Voices for Public Transit is highlighting the positive impact public transportation has on our environment and the role it plays in eliminating greenhouse gas emissions to help improve our air quality and combat climate change.
Transportation produces roughly a quarter of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Fortunately, public transit is helping to increase efficiency, decrease emissions, and reduce gasoline consumption.
Bottom line: Investing in and increasing the use of public transit translates to cleaner air and water for our communities, and that benefits everyone—whether they use public transit every day, rarely, or not at all.
Public transit is one of the most fuel- and energy-efficient ways to get around. Public transportation agencies across the country are increasingly adopting clean and renewable energy technologies that make their services even more climate-friendly.
Considering an electric bus emits 62% fewer emissions than an average diesel bus, electrification is one of the ways local transit agencies are working to reduce emissions and lower our carbon footprint—but it certainly isn’t the only way.
Most modern rail vehicles are powered by electricity and generate little or no emissions. Additionally, many local transit agencies also purchase clean electricity produced by wind, solar, hydropower, or other renewable sources to power their rail lines and even their operations.
Not only does that help public transit agencies increase efficiency and decrease emissions even further, but it also encourages local utilities to ramp up the development and production of more forms of renewable energy. That makes renewables more affordable and accessible for all consumers, regardless of whether they use public transit directly.
Nationwide, public transit agencies are eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and fighting for our environment by investing in a range of renewable and clean energy technologies.
Most importantly, it isn’t just public transit agencies in big cities that are going green and helping power a cleaner, more renewable energy future—smaller cities nationwide are stepping up to the plate.
On Earth Day and every day, public transit plays a critical role in eliminating carbon emissions, improving air quality, and advancing renewable and clean energy solutions that help protect the environment and secure a cleaner, more sustainable future for everyone.
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