Public Transportation and Unemployment
Tracy E. Anderson
Herzing University

Public Transportation and Unemployment Some people feel that the unemployment rate needs to be lowered. The reasons why unemployment is a problem – for the individual, it’s the realm of losing his/her job makes him/her feel a depreciating value of self-worth. Another reason is the natural feel and greater level of anxiety about how he/she is going to recover the missing income. It just not only affects the person himself/herself, but it does affects his/her family in the long run. In most cases, that is becoming too common, most families have to downsize their home and/or move; for society/country – It brings despair, unhappiness, and anguish. Sometimes it forces people to live their lives in a way that is financially comprised because it becomes one-income instead of a two-income family. That’s why I feel that by offering free public transportation can be a major key step in reducing the unemployment rates.

Supporting Arguments Individuals who can’t afford private transportation often live in neighborhoods that don’t have many businesses, and thus, there are not many jobs within walking distance. By increasing the local customer base for services, such as medical facilities, shopping malls, and local educational facilities, rural transportation can enhance economic growth. Second, public transit can improve economic efficiency. “For example, when a transit system allows an unemployed individual to find and keep a job, this can save the Federal Government and the States significant costs by reducing payments for such programs as unemployment compensation, Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and/or Medicaid. And, when an elderly rural resident who is unable to drive uses transit to obtain health services, this promotes preventive health care for rural seniors, thereby keeping down overall health care costs.” (Brown, 2008). Furthermore, transit can reduce social and economic inequalities by enhancing mobility for residents, many of whom lack cars and need assistance in finding jobs outside their primary resident area. Such jobs serve as an important source of income for those that otherwise face limited employment opportunities.
Access to have free public transportation, if it was given, will give people with health problems an increased ability to go to the doctor’s office. Those who suffer from severe health problems often have difficulty both getting to a doctor’s office and being able to walk far distances. If those type of health problems have been more tolerant, and more affordable access to public transportation, then their health problems may improve, which would help enable them to have more employment options. If their health improves, then they would also be able to walk farther distances, which is often necessary when taking public transportation. As urban sprawl increases around the country and transportation choices like walking and biking are reduced, private transportation costs rise and demand for public transportation increases. If reliable transit options were made available to more urban and rural areas, it would allow more low-income households to distribute more funds to other essential expenses. Investment in public transportation increases the number of routes to different areas and increases the frequency that buses travel to different locations. Both of these make it easier for people to have more options for employment. A capital investment in public transportation translates into thousands of private-sector jobs in design, construction, and manufacturing industries and in the retail and retail/wholesale trade sectors, as well. It just not serving only the regions, but throughout the entire country. When capital investments are made in public transportation, the property values near transit stops swell, as do tax revenues. According to U. S. News and World Report, “In Atlanta…Bellsouth/ATT is consolidating all its suburban offices into three downtown locations so it can be convenient to the city’s mass transit system.”(Longman, 2001). So therefore, since that decision in 2001, MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) ridership had increased to 3.5 billion riders. In a study conducted by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute, it is estimated that MARTA is responsible “for about $2.6 billion in economic activity every year and supports roughly 24,000 jobs in the metro Atlanta region.”(Tanner, 2007).

Opposing Arguments & Responses It is often argued that the cost of having free public transportation is too expensive for the taxpayer to support. At the same time for every $1 billion that being invested in public transportation, it does supports and creates more than 50,000 jobs. When these jobs are created, that means there are more taxpayers paying into the public system, which includes financing public transportation. By doing that way the investment can benefit everyone, effectively. When people don’t have to pay for something, many individuals tend to overuse the free resource. It costs the public taxpayer extra money for those who use public transportation for unnecessary trips. On the other hand, that people will abuse, or overuse, public transportation. I disagree with that statement. If the public transportation was offer as being free for a limited time or permanently, I think a lot of people will use it as much they possibly can to do whatever they need to do, instead of relying on someone or a vehicle to get to their desired location. For example, I have been using the public transportation on daily basis, to get to work since 2006. It benefits me for the simple fact: enjoying the comfortability of the seats, and be able to take a nap during the traffic situations. Many see a free public transit system as a form of welfare. I disagree with that statement, too. I don’t see it as a form of welfare. I see it as an opportunity to save and use the household income for other things or expenses, if needed. By having the employer offering free public transportation to get to the job, the prospective employee will be more interested in the job, altogether.
Conclusion
The problem is the unemployment rate needs to be lowered. Then, the prospective employer can offer free public transportation, to reduce the employment rate. The people who can’t afford private transportation, are the ones who live in neighborhoods that don’t have many businesses, or other venues to get close too. Furthermore, by investing in public transportation, transit can reduce social and economic inequalities by enhancing mobility for the residents, themselves.

References

American Public Transportation Association, APTA 2001 Public Transportation Fact Book. Washington, DC. 2001. Accessed on August 22, 2015 from: http://www.apta.com/gap/policyresearch/documents/brochure_transit_means_business.pdf
Berlau, J. (2009, September 27). Solutions: How to Reduce Unemployment. The Washington Times. Retrieved on August 23, 2015 from http://www.thewashingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/27/solutions-what-should-be-done-to-reduce-unemployment/
Brown, Dennis (n. d.) “Public Transportation on the Move in Rural America”. Economic Research Service, USDA. Retrieved on August 23, 2015, from: http://www.nol.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/public trans.htm
Job Interview-Site.com website (http://www.job-interview-site.com/) provides many resources for future jobseekers across the country.
Jones, A. & Tanner, T. (2007, May). The Economic Impact of the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority). Retrieved on August 21, 2015, from http://www.cviog.uga.edu/freedownloads/economic-impact-of-marta.pdf
Longman, P. (2001, May 28). “American Gridlock”. U. S. News & World Report. Retrieved on August 20, 2015, from http://www.usnews.com/2001/may/28