I drive everywhere. I commute to work in my own vehicle, but also depend on my vehicle to complete tasks associated to my work. I lead nutrition education classes in the community across both SF and Marin counties and it requires me to "meet the community where they are at" in order to deliver nutrition education. How ironic that I work to promote health, yet my mode of transportation works against promoting healthy environments.
I believe I would be more inclined to take public transportation if it were more accessible and efficient. If I chose to take public transportation for my commute, I would have to transfer bus routes multiple times to get to work in the morning and I admit that I value sleep more than the benefits of taking public transportation.
I had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo 3 years ago and was baffled by the efficiency of public transportation in this metropolis. In a city where the population is almost 10 million, you'd expect to see busy roadways, but I saw the opposite of that. The built environment and transportation system encouraged people to walk and take public transportation by creating walking-friendly environments and efficient subway systems that were always on time.
If we could create policies to promote similar systems here in the U.S., we could save in so many ways, including, but not limited to health expenditures (we'd see more physical activity) and cleaner environments with a decrease in car emissions. As public health providers, it's important to look into policies that can enhance our current public transportation system in our communities.
Hi Nalleli,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed regarding your post, I agree with you for being a developed country we've taken the back seat in terms of public transportation. It's interesting you mentioned your travel to Tokyo and your access to public transportation, whenever I've traveled out of the US I found public transport to be easier, accessible and this isn't just limited to travel in the main cities or downtown. Policy change regarding the means of public transportation is crucial for all of our communities.
Nalleli, I 100% agree with you that we need more policies to decrease car emissions. We all drive everywhere and are constantly on the go and emitting pollution. As providers, we need to try to think about developing policies that will help our environment. Also, we need to think about how we can start to reduce our car emissions. I think if it possible, we can always invest in an eco-friendly car that allows us to reduce some emissions. Thanks for sharing!
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