Travel Via Public Transportation
To Use Public Transportation
Why travel by
- The reasons are many and compelling. It helps the
environment, saves energy and reduces congestion. It is
relaxing, saves money and avoids many of the hassles of
driving. Public Transportation is essential for those who do
not or cannot
a motor vehicle because of personal preference, low income,
disability, youth or old age. It is a safe alternative to
driving and helps reduce sprawl by supporting higher density
development. Public transportation is conducive to meeting
fellow travelers along the way unlike the isolation encountered
recent years, the need for environmentally sound forms of
transportation has become obvious: transportation that uses less
fossil fuel, that emits less toxic gases and transportation that
helps eliminate the need for more or larger roads. The 2007
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (which represents
the consensus of the world’s leading climate scientists and was
approved by member governments including the U.S.) concluded that
greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 50 to 85% by 2050 in
order to limit global warming to 4 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby
avoiding many of the worst impacts of climate change.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation will
require a broad range of strategies, including increasing vehicle
efficiency, lowering the carbon content of fuels, and reducing
vehicle miles of travel. Public transportation can be one part of
use is one of the largest contributers to smog producing
are becoming painfully aware of our contribution to
environmental problems when traveling by private automobile,
one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases and other
pollutants. Transportation accounts for 28% of greenhouse
gas emissions in the United States.1 Of
this 34% is generated by passenger cars, 28% by light duty
trucks, sport utility vehicles and minivans and 7% by
commercial aircraft.15 Trains, buses,
ships and boats combined generate less than 7%.11
The pollution generated by fuel extraction and transportation,
oil spills, car manufacturing and disposal and road
construction must also be considered. Furthermore,
transportation is the fastest growing sector for greenhouse gas
production in the United States, growing 47% between 1996 and
2006.2 By moving more people with fewer
vehicles, public transportation can reduce greenhouse gas
warming is no longer only a theory. It has become obvious the
we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions substantially
before the damage to our planet becomes irreversible, before it
causes substantial reduction to our mobility, destroys our
health and makes life unbearable. Using public transportation
is one of the most effective actions individuals can take to
reduce their environmental impact.
auto industry is just beginning to seriously consider hybrid,
electric and other fuel efficient cars, but even these cleaner
cars have environmental costs.
car manufacturing and driving increase the need even more roads,
parking lots and other related infrastructure. Public
transportation use reduces the need for road construction, new car
manufacturing, old vehicle disposal and fossil fuel extraction,
meaning less environmental impact.
small increases in public transportation use would have a
significant effect on air quality. A person using public
transportation instead of driving generates, on average, 95
percent less carbon monoxide, 92 percent less volatile organic
compounds, and only half as much carbon dioxide and nitrogen
more passengers riding a bus or train, the lower the emissions per
passenger mile. For instance, US. bus transit, which has about a
quarter of its seats occupied on average, emits an estimated 32%
lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than the average
single occupancy vehicle. The savings increases to 83% for a
typical diesel transit bus when it is full with 40 passengers.12
local rail transit systems are powered by electricity as is
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington.
relying on electricity from a low emissions source, such as
hydroelectric, not surprisingly, have much lower emissions than
those relying on coal power plants.
the electric power industry shifts to more renewable sources of
energy, as being mandated in several states, electric public
transportation systems will provide even more emissions
reduction benefits. When the electricity is generated from a
zero emissions source, such as wind, hydroelectric, or solar,
the public transportation systems that use these power sources
are also zero emission.12
passenger traveling on electric public transportation systems
contributes substantially to the reduction of greenhouse gases
and other pollutants. Other transit vehicles, such as buses,
use alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG),
liquefied natural gas or fuel cells which produce fewer
pollutants. Many other buses, traditionally fueled by diesel,
are being replaced with hybrid-diesel or bio-diesel buses.4
transportation can minimize its own greenhouse gas emissions by
using efficient vehicles, alternative fuels, and decreasing the
impact of capital project construction and service operations.2
Public transportation can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by facilitating compact development, which conserves land and
decreases the distances people need to travel to reach
by reducing congestion, transit reduces emissions from cars stuck
is not a renewable resource and is rapidly becoming scarce. It
has become apparent that we may be running out of oil sooner
than we thought and may even see a catastrophic shortage of oil
in our lifetime. Petroleum use in private
vehicles and growth in vehicle miles traveled are among the
main drivers of the growth in energy usage in the United
States. With the growth in energy use by emerging
economies, the demand for scarce resources is increasingly
encourages energy conservation, as the average number of
passengers on a transit vehicle (10 for bus, 25 for a rail car)
far exceeds that of a private automobile (1.6). Even as a
single transit vehicle consumes more energy than a private
vehicle, the average amount of energy utilized per passenger is
far less. By moving more people with fewer vehicles,
public transportation has an inherent advantage in energy
conservation and efficiency. Transit
also decreases the need for constructing and maintaining more
transportation infrastructure (roads, parking lots, etc.),
manufacturing new vehicles, disposing of old vehicles and
extracting more fossil fuels, meaning further energy savings.5
study in June 2002 by leading economists finds that if one in
ten Americans used public transportation regularly, our
reliance on foreign oil could be reduced by 40%.6
If we increase that to just three in ten, we could
probably eliminate our reliance on foreign oil completely.
