14 Getting Around the City

Transport refers to the ways we move people or things from one place to another place. Transport includes walking, driving and travelling on , trains and planes. In this unit we will explore transport systems in cities.

Keywords transport system public private navigate commuter airport railway underground pollution congestion map app Global Positioning System (GPS)

What is a Transport System?

A transport system is all the available transport methods in an area.

Public transport systems are those that can be used by everyone. They run on fixed routes at fixed times. 6th_GEO_SC_14_01Public transport is provided by the government and companies. Public transport systems include buses, trains and . Most cities have a range of different public transport options.

Private transport systems are those that are used by a single person or group. The person or group can choose their own route and time. Private transport usually happens when a person uses their own vehicle. Private transport includes cars, vans, bicycles and motorbikes. Cars are the most commonly used form of private transport in Ireland.

What Influences a Transport System? Think About It: Why do Different cities have different transport systems. you think cars are used These are influenced by geography, business and so often in Ireland? the built environment.

Geography The Built Environment

The landscape of a city influences its The way a city is built will influence its transport. Walking and cycling is more transport system. Some cities such popular in flat regions than hilly regions. as New York are arranged in a grid Climate also makes a difference. In wet system, which makes them easy to and cold weather, people are more likely navigate. Other cities grow over time. to use sheltered transport such as cars, This means older, more central areas buses and trains. might have better transport than newer areas. Business

Many cities have canals and railways that were first built to transport goods. An effective transport system is needed for commuters (people travelling to work). Geography & Science

Human environments: Transport and communications 78 Environmental awareness and care: Science and the environment How to Get Around a City

Today cars are the most popular way to get around most cities. But there are lots of other forms of transport too! Walking

Bus transport is the Walking is good for short most common form and medium distances. of public transport It has the advantage in Ireland. Bus provides services of avoiding all traffic! in the Dublin region. The rest of Ireland Walking is also a form of is served by bus companies such as exercise and has health Bus Éireann. benefits.

Cycling Rickshaw

Cycling is far quicker A rickshaw was traditionally than walking. It is a two-wheeled vehicle, especially popular pulled by one or more in regions with flat people. Modern rickshaws landscapes, such as the Netherlands. are powered by a motor or pedalled As with walking, cycling is a good way like a bike. They are common in Asian to get exercise. countries such as India.

Entering and Leaving

People don’t just travel within towns and cities. They also use transport to enter and leave cities.

Airplane Train

Airplanes are used to Rail is a quick and travel between cities. convenient way to They can fly thousands travel in and out of of kilometres in just a cities. Ireland’s first railway opened in few hours. is the busiest 1834, but the early railways were mostly airport in Ireland, with over 30 million used for transporting goods. Ireland passengers each year. has 2,300 km of railways.

The Bullet Train of Japan The Shinkansen, known as the ‘bullet train’, is a super-fast train in Japan with a top speed of 320 km per hour. It can cover a distance of 500 km in Geography & Science less than two and a half hours! Since it was built in 1964, the Shinkansen has transported over 10 billion passengers without a single accident. Delays are rare and, when they happen, they last an average of only 36 seconds!

Human environments: Transport and communications Environmental awareness and care: Science and the environment 79 Next Stop … New York!

Dublin and New York are cities with complex public transport systems. Dublin New York Population 1.3 million 8.6 million Bus MTA New York City Bus Number of routes: 120 Number of routes: 325 Passengers: 140 million each year Passengers: 569 million each year Tram Luas New York does not have one. Number of stations: 67 Passengers: 41.8 million each year Underground Dublin does not have one. MTA Subway rail Number of stations: 472 Passengers: 1.68 billion each year Suburban DART Long Island, Metro-North and rail (railways New Jersey railroads that serve Number of stations: Number of stations: the city and 31 250 combined surrounding Passengers: Passengers: areas) 20 million each year. 150 million each year

Think About It: What form of transport is the most used in each city?

Case Study: Dublin’s Trams

Trams are similar to trains – they both run on rails. But trams are much slower than trains. They travel on the street, alongside road vehicles and people. Dublin’s first tram system – Dublin Tramways – went into service in 1872. It ran until 1949. Dublin didn’t have a tram system again until the Luas began operating in 2004. The Luas is the city’s current tram system. It carries an average of 90,000 people daily. The Luas operates on two lines: the and the .

Q72 Mets-Willets Q47 DITMARS BLVD 7.Q48 LGA Airport Mets-Willets ASTORIA BLVD CORONA 7 111 St 82 ST LaGuardia Link Q70 SBS 7.Q48 LGA Airport Going Underground M60 SBS STEINWAY ST 82 St-Jackson Hts 7 JACKSON 103 St-Corona Plaza 74 St-BroadwayHEIGHTS 7 Northern Blvd Junction Blvd New York’s subway is the largest underground rail 7.Q72 LGA Airport 7 90 St-ElmhurstJUNCTION BLVD Av way St 46 St 7 7 M.R network in the world. Underground rail networks are M.R 65 St M.R 7 M.R 7 common in major cities. Although plans to build an BROADWAY ElmhurstM.R Av M.R GrandNewtownM.R Av Woodhaven Blvd 69 St Jackson Hts 7 Roosevelt Av underground Metro in Dublin have been discussed E.F.M.R. QUEENS BLVD 61 StWoodside E F M R 7. Woodside 52 StLaGuardia Link Q70 SBS LaGuardia Link Q70 SBS 7 Q47 LGA Airport (Marine Air Term only) for decades, it has yet to happen. One reason for 46 St Bliss St 7 40 St7 JUMPER 33 St-RawsonLowery St St GRAND AV VALLEY this is cost. Digging an underground rail network is 7 PARK

Geography & Science incredibly expensive. Section of the New York subway

Human environments: Transport and communications 80 Environmental awareness and care: Science and the environment What’s Useful About Public Transport?

