News Release
April 16, 2008
Virginia Miller
(202) 496-4816
vmiller@apta.com
(Download In Adobe PDF format)
Question: What is the connection between public transportation and climate change? Answer: Public transportation is part of the solution to helping reduce greenhouse gases. In fact, thanks to public transportation our country’s carbon footprint is reduced by 37 million metric tons – the equivalent of 4.9 million households using electricity in a year.
Public transportation is a green industry and transit agencies are working to make it greener. For example, this year St. Cloud Metro Bus (St. Cloud, MN) has unveiled a bus powered by recycled deep fryer vegetable oil and Metro Transit (Minneapolis, MN) will power its Hiawatha rail line with wind energy.
“Riding public transportation is one of the most powerful weapons Americans have in combating global climate change,” said APTA President William W. Millar. “We encourage everyone to make a statement this Earth Day, April 22, and take public transportation.”
An individual switching to public transit can reduce his or her daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds; that’s more than 4,800 pounds in a year, a figure that is more than the combined carbon emissions reduction that comes from weathering your home and using energy efficient appliances and environmentally-friendly light bulbs.
If just one commuter of a household switches from driving to using public transportation, the household’s carbon footprint will be reduced by 10 percent. If a household gives up its second car altogether, a household can reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent.
Public transportation agencies across the country are joining in the celebration of Earth Day on April 22 with a variety of green initiatives and activities aimed at raising awareness and improving the environment.
>For example, in honor of Earth Day, a bus powered by recycled vegetable oil, a light rail powered by wind,a carbon calculator,andanEarth Week Challenge will showcase public transportation at its “greenest.”
St. Cloud Metro Bus (St. Cloud, MN) unveiled a 40-foot bus that is powered by a mixture of 80 percent recycled vegetable oil and 20 percent diesel fuel. It is believed that this is the first transit bus system in the nation to use waste vegetable oil to power a public transit bus.
Metro Transit (Minneapolis, MN) will power the entire Hiawatha light rail system by wind on Earth Day.
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Cincinnati, OH) is introducing a new carbon calculator on their website www.go-metro.com .
Centre Area Transportation Authority (State College, PA) along with Penn State University is challenging students, faculty, and staff to reduce their fuel consumption by 20 percent the week of April 20-26 as part of the first-ever Earth Week Challenge.
Hybrid buses, natural gas buses, and biodiesel fueled vehicles have gained in popularity in recent years with more than 1,500 hybrid buses and buses using alternative fuels in service nationwide.
Sun Metro (El Paso, TX) will promote natural gas powered vehicles and will announce that their fixed route fleet will be 100 percent natural gas powered in early 2009.
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston, TX) will showcase its new hybrid bus, along with demonstrating new hybrid features at the Houston Green EXPO, Sustainable Energy and Green Building Consumer Event.
Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (Toledo, OH) will fuel all their buses with B20 biodiesel for Earth Day.
Metro (St. Louis, MO) will display a biodiesel bus at the St. Louis Earth Day Festival.
Special announcements and environmentally friendly products were timed to coincide with Earth Day celebrations.
Some public transportation systems are offering free rides to highlight their services, while other transit systems are sponsoring give-aways and drawings to thank riders.
Muncie Indiana Transit System (Muncie, IN) is offering free rides on all of their buses on Earth Day. From 6-9 a.m. WLBC Radio will host its morning show from a bus route, featuring a variety of special guests including the Muncie mayor.
City of Colorado Springs Transit Services Division/Mountain Metropolitan Transit (Colorado Springs, CO) will offer free Earth Day rides on both their Mountain Metro fixed-route and FrontRange Express (FREX) commuter bus service
Gold Coast Transit (Oxnard, CA) is distributing free passes for the new express service from Ojai and will display a CNG bus at local events.
Lane Transit District (Eugene, OR) will offer free shuttle service from Eugene Transit Station to a community Earth Day event. A bus tour of green roof applications will be available and “green” shopping bags will be given away by LTD.
Capital District Transit Authority (Albany, NY) is passing out 5000 recycled paper flower seed packets which serve as a free pass for the bus, the seeds can then be planted. CDTA partnered with local businesses to help distribute the flower packets.
Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (Bridgeport, CT) will give away 3,000 free all-day bus passes printed on paper infused with flower seeds. GBTA worked with partners in the community to distribute the passes.
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (Providence, RI) partnered with Roger Williams University to celebrate the entire month of April as the university offered all students, faculty, and staff complimentary RIPTA monthly passes.
Bay Area Rapid Transit, BART, (Oakland, CA) will be giving away $500,000 worth of coffee to morning commuters.
Transit Authority of River City (Louisville, KY) will have a drawing for prizes for University of Louisville students and staff who ride transit.
Capital Metro (Austin, TX) is partnering with Keep Austin Beautiful and their “Austin’s got a Brand New Bag” campaign. Transit riders who turn in five or more plastic shopping bags at selected bus stops will receive a free reusable Capital Metro “i-Ride” shopping bag.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (Washington, DC) is rewarding people for saving 20 pounds of carbon emissions by riding public transportation on Earth Day, by giving chocolate bars to riders outside two stations.
Finally, numerous transit agencies are either sponsors of local Earth Day events or participating in an Earth Day event by offering information about transit and its benefits to the environment. Some additional transit agencies participating in EarthDay events include:
Central Ohio Transit Authority (Columbus, OH)
Charlotte Area Transit System (Charlotte, NC)
Clemson Area Transit (Clemson, SC)
GO Transit (Toronto, ON)
Interurban Transit Partnership, “The Rapid” (Grand Rapids, MI)
Port Authority (Pittsburgh, PA)
The T (Fort Worth, TX)
The Big Blue Bus (Santa Monica, CA)
***
APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.
Some of these pages may include links to documents in the Adobe PDF format. Please download the Adobe PDF reader if you have not already done so.