Isn't that a goal worth attempting?
amount of fuel necessary when driving is substantially reduced
when using public transportation. An additional passenger on
a train or bus will not add to its fuel consumption.
transportation use reduces the new for new power plants
manufactures are beginning to offer more fuel efficient cars to
meet new, more stringent government standards, but it will be a
number of years before they become readily available and even
longer before they become affordable. Furthermore, most forecasts
predict that miles traveled will increase enough that total fuel
consumption by automobiles will not drop even when these fuel
efficient cars are widely used. When you use public
transportation, the fuel savings is immediate and less costly and
is probably the most important action you can take to reduce your
you have driven on an Interstate or other major highway recently,
you are probably aware of how congested these roads have become.
Their design capacity has been exceeded resulting in substantial
delays and longer travel times. Over the past 25 years, highway
funding has been increased by 100 %, thanks in part to fuel tax
increases, yet congestion has increased by 300%.9
has become obvious that building more roads or enlarging existing
roads does not reduce congestion.
public transportation does reduce congestion. Since most car
trips are by a single person driving alone, a bus substituted for
driving can take 20, 30 or more cars off the road while a train
has the potential to reduce congestion by hundreds of cars. A
rail line can carry substantially more passengers using less
physical space than a highway. Public transportation not only
reduces congestion on the roads, but helps eliminate the necessity
of building additional roads and benefits those who continue to
travel by automobile, whether by choice or necessity.
Congestion relief through the
use of transit also saves fuel as vehicles stuck in gridlock
waste fuel and generate emissions. The Texas Transportation
Institutes's 2007 Mobility Report estimates that if public
transportation service was discontinued nationwide and the
riders traveled in private vehicles instead, urban areas would
have suffered an additional 541 million hours of delay and
consumed on the whole 340 million more gallons of fuel in 2005.
The value of the delay and fuel that would be consumed if
there were no public transportation service would be an
additional $10.2 billion congestion cost, a 13 percent increase
over current levels.5 Considering
how congested our roads are now, an increase of this magnitude
would be unbearable.
are most likely to encounter congestion in urban corridors, in
or near major cities, areas that are also likely to have
frequent and extensive transit services. Heavy traffic,
frequent traffic lights, double parked cars and delivery trucks
and limited parking make driving in the city formidable and
public transportation use logical.
transportation supports higher density land development,
reducing the distance and time people need to travel to reach
their destinations, meaning fewer emissions from
transportation. Compact development also leaves more land in
the region for parks, wildlife preserves, forests and other
uses such as agriculture. Finally, it reduces the need for
pavement, meaning less run-off that degrades the water
transportation use reduces congestion.
use means freedom from the chronic congestion encountered when
driving or flying - freedom from hours wasted sitting in traffic,
in airports, or on runways and costing billions in lost time and
The economic crisis
and the resulting wild fluctuations in fuel costs currently being
experienced are convincing ever more people to consider public
transportation as an option for at least a portion of their
travels. Using public transportation may appear expensive,
especially for some intercity services, but when the costs of
owning and maintaining a car are taken into account, public
transportation is a bargain. Insurance, registration and garaging
all add substantially to the day to day expenses such as gasoline,
parking and repairs. In many cities, parking fees alone are
higher than public transportation fares.
economic yardsticks, the annual benefits that transit returns to
the national economy easily out pace costs (by $26 billion in
1997). During the 1990s transit returned $23 billion per year in
affordable mobility for households that prefer not to drive,
cannot afford a car, or cannot drive due to age or disability;
$19.4 billion per year in reduced congestion delays for rush-hour
passengers and motorists; $10 billion per year in reduced auto
ownership costs for residents of location efficient neighborhoods;
up to $12 billion per year in reduced auto emissions; $2 billion
savings per year in local human service agency budgets; and a 2
percent boost in property tax receipts from commercial real
Some would have you believe that
public transportation is heavily subsidized by federal, state
and provincial governments while road costs are completely
covered by usage taxes paid by drivers. In fact, the Highway
Trust Fund ran more than a $3 billion deficit in 2009.9
And this doesn't include related costs such as police
patrols, ambulance costs and time lost in traffic jams. Public
transportation subsidies appear high due to the more visible
method used for dispersal, but when compared fairly it becomes
obvious that highways and roads require a much higher subsidy.
