Changing the Way America Moves
America Public Transportation Association (APTA) lays out their national vision for creating a more robust economy, a smaller carbon footprint, and energy independence. Below are excerpts, click Changing the Way America Moves for the entire report.
The Problem
Transportation is one of the largest and fastest-growing factors in America’s dependence on foreign oil and its large carbon footprint. Since 1973, Americans have been traveling 250 percent more miles per capita each year and using more than 36 percent more oil for transportation purposes. The transportation sector emits about one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions—a share that is rising rapidly, despite the availability of cleaner technologies. In addition, American households spend 17.6 percent of their budgets on transportation; the average European Union household spends just 11.9 percent.
The Plan
At a time when America must stimulate its economy, create more jobs, reduce its dependence on foreign oil, and become more carbon efficient, public transportation can make a significant contribution quickly and cost-effectively. America should set a minimum goal of doubling the market share for public transportation by 2020 and achieving, by 2045, a public transportation market share equal to that in the European Union. We can accomplish this by achieving a 5.5-percent annual growth rate for public transportation. But we can accelerate this with a much more ambitious growth rate of 10 percent, attaining a public transportation market share on par with the European Union before 2030.