The city of Tucson wants to get more people out of their gas-guzzling cars and onto the bus.
Luna: “The more you take public transit, the more you contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which that’s what heats our city and the planet.”
Fátima Luna is Tucson’s Chief Resilience Officer.
She says to encourage people to take the bus, rides are currently free. Fare-free rides started during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue for another year. Tucson officials hope to make the change permanent if funding allows.
But Luna says affordability is only part of the puzzle.
Luna: “You also need to make it comfortable to be waiting at the bus stops.”
Summers in Tucson are scorching. But fewer than half of local bus stops have a shelter, so waiting for a ride can be unpleasant, especially in low-income parts of the city that lack shade trees and green space.
So as part of a pilot project, the city will install shade structures and plant trees and other vegetation at a handful of stops.
They’ll measure how these changes affect temperature — and plan to implement the most effective strategies more widely.
So it’s a holistic approach to making public transit accessible and appealing, so more people will hop a ride and leave their cars at home.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
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