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Benefits of Public Transit
Our Journey to Sustainability
The MAX Transportation Authority has made environmental stewardship and sustainability a part of our mission. We're committed to taking steps throughout our organization to do what we can to minimize our carbon footprint on the environment.
Most people don't realize that a bus is twice as efficient as an automobile for every passenger mile traveled. The benefits of using public transit regularly far exceed those of many popular household energy-saving activities, such as adjusting thermostats or using energy-efficient bulbs or appliances. If Americans used public transit for just 10% of our trips, the U.S. could reduce its dependency on foreign oil by 40%.
Public transit also preserves air quality. Fewer vehicles on the road mean less harmful emissions are released into the air to create ground level ozone and particulate matter, both of which can cause breathing difficulties. To encourage the use of public transit, MAX offers free fixed route rides on designated Clean Air Action Days and Earth Day, as well as the four scheduled election days in Michigan. So you can help clear the air and exercise your right to vote by riding MAX.
Residents and tourists alike can do their part to reduce traffic and congestion during the Tulip Time Festival by riding the bus and using our Park-N-Ride program. Leave your car in a secure and convenient public lot, and hop on the bus to take it into our bustling downtown area. And because all of our buses have bike racks, you're able to bike and ride to virtually any destination within the greater Holland.
Buses use a lot of fuel to move people, and the kind of fuel we use makes a difference. We're exploring the use of alternative fuels at fueling stations shared with major fuel users – area schools, utilities and local governments. As funding become available, MAX hopes to transition most of its bus fleet to cleaner-burning vehicles and fuels.
Finally, we're serious about recycling. Each year MAX prints more than 60,000 bus schedules, some of which are used once and thrown away. All literature is now printed on recycled paper with a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste, and outdated schedules are collected and recycled. We've even done away with printing our annual report, which will now only be available electronically via email and on our website.
These are small steps and we're making progress, but more can be done. You can help us on our journey to sustainability by continuing to use public transit and by reusing our bus schedules.
Most people don't realize that a bus is twice as efficient as an automobile for every passenger mile traveled. The benefits of using public transit regularly far exceed those of many popular household energy-saving activities, such as adjusting thermostats or using energy-efficient bulbs or appliances. If Americans used public transit for just 10% of our trips, the U.S. could reduce its dependency on foreign oil by 40%.
Public transit also preserves air quality. Fewer vehicles on the road mean less harmful emissions are released into the air to create ground level ozone and particulate matter, both of which can cause breathing difficulties. To encourage the use of public transit, MAX offers free fixed route rides on designated Clean Air Action Days and Earth Day, as well as the four scheduled election days in Michigan. So you can help clear the air and exercise your right to vote by riding MAX.
Residents and tourists alike can do their part to reduce traffic and congestion during the Tulip Time Festival by riding the bus and using our Park-N-Ride program. Leave your car in a secure and convenient public lot, and hop on the bus to take it into our bustling downtown area. And because all of our buses have bike racks, you're able to bike and ride to virtually any destination within the greater Holland.
Buses use a lot of fuel to move people, and the kind of fuel we use makes a difference. We're exploring the use of alternative fuels at fueling stations shared with major fuel users – area schools, utilities and local governments. As funding become available, MAX hopes to transition most of its bus fleet to cleaner-burning vehicles and fuels.
Finally, we're serious about recycling. Each year MAX prints more than 60,000 bus schedules, some of which are used once and thrown away. All literature is now printed on recycled paper with a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste, and outdated schedules are collected and recycled. We've even done away with printing our annual report, which will now only be available electronically via email and on our website.
These are small steps and we're making progress, but more can be done. You can help us on our journey to sustainability by continuing to use public transit and by reusing our bus schedules.
Benefits of Public Transit
- Saves money. Public transit is far cheaper than owning, maintaining, and insuring a personal vehicle.
- Reduces fuel usage.
- Safer than a car. Riding the bus is more than 10 times safer than riding/driving in your personal car.
- Reduces traffic and congestion.
- Reduces vehicle emissions that destroy the ozone.
- Promotes economic development. "People ride public transit to either make money or spend money." -- Clark Harder, Executive Director, Michigan Public Transportation Association.
- Economic development.
- $1 invested in MAX generates $6 in economic returns.
- $1 million invested in MAX generates $3 million in NEW sales
- MAX's $2.2 operating budget generates $7 million in new sales
- Transit systems are viewed as amenities, attracting homebuyers and businesses to a community.
- Quality of life and property values are generally higher in communities with public transit systems.
American Public Transit Association FACTS
Public Transportation Ridership:
Energy Conservation - Reducing National Dependence on Foreign Oil:
Individual Cost Savings:
Environmental Conservation:
- In 2006, Americans took 10.1 billion trips on public transportation, the highest ridership level in 49 years.
- 34 Million times each weekday, people board public transportation.
- From 1995-2006, public transportation ridership increased by 30 percent, a growth rate higher than the 12 percent increase in US population and higher than the 24 percent growth in use of the nation's highways over the same period.
Energy Conservation - Reducing National Dependence on Foreign Oil:
- Each year, public transportation use in the U.S. saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline. This represents almost 4 million gallons of gasoline per day.
- Public transportation use saves the equivalent of 300,000 fewer automobile fill-ups every day - 108 million fewer cars filling up annually.
- Each year, public transportation use saves the equivalent of 34 supertankers of oil, or a supertanker leaving the Middle East every 11 days.
- Each year, public transportation use saves the equivalent of 140,769 service station tanker truck trips clogging our streets.
- The typical public transit rider consumes, on average, one half of the oil consumed by an automobile rider.
Individual Cost Savings:
- Public transportation provides an affordable, and for many, necessary alternative to driving.
- Each year public transportation households save over $1,399 worth of gas.
- Transit availability can reduce the need for an additional car, a yearly expense of $6,251 in a household budget.
- The average household spends 18 cents per dollar on transportation, and 94 percent of this goes to buying, maintaining and operating cars.
- Americans living in areas served by public transportation save $18 billion annually in congestion costs.
Environmental Conservation:
- Public transportation use can help reduce pollution and promote cleaner air.
- Public transportation produces 95 percent less carbon monoxide (CO), 90 percent less in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and nearly 50 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), per passenger mile than private vehicles.
- Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions represent 82 percent of total U.S. man-made greenhouse emissions.
- By reducing smog-producing pollutants and greenhouse gases and by conserving ecologically sensitive lands and open spaces -- public transportation is helping to meet national air quality standards.