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M3.5 Transportation

BLOG about your personal experience regarding transportation and its implications for your health and the health of your communities and air quality.

 When I lived in San Francisco, my commute to UCSF was very short and I often would just call an uber to and from work, which is very bad for the environment. Now that I live in Oakland, I actually use public transportation much more because of the heavy traffic on the Bay Bridge. I take BART and MUNI every day to commute to and from work and school. I think my health is slightly better because  I get much more physical activity due to using public transportation whereas before I would get picked up and dropped off at my destinations and never walk more than a few steps. I also feel better knowing I am not contributing to increased air pollution by using private vehicles and contributing to the already horrific traffic in the Bay Area. I just wish public transportation in the Bay Area was more affordable, convenient, and predictable. I know many people who cannot afford to use BART to commute to work every day and end up giving up jobs in the city because it doesn't make economic sense. It is sad to see the city becoming a gated community and locking low-income people out of living or working there due to the high costs of public transportation, toll, and parking in the city of San Francisco. I am hopeful that decreasing my uber use decreased my negative contribution to our community's air quality but I think overall, too many people are using ride-sharing services instead of public transportation due to convenience and comparable cost and this is worsening our air quality rather than improving it due to sharing cars. 

Comments

  1. KJSeptember 15, 2019 at 1:28 PM

    I absolutely agree with you. I now work in San Francisco while living in Oakland so I take the BART almost daily. The parking at the Bart station is $3 a day, plus almost $9 roundtrip. That is $12 a day or $60 in a work week. I am thankful that I am able to afford it, but it is still expensive. Also some days I'm not in the mood to take BART so I might take a Lyft or Uber which isn't good for the environment nor improves the traffic situation in SF.

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