Transportation

Using the Transportation and Health Indicator, it was refreshing to see that the Seattle Metro area ranked high when compared to the rest of the US. In almost all areas concerning transportation, Seattle was above average, except land use, and proximity to major highways. 

Also, I found it interesting how transportation is tied to public health. The use of personal vehicles has a detrimental impact of the public health of a community. Therefore, a community's use of public transportation, and other means of transportation, can help deter the negative health affects of personal vehicles. 

However, the use of public transit within the United States is definitely not the most convenient way to get around for many people. This is particularly true in metropolitan areas. Due to the rapid gentrification of major cities like Seattle, and San Francisco, many working-class and poorer individuals are forced farther and farther from the city, being pushed into the suburbs. It is an interesting change, considering that not that long ago, the rich preferred the suburbs over the city. However, this has changed, and getting your fancy condo in the middle of the city is the trend. 

As the demand for fancy condos and apartments increases in these cities, the supply of these increase as well. In turn, more affordable housing diminishes, and working-class, and poorer individuals are left to fend for themselves. 

Moreover, this forces individuals to rely on personal vehicles to get to their jobs in the city. Therefore, I find it somewhat humorous when a city, such as Seattle touts its"progressive" transportation system, when this system benefits mostly those who can afford to live in the city. Additionally, it appears somewhat condescending to tell those working-class and poor individuals that they should use public transit, when this is just not a practical decision for them to make, if they want to keep their jobs. If cities such as Seattle and San Francisco want to increase the use of public transit, they should work on ways to increase affordable housing within their cities, rather than pandering to the desires of the rich. 

This is the tragic irony for me when it comes to "progressive" cities like Seattle and San Francisco. These cities love to portray themselves as champions of social justice, when often times they work directly against the aims of social justice. I mean c'mon, San Francisco is arguably one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. Most people who have jobs in San Francisco have to come from considerable distance to get there, because there is no way they can afford a place there, unless they live with a ton of roommates for the remainder of their lives. Are these the people who should be told to spend 2-3 hours a day taking public transit? If so, they then sacrifice time with their families, and increase their stress levels, which negatively impacts their health. If San Francisco and Seattle are truly champions of social and environmental justice, they should be doing everything in their power to make their cities affordable.