At the start, when trains where the primary source of transportation and buses where the new and shiny buses where treated as a dignified and respected way to travel. Then, once integration began all of the support for these programs dried up as white culture moved into the suburbs.
Creating, not just a physical divide, but a resource imbalance.
Suburb living is nice, comfortable, and largely quite. However, the resource requirements are much higher. Longer transportation times to get to places of employment, and even a simple task like traveling to a corner shop or the grocery store becomes a trek.
In the mean time public transit has been vilified, shame being cast on those that use it.
Here is the short and short of it.
Public Transit is not a communist or socialist ideal.
It is a conservative one.
It is a capitalist one.
By having a reliable public transit system it allows a work force to get to work at a lower cost.
By having the bulk of workers in a public transit system for their commuting hours you lower the amount of vehicles on the road.
Making it easier for deliveries and thru traffic to move more efficiently, lowering the costs of goods and services by reducing delivery and drive time for those essential services.
Lastly, Public Transit that is supported encourages visitors, tourists, and business travelers a way to see the area and or explore an area without getting lost navigating one way streets or blocking delivery vehicles.
That argument established, here is my thought for the bus stop of the future.
1. It is a secure WiFi Point.
Accessible through the "Transit App" it allows a person to prepay bus fair or taxi and shuttle services as well as approved "public" apps.
"public apps" would be verified entertainment and delivery apps with FDIC Digital Encryption.
"FDIC Digital Encryption - Public wifi accessable apps that allow secure download and upload of personal data. i.e. medical, financial, emergency data.
"public apps" would be verified entertainment and delivery apps with FDIC Digital Encryption.
"FDIC Digital Encryption - Public wifi accessable apps that allow secure download and upload of personal data. i.e. medical, financial, emergency data.
2. Secured and monitored delivery point.
Do not want or have a home to have a package delivered to, or are meeting for a craigslist sale?
Homeless and have enough for a pizza?
Need to meet for a verified package but can't make it all the way to the post office.
Video monitored point.
3. Paystation or the new Pay Phone.
Do not want or have a home to have a package delivered to, or are meeting for a craigslist sale?
Homeless and have enough for a pizza?
Need to meet for a verified package but can't make it all the way to the post office.
Video monitored point.
3. Paystation or the new Pay Phone.
A pay station for physical currency for digital purchases.
Do not have a card to order with or phone/computer to access online offerings.
Do not have a card to order with or phone/computer to access online offerings.
The public Pay Phone can be used to order direct from local FDIC businesses and prepay for transit services.
4. Pay toilets.
Yeah, yeah, I know, public toilets are nasty.
But it's all about dignity.
Yeah, yeah, I know, public toilets are nasty.
But it's all about dignity.
Having public toilets space at the farthest or heaviest trafficked points on a rout would not only give more reliable bathroom offerings for those in need. Why pay instead of free? Well, it costs money to clean them. And, through the cash for cans programs that many states have already adopted using bottle exchanges to create a way to gain access to public toilets.
So what does a Light Rail stop look like to me?
24 hour service, bus and taxi pick up, pay toilet, public access wifi, and a place to call for help in an emergency.
24 hour service, bus and taxi pick up, pay toilet, public access wifi, and a place to call for help in an emergency.
