Are buses environmentally friendly?

Buses could reduce carbon emissions by as much as 37 million metric tons per year. Buses reduce the amount of gas burned by up to 4.2 billion gallons per year. Bus riders have a lower carbon footprint per trip. Buses make for cleaner, more open roads with less traffic.



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Based on the study's fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emission data, the most sustainable mode of traveling in the U.S. is via intercity bus, followed by trains. Intercity buses use 280.1 passenger miles/gallon, while trains use 79.8 passenger miles/gallon.

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For example, biodiesel blends are used in biodiesel buses and in hybrid electric-biodiesel buses. Biofuel blends and hybrid vehicles are cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly sustainable alternatives to mass transit vehicles dependent on fossil fuels.

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A bus or train ride emits three to seven times less emissions than an airplane flight. Two people who take a bus instead of driving (even a hybrid!) will cut their CO2 emissions by half!

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Besides walking and biking, traveling by train remains one of the greenest and most environment-friendly options when getting around. Regardless if electric or diesel-powered, trains emit between 66 and 75 percent fewer carbon emissions when compared to cars and airplanes.

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Mathews points to research showing that trains emit the lowest of CO2 per passenger mile at 177 grams per passenger mile. Buses come in at 299 grams per mile, second-worst only to cars at 371 grams.

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Understanding these emission differences can help us travel efficiently without adding to air pollution and climate change. The cleanest modes of transportation are walking and biking. Walking to and from the store will not only get you closer to your daily step goal, it will not contribute to air pollution.

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Quick and Green Travel Skip the buses and traffic on the road and instead treat yourself to spacious and comfortable seating, access to the Café Car and Quiet Car and many more thoughtful amenities onboard the train. Rail travel is at the head of the class when it comes to eco-friendly travel.

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On average, cars emit almost one pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile. Buses, which generally run at about 25 percent capacity, emit 0.64 pound of CO2 per passenger mile, according to data from the Department of Defense.

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A single bus, if it is full (50 to 80 passengers), can carry as many people as 50 or 60 cars, which normally operate with fewer than 2 occupants. The bus requires less street space, equivalent to 2 or 3 automobiles, and, when it is full, it requires much less energy to move each person.

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Transit buses are a LITTLE more fuel-efficient, but not as much as many people might think. A car (24.2 MPG) with the national-average of 1.5 passengers gets 36.3 PPMG (Passenger Miles per Gallon). A transit bus (3.3 MPG) with a national average load (9.1 passengers) gets 30 PPMG.

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Public transportation gets people where they're going while emitting far fewer climate-warming greenhouse gases than private cars. The reason is simple efficiency: while cars usually carry just one or two people at a time, a bus can carry 50 or more, and a train in a large city may carry thousands.

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