What is Transportation ?

Transportation is one of our most basic human needs. Without it, we would die pretty quickly. Transportation is the act of moving something from one place to another. We need transportation because all of life’s necessities and pleasures can’t possibly fit within the reach of our static bodies from birth to death. We either have to move ourselves to things or have things moved to us.

Transportation allows economic development to occur because it’s a basic prerequisite for anything human. Neither could our economy exist without air, sunlight, or an expectation of immediate bodily safety.

There are three reasons for transportation as an industry: 1) to get to work or education, 2) to get to services (“shopping”) and 3) to get to recreation. Does that help?

Public Transportation Benefits:

Public transportation in the United States is a crucial part of the solution to the nation’s economic, energy, and environmental challenges

- helping to bring a better quality of life. In increasing numbers, people are using public transportation and local communities are expanding public transit services. Every segment of American society

- individuals, families, communities, and businesses - benefits from public transportation.

Public Transportation Consists of a Variety of Modes:

Buses
Trolleys and light rail
Subways
Commuter trains
Streetcars
Cable cars
Van pool services
Paratransit services for Senior citizens and people with disabilities
Ferries and water taxis
Monorails and tramways

Public Transportation Enhances Personal Opportunities

Public transportation provides personal mobility and freedom for people from every walk of life.
Access to public transportation gives people transportation options to get to work, go to school, visit friends, or go to a doctor’s office.
Public transportation provides access to job opportunities for millions of Americans.

Public Transportation Saves Fuel, Reduces Congestion

Americans living in areas served by public transportation save 865 million hours in travel time and 450 million gallons of fuel annually in congestion reduction alone.
Without public transportation, congestion costs would have been an additional $21 billion.

Public Transportation Provides Economic Opportunities

For every dollar communities inves in public transportation generates approximately $4 in economic returns.
Every $1 billion invested in public transportation supports and creates 36,000 jobs.
Every $10 million in capital investment in public transportation yields $30 million in increased business sales.
Every $10 million in operating investment yields $32 million in increased business sales.

Public Transportation Saves Money

The average household spends 16 cents of every dollar on transportation, and 94% of this goes to buying, maintaining, and operating cars, the largest expenditure after housing.
Public transportation provides an affordable, and for many, necessary, alternative to driving.
Households that are likely to use public transportation on a given day save more than $9,700 every year.

Public Transportation Reduces Gasoline Consumption

Public transportation’s overall effects save the United States 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually.
Households near public transit drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles than households with no access to public transit. This equates to an individual household reduction of 223 gallons per year.

Public Transportation Reduces Carbon Footprint

Communities that invest in public transit reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually: equivalent to New York City; Washington, DC; Atlanta; Denver; and Los Angeles combined stopped using electricity.
A single commuter switching his or her commute to public transportation can reduce a household’s carbon emissions by 10%, or up to 30% if he or she eliminates a second car. When compared to other household actions that limit CO2, taking public transportation can be 10 times greater in reducing this harmful greenhouse gas.