The case for buses: interdisciplinary ethical arguments in support of strong public transit

Laura M. Hartman (), Kathleen M. Wooley () and Ryan C. Tucker ()
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Laura M. Hartman: Roanoke College
Kathleen M. Wooley: Roanoke College
Ryan C. Tucker: Roanoke College

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2024, vol. 14, issue 1, No 13, 180-192

Abstract: Abstract We argue that municipalities of all sizes should prioritize transit, particularly buses, as a moral and practical consideration. Buses represent a mode of transit that is significantly better than private automobiles: better for the environment, more accessible to a broad range of people, healthier, and more conducive to the creation of safe, humane communities. Writing from Roanoke, VA, USA, we know that small and medium-sized American cities such as ours tend to underfund their transit systems, but a good bus system could be the centerpiece of a transportation strategy that generates health, clean air, and upward mobility for all. In this essay we establish the practical and moral reasons why cities should invest in public transit: it is not only financially smart but morally imperative to do so. We also examine cultural reasons why public transit tends to be underfunded in the US. Well-funded public transportation systems—which, in most cases, should feature a robust and well-funded bus system—have the potential to act as a key ingredient in healthy, prosperous, and just communities. Whether bus systems live up to this potential is a question that lies in the hands of advocates and decision-makers.

Keywords: Public transit; Ethics; Public health; Bus; Public goods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s13412-023-00874-1

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