By Ainsley Lawrence
How often are you driving down the road as a single driver in a car? How many times a week do you see one lone passenger in an SUV driving on the highway? Transportation is a problem in America, with too many inefficient vehicles clogging the highways, emitting toxins into the air, and causing health problems for passengers who spend several hours a day sitting in traffic.
Luckily, there are many solutions to the transportation problem. Chances are you don’t need a car as much as you think you do to get around. Forms of alternative transportation like walking, bicycling, taking the subway, ridesharing, riding the bus, and more can vastly improve quality of life for both you and the planet.
It’s time to think about ditching the car and buying the best road bike you can afford for maximum comfort or a bus pass instead. While relying on alternative transportation does take a bit more planning than simply hopping in your personal car at any time, the benefits make it worth the effort.
Using alternative transportation will help the earth, help your health, and help your wallet. The improvements to your quality of life will make you forget the days when you only got around with the use of four tires and a gas pedal.
Helping the Earth
When you choose alternative transportation over driving yourself, you help Planet Earth in a big way. Cars, trucks, and SUVs consume huge amounts of gas and oil and emit toxins into the air – especially when they sit idling in traffic at a busy intersection. Air quality suffers and the emissions contribute to climate change. The toll on the planet is a big one.
According to the organization Connect 4 Climate, “Transportation accounts for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions and it’s estimated that every mile driven in a car emits an additional 1 pound of CO2 into the atmosphere.”
The earth will not last if we continue the pattern of single-passenger car travel. The next time you use public transportation, think of how many extra cars would be on the road if every person on the bus or subway was driving a personal vehicle instead.
The environment would definitely be healthier if more people used alternative transportation, but using alternative transportation also gives you a chance to better enjoy the environment. When you’re biking or walking, you’re a part of the environment instead of just whizzing through it. You might find a whole new appreciation for your surroundings.
Helping Your Health
Benefiting your health and lifestyle is another great reason to choose an alternative, green transportation options. If you value your health, you’ll easily be able to see why it’s important to make responsible transportation choices.
In fact, many urban planners cite good air quality assurance as one of their target areas for the improvement of public health:
“Poor air quality often stems from unregulated industrial practices and prolonged vehicle congestion, which lead to a number of respiratory diseases,” according to Regis College. “Working together, public health officials and urban planners can identify sources of air pollution and re-adjust industrial zoning rules as needed, either through public policy or infrastructural improvements.”
It’s clear that new transportation habits could change everything. If you walked or bike to work even just a few times a week, you would be enjoying a whole new way of life that benefited your health and wellbeing. The benefits of cycling and walking include boosting energy, improving circulation, strengthening bones, and more. A little fresh air and movement can do a lot for your health and your mood, so why not make it part of your routine
Helping Your Wallet
If personal or environmental health did not yet convince you about why utilizing alternative transportation is important, perhaps financial health will. It’s expensive to buy a car, maintain it, and pay for gas. Using alternative forms of transportation can greatly decrease your transportation costs and help you save money in the long run.
Consider selling your car and trading it in for a good pair of walking shoes, a bicycle, electric unicycles, or a bus pass. What may seem inconvenient at first will pay dividends as time goes on. Using public transportation is one of the best ways to save money. Since you likely go somewhere almost every day, it’s a good habit to put some thought into.
When you choose healthy options like walking or biking, you could be saving yourself money in medical bills down the road. A sedentary lifestyle is a big health risk, and the consequences of sitting for long periods of time and not getting enough fresh air can be big.
Think of your foray into alternative transportation as an investment in your health, the planet, and your financial future. A little upfront planning can make your transportation and commute times something to look forward to instead of something to dread, like sitting in congested traffic. Your wallet, your health, and the Earth will be grateful for the change.
About the Author
Ainsley Lawrence is a writer who loves to talk about good health, balanced life, and better living through technology. She is frequently lost in a good book.
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