4. During your program, we want you to focus on an area of infrastructure, society, or culture that interests you OUTSIDE of your coursework on the program. Think about things like what is advertised versus not; use and modes of transportation; access and attitudes around healthcare; sustainability; etc. What similarities and differences can you find compared to Pittsburgh and what can that tell you about our own priorities in the US versus your host country

In Austria, public transportation is a huge part of daily life. For the majority of our program, we stayed in Graz, which was a very walkable city. When we weren’t walking, we took the tram to get around, including from our hotel to the university where we had class. There were also many bike lanes and bike lock up stations that made it very easy to bike around the city. Overall, it was actually more inconvenient to have a car, since there were very limited spaces to park and the traffic patterns were in favor of public transportation and pedestrians. Utilizing the tram system was actually very easy. We had a pass that was valid for one month, and to activate it we just had to stamp it the very first time we used it. The doors opened all along the tram and you did not have to swipe or show anything in order to get on, they operated more on the honor system. It was expected that you had the pass on you at all times in case of random checks, which we only experienced once in Vienna. This was different than how the PRT buses operate in Pittsburgh, where you must scan in at the driver’s door in order to be allowed on the bus. I was overall very impressed with the public transportation system, and it was much unlike the United States. In the US, aside from major cities, you pretty much need a car in order to get anywhere. In Austria, basically everything was within walking distance, such as the grocery store, shops, and laundromats. This system also promotes health among the population and reduces pollution. Walking everywhere is much better for you than driving, and even taking the tram requires some level of walking by getting to and from the tram stations and your destination. Also, encouraged biking is conducive to a healthier population. I would love to see this kind of system implemented in more places in the United States.