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Author Topic: Does public transit bussing reduce emissions?
prowsej
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 798

posted 06 August 2002 10:55 PM      Profile for prowsej   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I wondering if public transit bussing that is a fixture of life in most Canadian cites reduces emissions. I'm not sure.

It is my experience that the large scale conduits for mass transit (underground/subway, streetcar/tram, reserved bus lanes/"Transitway") get a good amount of ridership and are relatively full. However, all systems that I've encountered also run many busses that are nearly empty. The bus that runs to my house (which is located in a suburb) is lucky to have four passengers on it and commonly does its route (especially at night) with no passengers. Since busses emit far more emissions than cars or trucks, I'm wondering if studies have been done looking at the cumulative effects: are emissions from these under-utilized routes effectively counter-balanced by thed reduction in rush-hour traffic?


From: Ottawa ON | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged
Trisha
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 387

posted 07 August 2002 12:54 AM      Profile for Trisha     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
There's a danger that a study on emissions may result in reduced public transit service, which would cause a hardship for all, especially the poor. Thunder Bay reduced the buses, probably not for this problem, and it left a lot of people pretty well housebound. We launched a large, long campaign and got our holiday buses back but it wasn't easy.

Sometimes we just have to put up with some of the bad because the good outweighs it.


From: Thunder Bay, Ontario | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
aRoused
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Babbler # 1962

posted 07 August 2002 05:42 AM      Profile for aRoused     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Not knowing how much pollutants a bus emits..

Take the average number of passengers per bus, per day. Divide the emitted pollutants by that number. If it's above that emitted by the average automobile, perhaps public transit isn't helping.

But I think it'll likely be much lower. Buses don't emit all that much more pollution than an automobile, and even a few riders will be enough to tip the average in favour of public transit. Even more so in the case of light rail and subways. And no fair comparing carpooling to public transit, besides, buses reduce congestion by concentrating commuters in a single vehicle that otherwise would take up much more roadway.

For me, it's still the bicycle, though.


From: The King's Royal Burgh of Eoforwich | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged

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