One of the pillars of public transit advocacy is the improvement and promotion of sustainability when public transit services are increased. With climate change and its effects taking shape across the globe, Cleveland has been hailed as a climate-resistant city. In order to better support that claim, it is becoming increasingly important to connect the different regions across the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area in a sustainable way, rather than the current car-dependency that is seen all across Northeast Ohio.

Car-dependency forces hardworking citizens with lower incomes to spend a large percentage of their income on repairs, fuel, and other costs that are associated with owning the automobile. A commuting, working citizen may spend around $12,000 per year on their automobile, on average. For those that work at, or around, the state minimum wage, that $12,000 makes up a major portion of income. In Lake County’s current state, living without a car is not feasible, meaning that those who can’t afford car dependency must attempt to relocate elsewhere.

On top of the fiscal and environmental benefits of public transit, some people fail to consider the sociological effects of public transit. Riding public transit, as compared to driving in a personal auto vehicle, has been proven to combat the negative effects of social isolation, as transit promotes more face-to-face interactions. Also, transit encourages increased local tourism, as the difference between walking/riding transit past a destination compared to driving past a location is extremely vast. Small businesses are better supported when located around transit, too. In essence, transit strengthens the community fabric it services.