In addition, public transportation use can mitigate some
highway related costs. The more people that use public
transportation, the less is needed for road maintenance,
traffic enforcement and new road construction. For every $1
invested in public transportation, $4 is generated in economic
benefits not only those who use public transportation, but also
those that must or choose to drive.
The funds freed up by those using public transportation
becomes available for much needed roadway and bridge repairs.
Taking these facts into account, it becomes apparent that
public transportation is less expensive and economically
superior to driving.
use creates and maintains jobs. Train operators, bus drivers,
ticket agents and vehicle mechanics are permanent jobs necessary
for operation. The only real permanent jobs relating to highway
operation are for road maintenance.
Car rentals may be
necessary when public transportation doesn't serve your
destination but can be expensive if there is a public
transportation alternative. To basic rental costs, you must add
insurance, taxes and numerous other imposed fees. Frequently
these additional costs can double the basic rate.
An alternative where
public transportation doesn't exist is a car-sharing service, such
as ZipCar. For a yearly membership fee and very reasonable hourly
fees, you have access to a car when needed in a number of cities
and university campuses in the United States and Canada. You can
use the car for as little as one hour up to all day and the fee
includes insurance, gasoline and maintenance.
public transportation eliminates or reduces many of the
annoying situations encountered when traveling by
automobile. Problems and inconveniences that may
and probably will occur make driving a stressful experience.
Scraping snow or
frost from the windshield.
Changing a flat
or misleading road signs.
do occur when using public transportation as well, but are
solved by the service operator. Basically, you just have to
get to the train station or bus stop with enough time to meet
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You don't need to be
concerned by traffic congestion, mechanical breakdowns, parking,
fueling, inclement weather and road rage. Snow or frost will
have been removed before the train or bus starts the route.
Fueling of the vehicle when necessary en route is usually handled
during rest or meal stops, so you can enjoy a cup of coffee or
lunch rather than pumping gas.
transportation operators have their own mechanical and repair
departments employing professional mechanics familiar with the
vehicles. They provide preventative maintenance frequently,
meaning breakdowns are rare and when the occasional breakdown does
occur, they are responsible for the repairs.
Trains, normally are
immune to traffic problems as they operate on private
rights-of-way. Buses do sometimes encounter traffic congestion or
road construction, but often the driver knows alternative routes,
an advantage when traveling in an unfamiliar area.
The American lifestyle
has become so fast and stressful that our health is endangered.
Public health officials have determined that stress plays a major
role in physical as well as mental health problems. Long term
stress can increase the risk of diseases like depression, heart
disease and a variety of other problems and aggravating already
existing health problems. Considering the inherent stress
encountered when driving, is would seem logical to drive less for
the benefit of your health. Yet we continue to ignore the health
risks and drive as if our life depends on it, while, in fact, the
opposite is true.
Is there enough gas
in the tank? Do you have time to fill the tank before your next
Do you have enough
insurance in case of an accident?
Does your car need
repairs? Do you have time to schedule the repairs?
Is traffic backed up?
Are drivers behind you growing impatient?
Is the weather making
visibility bad? Do you have to clear snow from the car?
Can you find parking?
How expensive is the parking?
Do you know the
route? Can you find a place to stop to check the map?
When using public
transportation, most of these stress producing events are
eliminated or greatly reduced. Think of the possibilities when
you don't have to concentrate on the road and other traffic: read
a newspaper or book, take a nap, watch the passing scenery or
visit with fellow travelers. When you reach your destination you
are less stressed and more relaxed. Can the same be said after
fighting traffic, road rage and breakdowns. Isn't it worth a
little extra time to arrive calm and relaxed, if in fact it does
take extra time. Public transportation is often faster than
Most likely, it will
be necessary to walk or maybe bike to the nearest train station or
bus stop. Both walking and biking, even for short distances, are
excellent exercise that promotes healthy lifestyles, and this is
accomplished while you are getting to your destination. Who
knows, if you walk or bike frequently enough, you may be able to
cancel your gym membership. Driving, on the other hand promotes
an unhealthy lifestyle generating greenhouse gases and other
pollutants, wasting valuable energy resources and eliminating the
exercise you get when walking or biking to the train or bus.
