In one way, London’s public transportation is exactly like Raleigh’s. There are trains and buses. But look at any other aspect than what the public transportation system consists of, and London is another beast entirely. My use of London’s trains and buses drew from my previous experience in Raleigh and Washington D.C., but also taught me lessons I could never learn in smaller cities like Raleigh.
I use the tube almost every day to get around in London. Having an Oyster card provided is a huge bonus, as it would cost tremendous amounts of money to get around without it. In my experience the tube is not overcrowded, and TFL (Transport for London) is working to improve it anyway. The more capacity the tube has for people, the less people can take cars and be better for the environment. Catching and figuring out the directions of the tube is relatively easy, and after only a week I am fairly familiar with our usual routes. The only bad part about the tube is that it closes at midnight.
The night bus is an adventure that every tourist in London needs to try to believe. Coming back to your apartment at three in the morning with a bus full of reasonably drunk people is more fun than you would think. Also figuring out which routes you need to take home at three in the morning, even without having a bit to drink yourself, is a challenge in and of itself. This bus is a good alternative to catching a taxi, which is more expensive and worse for the environment.
London’s public transportation system relates to my major because I believe an effective public transportation system in any reasonably sized city will have to be a part of a sustainable future. As fuel-efficient as we can make cars, putting dozens of people on one of these fossil-fuel burning vehicles is better than five at the most. An effective rail system (let’s face it, Amtrak isn’t the best) is also another part of the solution. Sustainability is where the future lies, and part of sustainability will have to be public transportation.
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