Seriously, Get on the Bus! New Analysis Shows Fiscal, Environmental Benefits of Buses

BY DERON LOVAAS, Director, Federal Transportation Policy, Energy, and Transportation Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

As I’ve written, it’s high time buses received more attention and investment in this
country. Everyone loves to talk about other modes—especially bikes and trains—as the sine
qua non for energy-efficient, livable, and sustainable communities. Meanwhile, year in
and year out, ridership on buses eclipses other non-auto modes. They are oft-maligned
workhorses of the transportation system.
....

Now is the time to turn our attention to bus routes between cities. Right now more than
16,000 buses ply our roads, connecting nearly 2,800 cities and towns. This week, friends
at Taxpayers for Common Sense, the Reason Foundation, and the American Bus Association
Foundation released an analysis by respected consulting firm M.J. Bradley and Associates
comparing bus to Amtrak service linking 20 city pairs. One of the performance metrics
examined is air pollution, and buses shine here (although, to be clear, both modes shine
when compared to driving alone). The graph below illustrates this for heat-trapping
carbon dioxide pollution.
....

What about costs? Again, buses compare well. First the analysts examined fares charged,
finding that while they vary they are usually comparable on these routes. However, the
cost differential between them is huge, as you can see from the graph below.

How is the gap filled? If you guessed government subsidies, you are right, with two
exceptions: the Boston-New York City and Washington, D.C.-Lynchburg, VA stretches of
eastern corridor service. These latter routes actually make enough revenue to more than
pay for themselves. The analysts note that a few other routes pay for their operating
costs, but fall short when capital costs are included.
....

This post originally appeared Aug. 1 on “Switchboard,” a blog of the ­Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC). Reprinted with permission.