Meaning Differences - Like x Such As

Question

In order not to sound repetitive, I opted to use the word like as a synonym for such as in the following sentence:

Second, since fuel prices have been significantly increasing, people opt for cheaper forms of urban transportation. Those options usually include the public ones - such as subways, buses, or trains - or alternative systems - like cycling, and skateboarding.

However, I've read at some websites that the word like might change the meaning of a sentence. They say that while the expression such as implies inclusion, the word like implies a comparison.

(https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/like-versus-such-as)

Do you think I've conveyed my ideia successfully, or should I opt for another synonym?

Please let me know if there is any other grammar, vocabulary, or meaning mistake.

Thanks in advance.

(a) Using 'such as' twice here would cause no problems. (b) Using 'like' as a synonym for 'such as' here causes no problems; the alternative 'similar to' reading is discountable on pragmatic grounds. — Edwin Ashworth, Feb 27 '18 at 17:45
There is absolutely nothing wrong with repeating like or such as. If you switch from one to the other, it might convey the impression that you think the two situations are different somehow. — Peter Shor, Feb 27 '18 at 20:13
Possible duplicate of Are "like" and "such as" completely synonymous? — Laurel, Feb 27 '18 at 20:14
On a scale between "for instance" and "resembling" we might say "Like" and "such as" do meet in the middle - as they do here - but they're not interchangeable all the way to the ends. — Robbie Goodwin, Feb 27 '18 at 20:41

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 27 '18 at 20:10

Like it or not, like is popularly used as a synonym for such as. In more formal writing, or in writing something to be read by a pedant, you might not want to use like as a synonym for such as. Personally I don’t like using like as a synonym for such as (and thus this is one occasion in which I agree with Quick&Dirty Tips aka Grammar Girl), but this apparently minority view cannot hold back the tide of popular usage, which is what ultimately determines “correctness”. In order to avoid immediate repetition of format without using like you could write or such alternative systems as cycling and skateboarding. This way, you’ve stayed with such as but used it in a different manner.

See also Difference between ‘such as’ and ‘like’, which doesn’t say much more than Grammar Girl or the other sites you’ve probably visited.

Meaning Differences - Like x Such As

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