Does riding a bus add CO2 to the atmosphere?

If you're traveling 200 miles or less, look for alternative travel modes. For example, while a flight would emit around 109 pounds of CO2 per passenger on a 200-mile trip, that trip on a train or charter bus would emit just 26 and 19 pounds of CO2 per passenger, respectively.



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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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Most buses today are diesel-powered, with a slow introduction of hybrid and electric-powered buses. For the most part, though, buses are powered by fossil fuels and still emit carbon dioxide emissions at a higher rate than vehicles do.

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Public transportation use saves the U.S. the equivalent of 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually — and more than 11 million gallons of gasoline per day. Public transportation use saves the equivalent of 300,000 fewer automobile fill- ups every day.

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Finally, the plane is the most polluting means of transport and the one that generates the most greenhouse emissions.

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Thomas Rubin, Marcy Lowe, Bengu Aytekin and Gary Gereffi Debate Public Transit Buses: A Green Choice Gets Greener. The American Public Transit Association claims that public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gallons of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2.

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For in- stance, U.S. bus transit, which has about a quarter (28%) of its seats occupied on average, emits an es- timated 33% lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than the average U.S. single occu- pancy vehicle.

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Every vehicle on the road releases an average of one pound of CO2 per mile driven. Compared with driving alone, taking public transportation reduces CO2 emissions by 45%, decreasing pollutants in the atmosphere and improving air quality.

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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 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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