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Go Green by Riding Blue

Bus Tracker & AlertsBus Tracker & Alerts

Go Green by Riding Blue

Bus Tracker & AlertsBus Tracker & Alerts

Environmental Benefits of Public Transit

Public transportation is an immediate way to conserve energy and support our environment. People who use public transportation and/or carpools remove single-passenger vehicles from the road, which leads to improved air quality, stimulation of local economies and business centers, reduce road congestion, and lessen environmental damage.

  • If 1 in 10 Americans used public transportation regularly, the U.S. reliance on foreign oil could be cut by more than 40%, which translates to the amount of oil we import from Saudi Arabia each year.
  • Emissions from road vehicles are the largest contributors to smog.
  • Public transportation use in the United States reduces our nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. This is equivalent to Washington, DC; New York City; Atlanta; Denver; and Los Angeles combined stopping using electricity.
  • One person with a 20-mile round trip commute who switches from driving to public transit can reduce his or her daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds, or more than 4,800 pounds in a year.
  • A single commuter switching his or her commute to public transportation can reduce a household’s carbon emissions by 10 percent and up to 30 percent if he or she eliminates a second car. According to APTA’s April 2016 Transit Saving Report, a two-person household can save, on the average, $9,312 a year by downsizing to one car.
  • Riding the bus increases your chances of arriving at your destination safely. The National Safety Council reports that riding the bus is 170 times safer than driving or riding a car. Using public transportation reduces stress. So, you can feel free to read a book, listen to music, or talk with a neighbor and leave the driving to ‘MART’.

MART also has access to two Commuter Rail Stations. We operate parking garages at the Fitchburg Intermodal Bus and Train Station and Leominster Commuter Rail Station. A large surface lot is also planned for when the Wachusett Station opens in 2016. Since the new station is directly off Route 2, studies show that many commuters will take advantage and use the commuter rail from this accessible station. Take public transit from Fitchburg to Boston instead of driving. This saves fuel, carbon emissions, and reduces highway congestion which improves air quality.

Here are some interesting studies and fact sheets on using public transportation

Click here for Tools & Calculators to find out how much money you can save riding the bus.

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