Transportation (2022)

Transportation, which moves individuals from place to place for access to work, education, and recreation, is an essential form of infrastructure. Recently, one of its most affordable forms—public transportation—has experienced a worrying decline, due, in large part, to spending cuts and diversion of funding to highways. Without convenient and affordable public transportation many individuals will be unable to meet their basic needs, thus leading to a cycle of struggling. When public transportation disappears, people who rely on it will be out of luck. They will struggle to maintain jobs, education, and family contact. Some will continue to strive to achieve social mobility even as their overall quality of life continues to decline. In turn, some people’s mental health will deteriorate, as they face a lack of achievable goals and experience societal pressure from the idea that individuals cause their own poverty.