Mariana Lamas Barrios
How they do it elsewhere
05
Tardy buses, poorly lit stations, limited connections and inadequate security. These are all things the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System is known for, as found in a study conducted by Cisco.
However, in other parts of the world, we see prosperous and efficient transit systems that benefit countless people. In European countries, people use the public transit system daily to reach their destinations.
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Sara Pontoppidan, born and raised in Denmark, did a semester at San Diego State University in Spring 2021. Even before she left Denmark, she had heard stories as to what she could expect from the U.S. transportation system.
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​Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, has 84 train stations even though the city is only 69 square miles.
These photos depict public transit centers in Hamburg, Germany.
This resulted in widespread usage and reliability in the transit system. The capital is filled with car-free streets and low-speed zones, making it a highly walkable city. In contrast, it is not uncommon to see a parking lot next to a bus station in San Diego because sometimes the nearest bus station is not within walking distance.
"I had a bad experience one month into my SDSU studies related to the trolley,” said Pontoppidan. “In Denmark, it is more normal to use public transport, so many people use it, making it feel safer," said Pontoppidan.
She, like many others in Copenhagen, takes the metro daily to get to and from school and work.
Germany has also established a popular public transport system with multiple connections. Hamburg, one of Germany’s biggest cities, has 93 train stations in its 296 square miles. In comparison, San Diego has 62 trolley stations to cover its 372 square miles.
German SDSU student Jenna Fee Feyerabend experienced culture shock when observing the design of American cities.
"I always questioned why there are so many lanes on the highway or why there is so much traffic,” said Fee. “It's because people are not using public transportation.”
The European system is effective because their cities were designed with train connections in mind rather than roads. This was always the intention when building cities, especially when reconstructing after World War II. Many European countries realized it would be cheaper to improve the transportation system than to reconstruct to favor roads.
Over time, many European citizens have grown to see taking the metro as a social activity.
"In Europe, we use the space for public transportation; it's not just about highways,” Fee said. “It's also a social thing. Everyone comes together on the trains, not just people in their cars.”
However, European countries tend to have higher taxes compared to the U.S., and it is through tax revenue that they maintain their transportation systems. In 2018, Denmark spent 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) on road transport infrastructure. In the same year, Germany allocated 7.8 billion euros ($8.5 billion), of federal funds for public transportation. In the meantime, the US spends only about 2% of tax dollars on transportation.
"I believe we pay too much in taxes compared to the price of the transportation system,” said Pontoppidan. “While the transport system might be efficient and nice, tickets are also expensive. Since taxes are extremely high, tickets should not be as costly.”
Conversely, Fee has a different perspective.
"As long as paying taxes doesn’t completely limit my ability to live financially stable, it's okay," said Fee.
"Since a lot more tax money goes to that purpose and it is highly prioritized in big cities, there are many ways to get around, including bus lines and trains,” expressed Pontoppidan. “Especially after moving to the capital of Denmark, the metros and trains mean a lot to how I get around. It is also very fast to travel in that way.”