It’s All about the Trains

When people ask me why I continue to live in the Boston area, where the winters can be harsh and the price of rent can eat up well over half of take-home pay, I only have one answer: the trains. There is something wonderful about being able to leave one’s place and within 10 minutes or so be on my way on a train. For those of you who drive, you must recall what it was like when you got your first car and could take yourself where and when you wanted. Driving allows you freedom. Just ask any former driver or a teen a month away from getting a license. For those of you living where public transportation is a bus system or a ride share program, then my love of the trains may require more of an explanation. With ride share programs one usually has to make plans one to three days in advance and allow an hour before and after a pick-up time, and on the way home the duration of the wait and travel time can be greater. On most bus routes, the buses come once an hour and getting to a destination may require one or two bus transfers. Taking the train in the Boston area is the closest I’ve ever gotten to the freedom of driving. In other parts of the U.S. it’s different. If I had to get on a bus and I was running five minutes late, I might end up waiting an hour for the next bus. And if I had to be somewhere by 9:00 am using a ride share program, I would have a pick-up time of 7:00 am, because the driver could show up any time between 6:00 am and 8:00 am. With access to a train system, when I’m ready I leave. There is so much power and freedom in having this ability! I hope I continue to be able to use the trains for many years to come, but I already understand the physical ability, balance, and energy involved in using the trains. Plus, being able to use a train system requires me to keep a well enough paying job to afford living in an urban place where the rents average over $1500 per month. I heard a woman say once that she didn’t want her tax money going to public transportation, because pretty much everyone had a car or should get a job so they could get one. I don’t drive, but my tax money goes to the upkeep of streets and interstates, and I’ve never said I did not want to support drivers. I don’t read signs either, but I’ve never suggested that all street signs be removed because I didn’t think my tax money should support posting signs. Clearly the woman making this tax statement against public transportation didn’t have epilepsy, could pass a driving eye exam, and hadn’t developed any physical or cognitive limitations that made driving unsafe. And maybe with luck or by grace she will never develop any of these problems. However, a growing number of people are facing the issue with their own ability to drive or with a family member. Yet, as a nation, and in our states and local communities, we continue to sit on our hands and do little to address this issue. We leave it up to family members or doctors to take keys away from someone, often with no transportation plan in place to allow the person to remain socially active and productive. We have programs in place that attempt to promote people with a disability to work, but then we leave it up to family or friends to provide daily, reliable transportation to jobs. I don’t understand the lack of support for public transportation: both in expanding train systems and in developing alternative transportation systems that work well. Public transportation can reduce congestion on the roads, be convenient for those that need to work on the go and don’t need the distraction of driving, and in helping to reduce isolation and increase civic involvement among those who cannot drive. What can be done? You can support The Senior Transportation and Mobility Act of 2012 (H.R. 4028) or the Senate version introduced last Fall (S. 1942) by contacting your U.S. Representative or State Senators and telling them to support this legislation. Learn about the act here: http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20120216101624172 http://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/policy-news/bill-would-strengthen-senior.html You can learn more about Transportation for America; go to their website http://t4america.org/ If you drive: You can offer a friend or neighbor a ride. You can volunteer as a driver for a local transportation program that provides people with rides.