Quito bus system & Living in a region vulnerable to natural disasters
Quito Bus System
Quito is a city of over 1.5 million people that stretches over an area approximately 44 km long and 3-8 km wide. In 2002, there were only 250,000 cars in the city; about 75% of motorized trips were taken on buses. Prior to 1996, Quito’s bus system consisted of an unregulated mess of privately-owned old buses with low quality of service and increasing levels of criticism from citizens. The buses, many of which were long overdue for scrapping, ran on diesel; they were emission-heavy and very loud.
After mounting pressure from the public for a better, cleaner bus system, the Quito Trolebus System was first introduced in 1996 (and has since been expanded). The trolleybuses run on electricity rather than diesel, and operate in their own segregated busway/lanes to prevent congestion. Unlike the previous bus system (and many in the US), passengers pay upon entry to the system, not their particular bus- this is much more efficient and speeds the boarding process. In addition to the reduction of pollution (both gas emissions and noise), other benefits of the new system include increased hours of operations and a large (and clean) dedicated fleet.
Although the changes to the Quito bus system are very impressive, I’m surprised that rail lines weren’t incorporated into the new design; it seems like train/trolley lines would work well in the island platform system. I’m curious what it would take to bring a system like this to the United States. Many public transportation services (such as NJ Transit) could really do with an overhaul similar to that which took place in Quito in 1996. Perhaps as people are more educated about the benefits of public transportation, we’ll see some change in the right direction. I don’t believe the US will ever achieve Quito’s high ratio of bus to car usage, however; the idea/importance of car ownership has been engrained in the American culture for nearly a century. As a nation, we’re obsessed with cars- owning them, driving them, racing them, modifying them- the list goes on. Car ownership is glorified in movies, TV shows, commercials, books, etc.; public transportation, on the other hand, is usually thought of as dirty, run-down, and altogether lower-class. Although I think it may be too late to change people’s mindset towards public transportation in the majority (area-wise) of the country, it may be possible to improve public transportation in American cities in the future.
Living in a Region Vulnerable to Natural Disasters
Located on the edge of the infamous Ring of Fire, Ecuador is one of many countries in which there exists a relatively high risk of natural disaster, namely earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Wealth and education are the two major human factors that affect disaster severity. The wealthy are typically more able to afford disaster-proof housing and medical care; therefore, they are more likely to survive natural disasters. The poor, unfortunately, tend to suffer the most. With enough education, however, it is possible to reduce, if not avoid, many impacts of natural disaster. Literacy enables the use of written warnings; more advanced education that allows specialized knowledge of certain kinds of disasters (particularly important with Ecuador’s volcanic and seismic activity) can help even more. A combination of wealth and education can also lead to improvements in technology, such as earthquake-resistant infrastructure, that can save lives (and money, in the long run) as well as property (Tschakert et al., 2017).
We’re very fortunate to live in an area with a fairly low probability of natural disaster. Although there are exceptions (i.e. Hurricane Sandy), potentially catastrophic events like earthquakes are largely foreign to us here in southern New Jersey. I’m not sure if I could withstand the stress of living in a disaster-prone area; fortunately for me, I don’t have to. However, millions of people don’t have that choice- including many in Ecuador. By improving education and technology, we can help reduce the damage (both loss of life and property) in regions (like the South American Pacific Coast) which are vulnerable to natural disaster.
Reference
Tschakert, P., Zimmerer, K., King, B., Baum, S., and Wang, C. (2017) Vulnerability to Natural Hazards.
Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Pennsylvania State University.
Quito is a city of over 1.5 million people that stretches over an area approximately 44 km long and 3-8 km wide. In 2002, there were only 250,000 cars in the city; about 75% of motorized trips were taken on buses. Prior to 1996, Quito’s bus system consisted of an unregulated mess of privately-owned old buses with low quality of service and increasing levels of criticism from citizens. The buses, many of which were long overdue for scrapping, ran on diesel; they were emission-heavy and very loud.
After mounting pressure from the public for a better, cleaner bus system, the Quito Trolebus System was first introduced in 1996 (and has since been expanded). The trolleybuses run on electricity rather than diesel, and operate in their own segregated busway/lanes to prevent congestion. Unlike the previous bus system (and many in the US), passengers pay upon entry to the system, not their particular bus- this is much more efficient and speeds the boarding process. In addition to the reduction of pollution (both gas emissions and noise), other benefits of the new system include increased hours of operations and a large (and clean) dedicated fleet.
Although the changes to the Quito bus system are very impressive, I’m surprised that rail lines weren’t incorporated into the new design; it seems like train/trolley lines would work well in the island platform system. I’m curious what it would take to bring a system like this to the United States. Many public transportation services (such as NJ Transit) could really do with an overhaul similar to that which took place in Quito in 1996. Perhaps as people are more educated about the benefits of public transportation, we’ll see some change in the right direction. I don’t believe the US will ever achieve Quito’s high ratio of bus to car usage, however; the idea/importance of car ownership has been engrained in the American culture for nearly a century. As a nation, we’re obsessed with cars- owning them, driving them, racing them, modifying them- the list goes on. Car ownership is glorified in movies, TV shows, commercials, books, etc.; public transportation, on the other hand, is usually thought of as dirty, run-down, and altogether lower-class. Although I think it may be too late to change people’s mindset towards public transportation in the majority (area-wise) of the country, it may be possible to improve public transportation in American cities in the future.
Living in a Region Vulnerable to Natural Disasters
Located on the edge of the infamous Ring of Fire, Ecuador is one of many countries in which there exists a relatively high risk of natural disaster, namely earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Wealth and education are the two major human factors that affect disaster severity. The wealthy are typically more able to afford disaster-proof housing and medical care; therefore, they are more likely to survive natural disasters. The poor, unfortunately, tend to suffer the most. With enough education, however, it is possible to reduce, if not avoid, many impacts of natural disaster. Literacy enables the use of written warnings; more advanced education that allows specialized knowledge of certain kinds of disasters (particularly important with Ecuador’s volcanic and seismic activity) can help even more. A combination of wealth and education can also lead to improvements in technology, such as earthquake-resistant infrastructure, that can save lives (and money, in the long run) as well as property (Tschakert et al., 2017).
We’re very fortunate to live in an area with a fairly low probability of natural disaster. Although there are exceptions (i.e. Hurricane Sandy), potentially catastrophic events like earthquakes are largely foreign to us here in southern New Jersey. I’m not sure if I could withstand the stress of living in a disaster-prone area; fortunately for me, I don’t have to. However, millions of people don’t have that choice- including many in Ecuador. By improving education and technology, we can help reduce the damage (both loss of life and property) in regions (like the South American Pacific Coast) which are vulnerable to natural disaster.
Reference
Tschakert, P., Zimmerer, K., King, B., Baum, S., and Wang, C. (2017) Vulnerability to Natural Hazards.
Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Pennsylvania State University.