America is Playing Catch-Up

America is Playing Catch-Up

America has been viewed as the world leader since the 1950‘s. The US has had one of the best economies, some of the best opportunities, and almost the best standard of living. That doesn’t mean that America is number one at everything though. Sometimes the US doesn’t even come close. Take transportation for example; since the highways were built, funding for public transportation has been cut in half. This has lead to the US falling behind in the public transportation sector. Other countries have since surpassed us in their transportation systems. America is not a world leader in public transportation. America is playing catch-up.

In the US public transportation is atrocious. Lots of cities have very limited transportation due to lack of funding, and the cities that claim have transportation have terrible systems to boast. In Atlanta, the Metro-Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has an extensive network of bus stops and train stops, but none of which function to the best of their ability. People in certain areas are limited by the effect of urban sprawl and rapid outward development (Bullard). This creates poor public transportation conditions. In the US few cities have a good, let alone a great standard of public transportation. One of the few is the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver. This is considered one of the best systems in the US, but it is still effected by urban sprawl, and lack of funding. If the US doesn’t begin to fund and support more public transportation,the lack of mobility is going to cause the US to fall behind. Thus America is playing catch-up with the rest of the world, especially Europe.

In Europe public transportation is how people get around. The train and bus systems in place in Europe are far superior in effectiveness and efficiency than in the US. This is partly to due with the high gas prices, but mainly to do with the more advanced public transportation development in Europe. Spain is especially exceptional in their efforts to be a world leader in public transportation. They are the number one leader in light-rail transportation in the world. Six out of the eight leading companies that are developing light-rail transportation are located in Spain (Blueprint America). As time continues, when other areas in the world start to develop their own public transportation, they will look to Spain for guidance instead of the US.

So America needs to realize that it is falling behind in the transportation sector of development. Once the US realizes this, it then needs to jump on the opportunity to get “back in the game”. Instead of playing catch-up with Spain and the rest of Europe, the US should engage in more public transportation development. Funding should be implemented, at least until the private sector takes over as they have in Spain. The US needs to begin taking steps to become a world leader again, and the investment in public transportation is a perfect opportunity for the US to do so. America needs to stop playing catch-up, and start winning the race.

Bullard, Robert D., Glenn S. Johnson, and Angel O. Torres. Sprawl City: Race, Politics, and Planning in Atlanta. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2000. Print.

Blueprint America: Beyond the Motor City. Thirteen, 08 Feb. 2010. Web. 18 Sept. 2011 <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/beyond-the-motor- city/video/939/>