The Rapid & The Environment
In so many ways, public transportation has a positive effect on our environment and helps protect the quality of life we enjoy. The Rapid is recognized as a leader in the transit industry by enhancing public transportation's role in sustainability.
Reduces our dependence on oil
In the U.S., public transportation saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually
In 2014, Americans took 10.8 billion trips on public transportation
Public transportation saves the equivalent of 900,000 tanks of gas every day
Offers affordable, energy-efficient transportation choices
By living with one less car, an average public transportation user can see an annual savings of more than $9,900.
Residents living near public transportation drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles annually compared to those who have no access to public transit.
The average household in which at least one member uses public transportation on a given day drives 16 fewer miles per day compared to a household that does not use public transportation.
Expanded public transit strategies coordinated with combining travel activity, land use development, and operational efficiencies are estimated to save as much as $112 billion as compared to annual savings in vehicle costs to consumers.
A greater use of public transportation offers the most effective strategy available for achieving significant energy savings and environmental gains without imposing new government mandates or regulations on industry or consumers.
For every passenger mile traveled, public transportation produces only a fraction of the harmful pollution of private vehicles; only 5 percent as much carbon monoxide, less than 8 percent as many volatile organic compounds, and nearly half as much carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
Public transportation is reducing emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) by nearly 745,000 tons annually. This equals nearly 75 percent of the CO emissions by all U.S. chemical manufacturers.
Source: American Public Transportation Association (APTA)