Mass transit is not a greener form of transportation. Some transit systems take twice as much energy per passenger than private cars do, according to studies from the Department of Energy (DoE).
But how can this be? A full bus or trainload of people is more efficient than private cars, sometimes quite a bit more so, says Brad Templeton, founder of ClariNet Communication Corporation. However:
• Transit systems never consist of full vehicles, but in order to encourage riders, systems offer frequent service which results in emptier vehicles outside of rush hour.
• Transit vehicles tend to stop and start a lot, which eats a lot of energy, even with regenerative braking.
U.S. Transit Energy in Passenger Miles per Gallon
Moreover, transit infrastructure is paid for by state or federal money, while drivers and fuel are paid from local city budgets. This pushes local city transit agencies to get bigger vehicles and fewer drivers...
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