Increased Transit Use Reduced Carbon Emissions by 37 Million Tons

A new report by Environment America suggests that increased ridership in 2008 reduced global warming gases significantly, and increasing ridership by 10% more could save the equivalent of all the oil we import from the Persian Gulf.

September 24, 2009, 7am PDT | Tim Halbur

From the press release: "Growing demand and preference for transit warrant an overhaul of public transportation policy, rather than a business-as-usual approach. This would fully capitalize on the growth opportunity evidenced in 2008 and 2009, deliver significant energy and environmental benefits, and put the nation firmly on track to energy independence.

Such an overhaul could take the form of setting a high yet realistic target for increasing transit ridership by 10 percent annually. This level was achieved across many states and transit systems in 2008 and 2009, and in 15 years such an approach could reduce transportation oil consumption by 20 billion gallons per year - equivalent to what we currently import from the Persian Gulf."

Full Story:

Reaching our climate goals by increasing transit ridership

Published on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 in Smart Growth America blog