Public Transportation Promises Solution to Pollution

Air pollution is a silent killer, one that Basking Ridge could run into in the future if nothing is done about the current public transportation situation in school districts. One of the main components of air pollution, greenhouse gases, originates from human activities, such as driving cars, that burn fossil fuels. These emissions are deposited in the air and inhaled as we breathe. In cities, air pollution is more visibly evident than it is in small towns, but that does not mean that small towns like Basking Ridge are not contributing to ruining the atmosphere. The Center for Disease Control states that automobile emissions, adverse health effects, and the need for single occupancy vehicles can all be lowered through the use of public transportation. The provision of increased bus services by school districts will encourage the use of public transport, thus lowering the amount of traffic congestion at the Lake Road intersection and the amount of air pollution incurred in the long run.

Talking about reducing air pollution is much easier than actually doing it. A simple approach towards reducing air pollution levels locally is to increase the amount of public transport used rather than using individual automobiles. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation in the United States reduces carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. This amount is equivalent to stopping the use of electricity in New York City, Denver, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. One way to encourage the use of public transport is for schools to increase funding of buses. According to Bernards Township laws, buses are currently provided free of cost to residents who live 2.5 miles or more from the high school. Those who do not meet that requirement must pay for busing services yearly. Recently, the Board of Education passed an initiative to lower busing costs in which residents who receive busing for free but do not want it essentially waive their child's right to use their bus seat. In other words, this new plan encourages the use of private transportation, expanding the ongoing problem of traffic congestion.

For years, Bernards Township schools have struggled with traffic issues as a result of having limited entrances to school parking lots. Often times, the excessive levels of traffic congestion led to buses arriving late and students receiving detentions for tardiness. Consequently, the use of individual automobiles causes students to get more detentions and less education. The district is not utilizing public transportation as much as it should and the buildup of traffic congestion only increases the amount of air pollution generated each day. As students and their parents sit in their cars at the Lake Road intersection, fuel is being burned. According to the Clean Air Force, ten minutes of waiting in traffic daily wastes almost 20 gallons of gasoline annually for every driver. Sitting in traffic at this intersection can have a waiting time of more than 20 minutes depending on how many people are on the road and planning to arrive on time. This can amount to over 40 gallons of gasoline wasted every year for each driver. Alternatively, buses can fit roughly 40 students, ideally eliminating the presence of 40 cars and their emissions. Public transportation, like buses or even car-pooling, would help limit traffic congestion as well as decrease gas emissions that are known to cause air pollution.

Realistically, public transportation makes the most sense for school districts to utilize. The use of buses would increase students’ timeliness to school, decrease the ongoing issue of traffic congestion, and lessen Basking Ridge's contribution to air pollution in the long run. A study performed by the Delaware Department of Environmental Control shows that a fully occupied bus is six times more efficient than the average single-occupancy vehicle. Using private transportation will increase pollution, contaminating the air for future generations. Your children and your grandchildren will suffer as a result of our actions. If an initiative is proposed in support of public transport, the budget may need to be adjusted. Although paying more in taxes may seem like an inconvenience at first, it is important to consider the amount of money that would be saved on gas that is no longer needed to drive students to and from school. Additionally, time, which is virtually priceless, would be saved without having to make unnecessary trips at inconvenient times. Money, time, and lives can be saved by implementing a simple plan to utilize public transportation in school districts.

Pollution can neither be stopped immediately nor prevented from happening altogether. As long as humans are inhabiting the Earth and resources are consumed, some form of air pollution will exist. If Basking Ridge residents continue their current habits into the future, matters will get exponentially worse. It is unrealistic to think that this issue can be solved individually; however, public transport opportunities make it easier to decrease local air pollution. Increasing busing services in the Bernards Township school district will effectively help to encourage public transportation, reduce traffic, and preserve the atmosphere longer. We all must act now; evaluate your own environmental impact and take charge before it’s too late.