Climate Change in the US: Transportation, Global Warming, and Gratitude

by Kim, June 23, 2009 at 3:00pm

While in the long term any plan for carbon control hinges upon better public transportation networks, in the short term the many Americans reliant upon cars may find road conditions becoming more challenging with the changing climate. Many roads, especially in coastal areas like Louisiana and New York City, will be vulnerable to flooding as increasingly frequent heavy downpours challenge our road surfaces and drainage systems. The same is true for tunnels and railways, however. Higher temperatures can also lead to softening of asphalt. As emergencies happen more frequently, evacuation roads will become more and more important, but just as crucial might be the economic impacts when people can't get to work because of washed-out roads and train delays.

Transportation is really on the minds of everyone here at New Dream because of yesterday's train collision, just two blocks away from the Center. Thankfully, none of us were involved in the accident, though the people who were are in our thoughts. I take the metro frequently, and earlier was thinking rather selfishly about having to take the bus now that my usual lifeline has been rerouted from the local station. Public transportation is a social asset which is too often taken for granted. The DC metro is so efficient that you almost never even have to think about it (unlike the NYC subway system, always good for a surprise reroute or a train going express without warning). I decided that any inconveniences that may result from yesterday's accident will be a good opportunity for me to be thankful for the many public transit options that do exist in our nation's capital.

As I try to figure out which city bus can take the place of the metro, I'll have gratitude that I and all the impatient people around me actually have access to reliable transportation, normally, and that we weren't affected by the crash. It's said of Mussolini that at least he made Italy's trains run on time. In developing nations (which is how Italy could have been described a century ago), delivering a reliable transportation option every day can mean confronting a lack of infrastructure tied to many other social problems. For many people in Latin America, public transportation options don't exist and private bus lines can't be trusted to keep to a regular schedule. This means spending many extra hours waiting for the bus and many unnecessary days missed at work.

At its best, public transit is a handshake expressing the social contract; at its worst, it's inconvenient and frustrating for the people who rely upon it. For people with disabilities and those facing economic challenges, these inconveniences can feel very personal. Yet transit systems can be a source of pride, full of arcane symbols and expressions that keep out the uninitiated.

Read the more about Latin America's public transportation challenges, especially as they relate to globalization and national identity, in Hispanic Issues Online: Nation, City, and Public Transportation: