Facts About Public Transportation

Stimulates Economic Development

• A transit coalition report, “Dollars & Sense: The Economic Case for Public Transportation in America,” found that every dollar taxpayers invest in public transportation generates $6 or more in economic returns.
• Every $10 million in capital investment in public transportation yields $30 million in increased sales.

Saves Money

• It is more cost efficient to use public transportation, particularly in business and urban areas.
• For every $10 million invested in public transportation, more than $15 million is saved in transportation costs to both highway and public transportation users.

Creates Jobs

• In addition to the 370,000 people directly employed by public transportation systems, thousands of others are employed in related support services (i.e., engineering, manufacturing, construction, retail, etc.).

Eases Traffic Congestion

• Nearly half of all Americans believe traffic is a serious problem where they live. Most (57%) do not feel their commute will improve over the next three years and nearly a quarter expect to spend more time commuting.
• According to the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), car drivers spent more than 40 hours last year stuck in traffic in one-third of the cities studied.
• Without transportation choices, there would be 167,061 more cars on San Diego roads and 2,610,280 more cars on New York City roads, according to the Sierra Club.

Boosts Real Estate Values

• Public transportation fuels local development and in turn has a positive impact on local property values.
• Studies have shown greater increases in the value of properties located near public transportation systems than in similar properties not located near public transportation.

Improves Air Quality

• Public transportation helps promote cleaner air by reducing automobile use, which can exacerbate smog and public health problems.
• For each mile traveled, fewer pollutants are emitted by transit vehicles than by a single-passenger automobile. (Buses emit 80% less carbon monoxide than a car; rail, almost none.)

Reduces Energy Consumption

• Public transportation can significantly reduce dependency on gasoline, reducing auto fuel consumption by 1.5 billion gallons annually.
• For example, a person who commutes 60 miles each way daily could save an estimated 1,888 gallons of gasoline every year by switching from using a car to using public transportation.

Ensures Safety

• Public transportation continues to be one of the safest modes of travel in the United States.
• Riding a transit bus is 91 times safer than car travel. By train, passengers are 15 times safer.
• Every major public transportation system participates in annual safety audit programs that examine all areas of operation.

Enhances Mobility During Emergencies

• During many types of crises, both natural and man-made, people rely on public transportation
• Public transportation systems have operated around the clock to transport firefighters to the sites of wildfires; to evacuate nursing homes and hospitals; to move people to safety during storms; and to bring out-of-town police and rescue workers from the airport.