The use of public transportation could have more positive aspects than we may think. Besides abating carbon emissions in the atmosphere and reducing the use of gasoline, utilizing public transportation can benefit people themselves by keeping them healthier and decreasing mortality rates.
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) recently released a new report, "Evaluating Public Transportation Health Benefits", where they surveyed recent studies and came to the conclusion that "smart growth", transit-oriented communities enjoy more health benefits than automobile-dependent communities.
"Public transportation enhances the overall quality of life of an individual and a community," said APTA president William Millar. "Use of public transit simply means that you walk more which increases fitness levels and leads to healthier citizens. More importantly, increasing use of public transit may be the most effective traffic safety counter measure a community can employ."
