The Public Transportation Takes Us There campaign is comprised of our members and partners dedicated to increasing transit investment in the upcoming 2009 Congressional transit authorization bill.
The campaign is based on the following principles.
America is facing significantly tough economic times. Investing now in public transportation can help us get out of this mess. For every $1 invested in public transportation, $4 is generated in economic returns. Every $1 billion invested in public transportation creates 36,000 jobs. Simply put, public transportation creates jobs and stimulates our economy.
America needs to invest now to reduce our dependence on foreign oil so we can create long term growth, stability, and national security. Public transportation allows us to save 900,000 automobile fill-ups each day. That’s 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline that otherwise would come from countries unfriendly to America.
Public transportation is the one thing we can do now to make a responsible environmental choice. Public transportation saves 37 million metric tons of CO2 annually. That’s the amount emitted from the electricity production needed to power every household in DC, NYC, LA, Denver, and Atlanta combined. Individually, there may be no better choice for reducing your personal carbon footprint: switching to public transportation reduces individual carbon emissions by 20 pounds per day or 4,800 pounds per year.
Public transportation reduces traffic congestion and provides the options Americans need, right now, to get our citizens to and from work efficiently and effectively. Each year, public transportation saves hundreds of millions of hours in travel time, which in turn, reduces stress and decreases congestion on our busy roadways. No matter where you live, in a city, suburb, or beyond, there are public transportation choices you can call on to link you to your job, church, or doctor.
About APTA
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of nearly 1,500 public and private member organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne passenger services, and high-speed rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. More than 90 percent of the people using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA member systems.