Why Public Transit?

1.  Small Business thrives near transit stations.  When built within the urban milieu, mass transit brings consumers in large numbers to stations that can be surrounded by small businesses. As most agree independent business is the backbone of our economy and therefore Chicagoans must push for action to make life easier for the entrepreneur.  Public transit is ideal for small companies, without the cash flow of giant corporations.  Unlike automobile traffic that engenders big box chains that can afford enormous parking lots, mass transit brings walking customers form store to store without the extra cost of parking.   These consumers also come in large numbers supporting a multitude of unique ventures that may not have enough audience elsewhere.  The Brown Line illustrates this best, almost every station sits among a number of neighborhood shops from bakeries to taverns.  While other lines may lack these adjacent amenities this comes from a separation from the neighborhoods they serve.  The expressway lines i.e. the Blue and Red lines are examples of this.  However every transit line and bus route brings people together and this represents a potential resource that small business should tap.