By JOHN M. ROMAN
Pennsylvanians
saved 186.7 million gallons of gasoline in 2008 by riding public
transit in record numbers — or the amount of gasoline consumed by
323,6000 cars in a year, according to PennEnvironment.
The
environmental advocacy organization with roughly 15,000 members across
the state outlined the benefits of increased transit ridership in their
new report, “Getting on Track: Record Transit Ridership Increases
Energy Independence.”
Transportation is responsible for more
than two-thirds of our dependence on oil and about one-third of our
carbon dioxide pollution, the organization reported.
“People are
voting with their feet by driving less and taking more public
transportation,” said Nathan Willcox, the organization’s energy and
clean air advocate.
“Congress should listen to these voters and
invest more in public transportation, which will increase our energy
independence and reduce global warming pollution,” he said.
In
Pennsylvania, transit ridership increased by 4 percent in 2008 above
2007 levels. State residents also drove less, with 4.1 billion fewer
miles driven in 2008 than in the year before — a 4 percent decrease.
People
drove less due to volatile fuel prices and decreased economic activity,
and many of these car trips were replaced by transit.
Increased
transit ridership saved more than 4 billion gallons of gasoline
nationally in 2008, the equivalent of the annual fuel use of nearly 7.2
million cars — almost as many passenger cars as are registered in
Florida.
In addition to fuel savings, public transit reduced global warming in the state by over 1.6 million tons in 2008.
