I now live in a city and a country with excellent public transport systems. It has made me a BELIEVER in public transport and its way of enriching one’s life.  WHY?

1. It makes the car unnecessary within the city (and often within my country).  Our 7 year old car has been driven about 9,000 miles! We use public transport everywhere within the city and the country. This is a major contribution to the greening of  the country.

2. I greatly encourages walking.  We walk to all our daily activities within  the city and occasionally use the tram or bus to get home if it rains. The encouragement to walk is a major health item!  We are never far from public  transport anywhere in the city so wherever we are, we can get home easily.  In general, walking is quicker than using a car as finding legal parking often takes 10-15 minutes if we use our car!

3.  For those of us who use the tram and RR regularly, we buy a pass,  (good for 1,2 or three years) which gives us half price on all rail journeys and a reduced price on all trams and busses.

Although we are spoiled and lucky,  the public transport system makes one a believer and is an important part of a healthy way of life. Another important factor, admittedly, is living in a foreign city, designed for  pedestrians and not automobiles.  Honestly, it is rare that we have to walk more than twenty minutes to go to every place essential to daily living –  food, clothing, doctor, hospital, movies, club meetings, – you name it.  It’s all within an easy walk.  For us, whether working or retired, it is a huge benefit and more so if, as one ages, one can no longer drive a car. We are well situated for growing old (and/or crippled??). Public transport is an important factor in planning for our old age.

David M.-A former resident of Cincinnati