By Rory Sweeney, Staff Writer
Pennsylvanians rode mass transit in record numbers and reduced miles driven in 2008, saving millions of gallons of gasoline, according to a study released earlier this week by the PennEnvironment advocacy group.
Statewide, miles driven went down 4 percent and ridership increased 4 percent, saving more than 186 million gallons of fuel.
Locally, transit ridership has been rising even faster.
It was up nearly 7 percent in 2007 from 2006 and another 11.5 percent in 2008 from 2007, according to numbers from the Luzerne County Transit Authority.
In Lackawanna County, ridership rose to 1,999,621 rides in 2008, up about 62,163 rides, or roughly 3.3 percent.
The 186 million gallons saved statewide equates roughly to the amount of gasoline consumed by 323,600 cars in a year.
Transportation is responsible for more than two-thirds of U.S. dependence on oil, and about one-third of its carbon-dioxide emissions.
In “Getting On Track,” PennEnvironment’s report which was created in conjunction with three similar environmental groups from other states, Pennsylvania was ranked in “Tier 1” as a state that both increased ridership and decreased miles driven “significantly.”
However, the state’s ridership increase ranked well behind others such as North Carolina, whose 16 percent increase quadrupled Pennsylvania’s.
The report calls for balancing the funding spent on mass-transit projects versus roadway infrastructure.
This will increase spending on transit projects.
The 186 million gallons saved statewide equates roughly to the amount of gasoline consumed by 323,600 cars in a year.
