Eugene joined an elite list of 15 cities across the nation that capitalized on public transportation and clean-energy buses to help save money and oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to a recent Oregon State Public Interest Group report.
The report, titled “A Better Way to Go,” found that Eugene residents saved 560,000 gallons of oil from being used, saved $1.5 million at gas pumps and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 3,900 tons by taking advantage of popular public transportation systems and relying less on autos.
The report was designed to question the federal government’s policy of addressing today’s transportation problems, which were born from the 20th century automobile boom, with 21st century solutions.
“The super-highway age is over, and we need to look into the 21st century for transportation solutions,” said Matt Wallace, the consumer associate for OSPIRG.
The positive environmental and economic impacts that public transportation offer are only part of the pie, Wallace said.
“Safety, livability and a reduction of dependency on foreign oil are all by-products of public transportation,” he said.
He cited recent automobile accident reports, saying that 40,000 deaths occurred last year in personal vehicle crashes, and 180 people died in public transportation accidents. Road congestion is reduced by taking the bus or riding bikes, and that adds to the livability of a community, he added.
“People know the benefits public transportation offers, but we need to use this knowledge to springboard into new methods of transportation and getting the federal government to stop investing in large, old transportation methods,” Wallace said.
[email protected]