mass transit

Mass Transit

Mass transit whether it is a local bus/train or a commuter train has both its advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to the advantages we as individuals tend to think of not having to deal with driving long distances and/or driving in grid locked traffic, reduced wear and tear on personal vehicles and more cost effective than using ones personal vehicle to commute if done on a regular basis. When it comes to the disadvantages, we as individuals tend to think of having to dealing with mass transit schedules along with arranging ones schedules to correspond to those mass transit schedules. We also think of it being overly crowded during the rush hours. Some people think that mass transit isn’t for them even if it would be more convenient for them, while others wish they had the opportunity to use mass transit but can’t for one reason or another.

When it comes to dealing with the communities involved there are various things that are involved when it comes to bringing, maintaining and expanding their mass transit service. Some of it is the community itself, some of it is regulations and/or mandates and some of it is financial.

Suggestions:

· In areas where there is an established local and/or commuter mass transit system in place, expand and/or upgrade where possible. Expand in areas that would benefit from and allow the expansion of the mass transit system, i.e. around the areas of the most congested highways and/or parts of the city.
· In areas that can support a mass transit system but that don’t have one, find ways of convincing those communities that mass transit is feasible and beneficial to that area while helping with the all of the start up costs associated with putting a mass transit system in place.
· Help find ways of helping the effected communities to attract business’s to the area that would benefit the communities, the businesses, along with the mass transit system and be within walking distance to the transit lines.
· Find ways of making all mass transit systems both user and worker friendly system wide without causing problems for either.
· Even though using mass transit is more cost effective for the daily commuter than driving, make it more cost effective to utilize the mass transit systems where and when available by giving both state and federal tax deductions to people that choose to utilize the mass transit system in their area. People that choose to use the mass transit system in their area should not be forced to go through work to reap the benefits of any tax deduction as long as the expenses are legitimate.
· Develop ways of getting people to utilize the mass transit systems in their area beyond commuting between work and home/where their car is parked.
· At each individual terminal/station when there is the space and regulations allow it, permit things that would benefit and/or pacify the people waiting as long as it doesn’t interfere with the performance of the terminal/station.
· Get companies that want to expand to areas outside of the major cities like Boston and Worcester, to build along existing train routes that are also close enough to an existing station or close enough to the train route to build a new station to support the potential influx of riders even if it means creating an industrial park around or near the station to make it cost effective for mass transit to expand so that way they would need less onsite parking which would allow for more work space.
· For companies that would like to expand but can’t find space close enough to an existing train route, see if they would be willing to become a partner in producing an industrial/office park where a branch can created off of an existing line that would go right into the industrial/office park so less onsite parking is required which would allow for more work space.