Building a mass transit may be a large undertaking for a city, but the future benefits will outweigh the expenses in the long run. There are many reasons a metropolitan area needs a mass transit system, including improving environmental impacts, convenience and traffic. Many cities have antiquated and inadequate mass transit systems, while others have avoided these civil construction projects and are now overwhelmed by traffic problems. Creating new transit systems, such as subways, railroads and ferries can alleviate many of the existing problems for metropolitan areas and reduce the number of future problems these heavily populated areas will encounter.

Traffic

As urban and metropolitan areas continue to build new construction and increase their populations, the number of people commuting to and from the city and the outlying suburbs every day increases. While carpooling is encouraged, coordinating work schedules with people who live and work near each other is difficult. The nine to five office job is becoming scarce, as businesses are using a variety of operating hours to accommodate their clients on the East Coast and West Coast and everywhere in between. As a result, commuters drive their own vehicles, creating more vehicle traffic on the road. Some urban and metropolitan areas offer mass transportation vehicles, such as buses and trains, but this is often not enough. Building a mass transit system or adding a second source of mass transit to a city that already has one will lower the number of people commuting by themselves to and from the city every day.

Environment

Using a transportation system to carry a large number of people at once lowers the environmental impact of individual travelers by car. While some states and municipalities have enforced auto emissions testing and have lowered acceptable levels, the amount of petroleum used and pollution created is still high. Using light rail, subways and ferry boat systems are more environmentally friendly over the long term. They use fewer polluting agents and fewer fossil fuels.

Convenience

Commuting daily to and from urban areas for work creates many stressors on those driving in high traffic areas. Stop-and-go movement on highways and at bridges and tunnels creates higher wear and tear on vehicles and on the driver’s mental well-being. Sitting in one spot for several minutes or hours is frustrating and may also make an individual less productive. Their commute is longer, they arrive late for work and get less accomplished when they are not at the office. Those using mass transit are not required to pay attention to the road, and can instead enjoy reading a book or can use their electronic equipment for business or pleasure. They are not late for work, are not stressed out upon arrival, and are not putting a lot of mileage and wear on their personal vehicles.