Diva KC | layout editor

Growing up in New York City, taking the bus or the subway was an integral part of my day. I started and ended my day on the Q47 or Q50, always passing through the 74 St – Broadway train station to get to my destination. Public transportation in the city is reliable and vast. I rarely turned to other methods of travel, other than walking of course. It wasn’t until I went away for college that I realized how different public transportation could be.

Pittsburgh isn’t known for its expansive public transit. Downtown remains fairly accessible but the North Hills is a different story. Every bus ride and even the commute to the bus stop reminds you that this place is built for cars.

There are two main buses that take me to Duquesne, the 12 and the O12. The O12 runs for a few hours from Monday to Friday and takes me about 40 minutes. The 12 runs seven days a week but takes about two hours. Above all, I find it incredibly ironic that I have to drive to the bus stop in the first place.

Forty minutes on a bus is a standard commute that I’m used to, two hours is not. On the few times that I took the 12, I noticed that it made loops around the North Side, stopping at the mall and local shopping areas. While integral in concept, people rarely take this bus because, frankly, it’s inconvenient to be on a bus that makes loops on loops. The only reason the loops need to occur is due to the lack of buses in the north, not to mention the lack of trains.

Most of the people who take buses are those who do not own a vehicle, and while having one in a car-centric city might seem logical, cars are expensive. As a student in NYC, public transportation was integral to my freedom. With my student metrocard (RIP), I went to the museum, the mall, any place that sparked my interest. Every part of the city is connected via the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and I never felt restricted in where I could go. It’s hard to feel that way in car-centric areas, any problems with my car could mean a loss of mobility.

Of course, I’ve seen the good in Pittsburgh’s public transit. Downtown is connected fairly well with buses and many people, including myself, utilize it quite often. It’s difficult to replicate the depth of the NYC transportation system but I think it’s so important to make an effort to connect an entire city. There are many, many reasons for using public transportation: Income, physical barriers and the environment are simply a few. I’m not tied down when I’m on the bus or the subway, but when I have a car, I’m stuck with it. Sometimes you just don’t want the headache.

I’m not trying to rule out one or the other but I think people everywhere deserve options. Why should only a few places in the country have accessible transportation systems? I think it’s nice to be able to choose to drive rather than having to do so. I’m fortunate to have experienced the beauty of choice in NYC and would like for more places to be that way!

Diva KC can be reached at kcd@duq.edu