Public transport is useful because it is an efficient way of getting a large number of people from one place to another. Public transport has other benefits. Saves Space

The amount of road space used by public transport is far less than private transport. A Dublin double- decker bus can carry 125 people. If all those people drove cars, the roads would be a lot more crowded!

Think About It: A Dublin double- decker bus is 10 m in length. An average car is 4.5 m in length. If there were 123 people driving cars, how much more space would they take up than one bus?

Less Pollution Fact File When vehicles burn petrol or diesel, they release Transport is responsible for harmful fumes into the air, causing pollution. A full 30 per cent of the EU’s total bus or train uses less fuel per person than a car, emissions of carbon dioxide, making buses and trains more environmentally which is one of the main friendly modes of transport. causes of global warming. Fewer Traffic Jams

Traffic congestion is a major problem in cities. Fewer private vehicles on the roads results in fewer traffic jams. Cheaper

Taking public transport is cheaper than owning a private vehicle such as a car. Public transport allows people to access work, services and leisure activities even if they choose not to buy a vehicle of their own. Why Do People Drive? Fact File Privately owned vehicles can sometimes have advantages over public transport. The driver can A Spanish city, decide on the exact time they want to go somewhere, Pontevedra, has banned rather than having to follow a timetable. The driver all cars from the city can also go to places that might not be connected centre since 1999. Most Geography & Science to a public transport network. Cleaner, more journeys are now made environmentally friendly cars are being developed on foot or by bicycle. but, where possible, public transport is a better option.

Think About It: What other reasons do you think people might have for driving rather than using public transport?

Human environments: Transport and communications Environmental awareness and care: Science and the environment 81 Mapping the City

When people travel in a city, they rely on maps and plans to know where they are going. To help travellers, cities often provide different types of maps.

N o r t Buses travel along routes, stopping at specific bus stops. h In order to get L i n

k

R

from one place to another, a passenger may need to changed buses. This is where a route map comes in handy.

Dominick St Some maps show how Wellington Rd

long it takes to walk Pope’s Quay MacCurtain Street North Gate to places in a city. Bridge Camden Pl North Mall North MainKyrl’s St Quay Patrick’s Quay A walking map Patrick’s Lavitt’s Quay Bridge

is a great way of Cornmarket St Merchant’s Quay

Opera Lane Academy St encouraging people to t S

s ’ Maylor St k Parnell c i walk instead of driving. Paul St r Place t a P Winthrop Street When tourists visit a city, Liberty St Oliver Plunkett St Lapp’s Quay Washington Street a tourist map is useful Eglinton St Grand Parade

Princes for finding popular sites South Main St Street Anglesea St and attractions. South Mall Union Quay Tourist map of Cork City

Sullivan’s Quay George’s Quay Copley St

South Terrace Map It: 9 Create a tourist map of whereFort you St live, showing five notable locations. Gillabbey St Sawmill St 14 11 Dean St Evergreen St

Tower St Douglas St

Apping the City Old Blackrock Rd

Today people use paper maps less often. Smartphone map apps can be accessed with a few taps on a screen. Map apps let you know exactly where you are by using the Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS is a network of satellites that orbit the Earth. The satellites transmit radio signals, which are received by a GPS unit, such as a smartphone. By working out how far away the signals are, the unit can figure out its position on Earth. This information is processed by the app, which then shows your location. Smartphone apps can go even further than telling you where you are. They can advise on the best route to get somewhere and even update you on traffic! This is possible because, as millions of people use the app, it is constantly updated with their journey information.

Transport systems develop to suit the geography, economy and society of the people who use them. There are many ways to get around a city, with the help of maps, apps and different forms of transport. Geography & Science

Human environments: Transport and communications 82 Environmental awareness and care: Science and the environment Activities

Fact Finding

1. Name two things that influence a city’s transport system. 2. What is the top speed of the Shinkansen ‘bullet’ train? 3. What is the name of Dublin’s current tram network? 4. What are two advantages of public transport? 5. What does GPS stand for?

Explore More

1. Explain how geography might influence a city’s transport system. 2. What form of transport is best to travel around your local area? Why? 3. Why is it a good idea to encourage walking and cycling? 4. If you rely completely on a map app to find your way, what might go wrong? 5. Explain why using public transport causes less air pollution than driving a car.

Working as a Geographer: Using Pictures, Maps and Models

Using transport maps, work out a route from Dublin to Cork. • Write down the different types of transport you could use to make this journey. • Then estimate how long each form of transport would take. • What is the quickest journey you could make? • What is the slowest? Dublin

Cork

Working as a Geographer: Using Pictures, Maps and Models Geography & Science A transport map shows the different modes of transport for getting around a town or a city. Imagine your school is a city. Create a transport map for it. Include lots of different methods of navigating the building, for example a bus route that goes to the principal’s office via all the classrooms. Remember to be as inventive as possible!

Human environments: Transport and communications Environmental awareness and care: Science and the environment 83