transportation gives you a chance to watch the passing landscape
and enjoy the scenery missed when driving. Watching the road,
other drivers and often misleading road signs eliminate the
possibility of enjoying the view.
trains are enjoyable and relaxing, especially when your trip
includes an overnight segment. These trains usually offer a
full service dining car, lounge car for drinks and lighter
meals and sleeping accommodations. Watching the passing
scenery while enjoying a meal in the dining car is an memorable
experience. Imagine watching the sun go down behind the
mountains of the West, the plains of the Midwest or the ocean
on either coast while enjoying your meal. After dinner, retire
to the lounge for an after dinner drink or coffee while
visiting with your fellow travelers before heading to your on
board bedroom for a relaxing night's sleep. A sleeper on the
train may seem expensive, but remember, you are saving a
night's hotel cost and meals are included, so you save
restaurant costs as well. You arrive rested and relaxed, ready
to enjoy the area you are visiting.
Most major cities
have extensive public transportation systems that operate
frequently and serve large areas including most tourist sites
and points of interest. Rapid transit such as subways and
streetcars are available in many cities, generally operating on
reserved rights-of-ways providing a fast and easy way to get
around the city. Local buses with frequent stops, usually
several per mile, make it possible to reach almost any location
in the local service area.
driving in just about any large city can be daunting,
especially if you are not familiar with the area. Cities are
more densely settled, with more businesses and residences in a
smaller area, so traffic is heavier as more cars compete for
space in a smaller area.
Traffic lights are
frequent and often blend into nearby surroundings making it easy
to miss a red light until you are almost on top of it and may not
be able to stop. Lane usage on city streets can be confusing and
local drivers familiar with the area are often intolerant of those
who are not. Parking rules can sometimes be almost impossible to
understand as each city has its own unique rules. Residential
parking rules, parking meter time restrictions and restrictions in
unmarked spaces are confusing to those not familiar with the area.
When you are unsure of your location or where the next turn is,
finding directions can be difficult and stressful. When slowing
down to look for route or street signs, you back up other traffic.
If you decide to pull over and check the map, you first need to
find a legal stopping point. Traffic signs are often confusing,
unclear or hidden by tree branches. When you use public
transportation, the train operator or bus driver can provide
helpful information such as which stop is near your destination
and which way to walk once you disembark. Fellow travelers are
Many non-urban areas
are also served by convenient and reliable public transportation.
For example, Martha's Vineyard Island in Massachusetts has an
extensive bus system that stops at or near most points on the
island. VTA serves beaches, scenic vistas, quaint towns and
villages and stops at the ferry docks and the airport where
service is available to the mainland. Schedules are coordinated
so you rarely have to wait more than a few minutes when changing
from one line to another.
A common assumption it
that traveling by public transportation takes too long and that
driving or flying is faster. But, is that always true? Driving
may seem faster, but consider the time spent in traffic
congestion, waiting in line at the toll booth, finding parking,
filling the gas tank, waiting for the engine to warm up on cold
winter days and taking the car to the garage for repairs or
preventative maintenance. When these situations are taken into
account, is it really that much faster? The scheduled time for
flights may seem faster, but when you take into account the time
needed to get to and from the airport and navigate the security
lines, trips of 500 miles or less are usually faster on the train
In some areas public
transportation is noticeably faster than driving or flying.
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between Boston, New York and
Washington is a good example. These trains operate from city
center to city center with additional stops at suburban stations
such as Route 128 outside Boston, Metropark in New Jersey and
Capital Beltway near Washington DC for those not traveling to or
from city centers. Interstate 95 parallels this route and is
notorious for its congestion, especially in or near the many large
cities it passes through. Amtrak trains speed past this
congestion as if the cars are standing still, which they
When it does take
longer to use the train or bus, is it really such a negative? You
arrive rested and relaxed, ready to enjoy the area you are
visiting. Isn't that worth a few extra minutes?
mobility is a valuable benefit of public transportation, providing
low cost transportation for people who do not, or cannot operate a
motor vehicle because of personal preference, low income,
disability, youth or old age. If you are one of these people,
public transportation will give you the ability to visit family
and friends or places of interest such as national parks and
transportation is a reliable alternative for business travel where
service is frequent. This also presents the opportunity to go
over your notes or fine tune your presentation on the way to your
such as sports arenas, ski resorts and beaches are frequently
accessible by public transportation. Sometimes trains or buses
operate special services to sporting events with times
coordinated to the start and finish of the game. Many ski resorts
operate shuttles from hotels in the vicinity and include ski racks
and sometimes lift tickets.
