Chicago, IL
Nationwide public transit investment is an investment in all Americans – urbanites, suburbanites, and, yes, even rural communities. I say this as someone who has lived in each of these types of life. Though I currently live in Chicago, I grew up in the small town of Saint Joseph just outside of the home of the University of Illinois: Champaign, Illinois. My father was a bus driver for over 35 years with the CU-MTD. So, I remember taking class field trips to the garage and making absurd bus stop announcements on the loudspeaker; additionally, in high school, I worked seasonally for the maintenance department of MTD. Then, I went to college in the suburb of Wheaton, Illinois and rode the suburban Pace system as well as the commuter rail system, Metra, firsthand. Today, I regularly ride urban CTA buses or trains as well as the Metra, and, in addition, I volunteer regularly with nonprofit organizations on topics such as intersecting disability rights with transit advocacy. I believe my experiences have made me well-informed of the impacts of public transit (or lack thereof) for most Illinoisans as well as Americans.
There is no public transit in the town where I grew up, and I was oftentimes isolated from my social circles in the town of Champaign because I had to fully depend on my parents for transportation until I was old enough to drive myself. Today my hometown allows go-karts in the city limits and has a bike path to the city, but these were not around in my childhood and this lack of connectedness negatively affected my childhood quite a bit. I think a commuter bus from St. Joseph to the city of Champaign would have good ridership. All this to say: car-centric infrastructure is a barrier to kids as well as those of us with disabilities are also gravely affected by a lack of public transit and inaccessibility in small towns, college towns, and even big metropolises.
Since we live in a country that values choice – we ought to have the freedom to choose how we want to get around safely. I, personally, prefer to bike or use public transit instead of motor vehicles in cities because I find driving a car stressful, polluting, and expensive. Sure, in comparison to most regions in the US, Chicagoland transit exceeds expectations, but, particularly in lower or middle-income neighborhoods, alternative transit choices are not as efficient, reliable, or perceived to be as safe as personal motor vehicles are – even with awful city congestion.
Therefore, if I was testifying in front of a Congressional committee on public transit, I would ask them to prioritize legislation to further support public transit across communities because public transit is vital for our present lives and future generations. Currently, when given a choice, Americans often prefer driving because, first of all, driving can be enjoyable outside of congestion and, secondly, it is usually more efficient because many years ago the infrastructure was built for cars not people. I think we should stop spending our tax money on adding ineffective and expensive highway lanes and, rather, follow the science to start investing in improving public health, truly decreasing traffic congestion, and increasing accessibility for disabled and non-disabled people alike through transit choice infrastructure. Investing solely in car-centric infrastructure such as electric vehicles will not fight climate change or other issues we are facing, but investment in bold and innovative technology such as bullet trains, bus rapid transit, protected bike lanes, paratransit, and more effective rural transit are vital towards a better society for us and our children. After all, what’s more important than creating a better future for those who come after us?