I know, I know, it doesn’t seem to be the first thing people want to consider about when talking about green living. Americans have become so dependent on their cars and I must admit that the thought of public transportation makes me cringe sometimes. Not being able to leave somewhere or go somewhere else when I want it is hard to swallow, but when I started reading about all the benefits of public transportation, I started to change my mind a bit.
By taking public transportation, Americans can limit the amount of greenhouse gases and smog-producing pollutants. Did you know that public transportation produces about half of the carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide per passenger mile that privately owned vehicles do? The ICF International issued a report that said that using public transportation in the U.S. saves 1.4 billion gallons of gas yearly. That equals the amount of gas used when filling up 300,000 cars each day.
However, only 14 million Americans use public transportation on a daily basis. Treehugger.com reports that if just one in every ten people used public transportation, we could decrease our reliance on foreign oil by 40%! If that isn’t enough to convince you, what about this statistic – it is believed that it is 79 times safer to ride a bus rather than take your automobile. Also, people who use public transportation tend to be healthier because they have to walk to the bus or subway terminals. And, think of all the driving stress you can avoid! You could just sit on the subway or bus and read a book or listen to your iPod.
Still need more incentive to switch to public transportation? I can give you about 6,200 reasons, all of them monetary. The American Public Transportation Association says you can save about $6,200 a year by using public transportation.
I realize that for those in rural areas, using public transportation may be close to impossible. But, if you live in a town or city that offers buses and subways, next time you are stuck in traffic, think of how public transportation could have not only saved you money, but also saved the environment.