transportation means freedom from the chronic congestion
encountered when you drive or fly, freedom from hours wasted
sitting in traffic, in airports or on runways and costing billions
in lost time and fuel.13 When your travel
plans include a necessary flight or a few miles of driving, every
trip on a train or bus means a little less congestion on the road
or at the airport. And when you do encounter congestion, you will
be thankful it is only a small part of your trip.
is an efficient way to maintain mobility while also reducing
contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and gasoline usage.
provides a flexible, safer alternative to traveling by automobile.
Currently, transit is one of the safest modes of travel per
passenger-mile traveled. According to the National Safety Council,
passengers on the Nation's bus, rail, or commuter rail systems are
40 times less likely to be involved in a fatal accident, and 10
times less likely to be involved in an accident resulting in
by Mode of Travel
Deaths per 100 Million Passenger Miles)
Public Transportation Association: 2009 Public
Fact Book, Washington, DC, April, 2009.
Is Public Transportation Safe?
transportation vehicle operators are highly trained to drive
defensively and anticipate potential safety problems.
vehicles are generally much larger and more substantially
built than personal automobiles or vans.
Most people on
rail cars and busways travel on separate rights-of-way. Light
rail, commuter rail and cable cars encounter grade crossings,
many of which are protected by crossing gates.
security than roadways, many transit systems feature new
visual, voice, and data communications systems linking
vehicles, stations and riders with state-of-the-art operations
Public Transportation Association: Public Transportation Fact
Book, Washington, DC, June, 2008.
Traffic crashes kill about 40,000
people annually on U.S. roads, and cause many more injuries and
disabilities (BTS 2008). Crash casualties have lower average ages
than victims of other major health risks, such as cancers and
cardiovascular diseases, and so cause a relatively large numbers
of years of life lost. According to the National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control, traffic crashes caused an estimated
1,186,070 years of life lost in the U.S. in 2006, which reduces
average lifespans approximately 0.4 years or about 5% (NCIPC
Public transit is a relatively safe
mode, with only about one-twentieth the passenger fatality rate as
automobile travel (Beck, Dellinger and O'Neil 2007). Even
considering risks to other road users, transit travel tends to
have a lower fatality rate per passenger-mile than automobile
travel under the same conditions.17
transportation use reduces sprawl
transportation can support higher density land development,
which reduces the distance and time people need to travel to
reach their destinations, meaning fewer emissions from
transportation. Compact development also leaves more land for
parks, wildlife preserves, forests and other uses such as
agriculture. It reduces the need for pavement, meaning less
run-off that degrades the water supply.14
In many cases, higher density development
would be more difficult without the existence of public
transportation because more land would need to be devoted to
parking and travel lanes. By facilitating higher density
development, public transportation can shrink the footprint of
an urban area and reduce overall trip lengths. In addition,
public transportation supports increased foot traffic,
street-level retail, and mixed land uses. In other words, in
areas served by public transportation, even non-transit users
drive less because destinations are closer together.
recent study used modeling to isolate just the effect of public
transportation on driving patterns (rather than that effect
combined with denser land use creating a need for
improved public transportation). That study, conducted by
consulting firm ICF and funded through the Transit Cooperative
Research Program, found that each mile traveled on U.S. public
transportation reduced driving by 1.9 miles. It concluded that
public transportation reduces U.S. travel by an estimated 102.2
billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT) each year, or 3.4% of
annual U.S. VMT. A study published by the Urban Land Institute
found that within areas of compact development, driving is
reduced 20% to 40% compared to average U.S. development
Department of Transportation, FTA Sep 2008 EPA
Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2005,
(2007), Table 2-14
Public Transportation.org Environmental Fact Sheet.
of Transportation, FTA Sep 2008
of Transportation, FTA Dec 2008
of Transportation, FTA Aug 2008
of Energy, EERE News Jul 2002
of Transportation, FTA Feb 2007
Annual Transportation Summit August
of Transportation, FTA Aug 2008
Change Clearinghouse, DOT
Transportations Role in Responding to Climate Change”
Department of Transportation, FTA Jan 2009
of Transportation, FTA Aug 2008
FTA Aug 2008
and Climate Change Clearinghouse, USDOT
of Transportation: Strategic and organizational goals safety
Public Transportation Health Benefits, Victoria Transport Policy