METRO system is a case in point. With the numbers of drivers and cars on the road increasing, the highway congestion problem is likely going to get worse. There are few advantages and several disadvantages to sitting in traffic.
So the bottom line is that mass transit systems that are well planned and well run (admittedly not easy to accomplish) are an important element in transportation planning.

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