While on the light rail one thing that stood out immediately was the drastic contrast among the buildings along the tracks. There were new apartment buildings being constructed next door to houses with their roofs caving in and pieces of plywood covering their windows and doors. Once we got downtown the only housing buildings were luxurious apartment complexes. By the time we got on the red line, there were no more houses along the tracks but instead only apartment complexes, business locations, a few places of worship, and many parking garages and convenience stores with no grocery stores in sight.
I originally thought that the light rail would be the most beneficial to people who could not afford cars or had financial problems. However, …show more content…
They cannot afford and have no use for the expensive downtown restaurants or the museums adjacent to the train tracks. The only major resources truly available that were visible during the scavenger hunt were places of worship, one hospital, and one park. What they need is grocery stores, free clinics, and parks. Unfortunately, these types of installations are the furthest away from the light rail route. Instead, people who are often living paycheck to paycheck are given easy access to liquor stores and convenience stores with nothing but alcohol, cigarettes, and junk food. The few items in convenience stores that offer some type of nutritional value like milk, cheese, bread, eggs, and pasta are offered at a ridiculous markup. It has also been shown that both tobacco and alcohol companies target low-income communities which only further entrenches the cycle of generational poverty. It, therefore, makes sense to have seen so many liquor stores and convenience stores with cigarette advertisements in the neighborhoods. What these communities would benefit more from in terms of public transportation are bus routes. While the speed is slower there are more frequent stops and variety in routes could allow people to get closer grocery …show more content…
For example, when I was growing up my family took the bus to the grocery store but just because it was close to both the store and our apartment it did not mean that it was 100 percent convenient. Buses are often crowded with not enough seats for everyone making carrying groceries a hassle. Communities through which the light rail runs then have three options. They can carry their groceries on the long walk to the light rail and from the light rail to their home, they can pay exuberant prices for a few items at convenience stores, or they can purchase cheaper items with no nutritional