A cleaner environment
People across America are suffering from air pollution caused to a large degree by vehicle emissions. Public transportation takes cars off the road. Since its inception, BAT has provided half a million rides which compute to a savings of 75,000 gallons of fuel, along with preventing the release into Bend’s atmosphere of 1,455,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and 60,000 pounds of carbon monoxide.

Energy conservation
The supply of oil is finite. Public transportation is crucial in helping to save energy by using it wisely. By late fall, BAT will have five buses operating on 5% biodiesel fuel (this is a trend that will grow into the future). Public transportation saves more than 855 million gallons of gasoline, or 45 million barrels of oil a year – a level equivalent to the energy used to heat, cool, and operate one-fourth of all American homes annually.

Fuel efficiency

For every passenger mile traveled, public transportation is twice as fuel-efficient as private automobiles, sport-utility vehicles, and light trucks.  In 1999, public transportation vehicles used 856 million gallons of fossil fuels and 5.2 billions kilowatt hours of electricity – which is less than 1% of all energy consumed in the U.S.

Reduce dependency on foreign oil

If one in 10 Americans regularly used transit, U.S. reliance on foreign oil could decline by more than 40%, or nearly the amount of oil imported from Saudi Arabia each year.

Reduce carbon monoxide pollution

If one in 5 Americans used public transportation daily, carbon monoxide pollution would decrease by more than all the emissions form the entire chemical manufacturing industry and all metal processing plants in the U.S.

(data provided by Center For Transportation Excellence-  www.ctfe.org )

The following argument was submitted for publication in the General Election 2008 Voters Pamphlet:

 

The Central Oregon Environmental Center urges you to vote yes on Measure 9-60. 

 

The creation of Bend’s bus system three years ago was an important step forward for environmental protection in Bend.  Measure 9-60 is the logical next step.  Measure 9-60 will ensure the stable funding and focused leadership we need to get quality bus service over the long-term.

 

Our support for Measure 9-60 is rooted in our commitment to the triple bottom-line: a healthy environment, meeting people’s needs, and supporting a prosperous economy.

 

Bend’s bus system is good for the environment because it reduces use of fossil fuels. 

 

Burning fossil fuels is one of the largest sources of air pollution in the US and a major contributor to climate change.  America’s reliance on fossil fuels also makes us dependent on unstable foreign governments and draws us into foreign conflicts. 

 

Studies have shown that for every mile traveled on public transportation we use about one-half to one-third less fuel than automobiles, and that U.S. reliance on foreign oil could be cut by more than 40 percent if one in ten Americans used public transportation regularly. 

 

Buses are also an important part of the mix of alternatives to the car—like walking and biking and carpooling—that reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. 

 

Bend’s bus system is also important because it benefits people and our economy.  Many low-income people cannot afford the high costs of owning a car, which makes a bus system essential for them to get and keep a job.  And many seniors rely on buses to maintain their independence and mobility as they age.  Attracting new businesses, building a four-year university, sustaining a thriving downtown and Old Mill District, and reducing congestion: these are all benefits of buses that help our economy thrive.

 

Let’s give our bus system the financial stability and leadership it deserves.  For our environment, for our people and for our economy.

 

Vote “Yes” on measure 9-60!