Hi! Over these past two weeks, I have been studying abroad in the Netherlands. This country is remarkable, and I have loved being able to study sustainability in Holland. During our time in the Netherlands, we got to see many cities. We stayed in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, but we also got to see The Hague, the city with most of the Netherlands’ government and other international justice systems. Throughout our time in these cities I have experienced many different comparisons to American life, but the largest aspect for me has been the public transportation systems in the Netherlands. 

I believe many Americans can understand and relate to the saying that “America is unwalkable.” In the United States, a car is practically necessary anywhere you live; however, there are some exceptions for a few major urban areas, but even those areas can be argued that it is not walkable. In my opinion, a society thrives on walkability and public transportation instead of cars, for both physical health and a sustainable world.

Being from the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area, I have been exposed to public transportation for most of my life. The DMV has a series of train lines going through the three regions, and is owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Even from my home, there are several Metro lines that make it easy to go into Washington D.C. without having to deal with my car. Though the Metro has its problems, I believe it is a great system that works well; however, after being in the Netherlands and relying on public transportation to get everywhere, I have realized that despite a good system, it cannot compare. In order to get to any of the Metro stops from my house, I need to drive. I can bike an hour and a half over busy streets and highways if I want to get there, but this is completely unreasonable and unsafe. 

In the Netherlands, though, public transportation extends throughout the country. There are several train systems in the country that make it readily accessible to access many train, metro, or bus stations. For example, during one of our in-country alumni dinners, I talked with one of our Pitt alums in the Netherlands, and he lived in a more rural area of Holland, but he was able to bike to a train station and get to Amsterdam from there. This was a great example of how the Netherlands was able to create a transportation system that works to increase walkability and lower the amount of car use in its country.

Pittsburgh is a major urban area with a population of around 300,000 people and around 2.4 million living in the greater Pittsburgh area. The Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) consists of public buses and a train system, or more commonly known as the T. I, and many Pitt students alike, think the PRT system is very unreliable. Buses will frequently not show up and almost always shows up late, making it difficult for anybody to gauge how much time it takes to commute to work or school. In the Netherlands, though, every form of public transportation was always on-time and told you exactly when it was coming. The transportation systems have exact times to follow, and from my experience, it was never wrong. This makes commuting very convenient and easy.

Another issue with the public transportation system in the United States is the lack of funding. Even talking with my professor was extremely eye-opening to the lack of funding for public transportation. My professor discussed how she used to be able to take the T to work, but it soon ended because of a lack of funding, causing that line to close. Afterwards, she had to take a bus to Downtown Pittsburgh, then bus again to Oakland to teach. Because this is inconvenient and would add another hour to her commute, she now drives to work. This is a prime example of how transportation in many urban areas is created without any long-term goals, and I wish it would change. Unfortunately, many Americans have no option but to use their cars because of the insufficient transportation planning in many areas of this country. 

Bikes are ingrained in Dutch society, and it’s clear bikes are important as Amsterdam has more bikes than people. However, from what I learned from our in-country tour guide, the Netherlands was going to follow a car-centered urban planning model like the United States, but protests arose for more sidewalks and bike lines across the country, and the government listened. The government implemented transportation and infrastructure that prioritizes people, and I wish the United States had done the same, especially for our urban areas. In the Netherlands, there is a safe bike line next to a highway, sidewalks and vegetation along every street, places to park your bike, train stations, bus stops, water ferries, metro lines, and so much more. 

Truly, the best part of the Netherlands’ transportation was its reliability. It was easy to understand, even though it was practically all in Dutch. In comparison, I struggled figuring out how to pay for my Mom’s bus rides on the PRT, even though it was all in English! During my time in the Netherlands, I never wished to have my car. It felt unpractical to have one. Despite the United States making strides at increasing public transportation usage and practicality, Americans do not have public transportation or walking in our culture. Cars are our culture. In the future, I hope the United States starts innovating its pedestrian infrastructure and public transportation, both for our health and for a sustainable future.