How to Make Public Transit Less of a Hassle

[caption id="attachment_43882" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="UC Berkeley Developing a More Integrated Public Transit System with a Chinese City"][/caption]

Why does the bus take so long to get here?  How come there is no seamless transfer between the subway station and the bus?  In summary, public transit often seems like it may be a hassle from a convenience standpoint especially in a fast paced society where everyone often seems to be in a hurry.  After all, when taking the subway and transferring over to the bus and vice-versa, conventional wisdom suggests time is often wasted.  However, new research shows that public transit can actually be quite beneficial with a new and innovative system.

Researchers from the University of California-Berkeley appear to be developing an innovative solution to the complaints about convenience, reliability, and even the difficulty often associated with individuals who rely heavily on public transit. These researchers are working with the city of Chengdu, China in the "design and implementation of an integrated mass transit operation that will enable riders to seamlessly transfer between various components of the system." The University of California-Berkeley's research clearly indicates that public transit can be more efficient than previously thought by developing interconnections between things like the subway and bus systems especially in busy metropolitan areas like Chengdu, China.

What the University of California-Berkeley shows with their research most importantly is that the design, implementation, and overall concept of public transit needs to be re-examined not just in the U.S., but globally as well.  The question for city and town planners is one of how to develop a more integrated system like the one being proposed in Chengdu, China in collaboration with Berkeley researchers.  Rider complaints about the relative inefficiency are clearly not without merit, as many commuters in big cities in the U.S., often complain about the unreliability and how long it takes to get to one's destination using public transit.

Berkeley's integrated model for public transit is really cutting edge in the sense that other major cities globally should look into how to develop an integrated model.  The integrated model's goal of efficiency with "seamless transfers" is a worthwhile and good goal to seek, especially if customers are looking for a suitable alternative to driving.  Public transit, therefore, certainly is helpful from an environmental standpoint and is often less of a hassle than a car, but making it even more convenient, smooth, and reliable is a positive good first-step.  Berkeley's model is something all city and town planners, government officials, and others should look at to make public  transit less of a hassle.  An integrated public transit system is a new model for the future.







,