Is taking the bus more environmentally friendly?

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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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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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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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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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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Travelling by train is the most ecologically friendly option, aside from waking or biking, as they emit 55-75% less carbon emissions. Tourist accommodations account for 1% of global emissions and 20% of emissions from the tourism industry.

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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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Trains are nearly always the winning option over moderate-to-long distances; If travelling internationally, going by train or boat is lower-carbon than flying; Electric vehicles are nearly always lower-carbon than petrol or diesel cars.

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“From the point of view of both congestion and pollution, intercity buses are the least polluting form of transportation out there,” said Hamilton, vice president of the ATU and former head of the Greyhound local. “The only thing that has less carbon footprint is walking and bicycling.

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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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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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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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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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