February 5, 2007

CONTACT: Jenna Reedy, Business Development Manager
Day: 849-0708
Fax: 848-4853
Email: jreedy@rabbittransit.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            

FACT SHEET

PA Public Transit

Saves Money

• By using public transportation on a regular basis, a person can save between $300 and $3,000 in fuel costs per year.

• The average household spends 19 cents of every dollar earned on transportation.

• After housing, transportation is the second highest cost for American families outpacing both food and health care costs.

• Since January 2003, gas prices have increased by 100 percent.

Eases Traffic Congestion

• Public Transportation helps to alleviate the congestion on our nation’s increasingly crowded network of roadways.

• One bus removes 40 cars from the road; one train removes 120 vehicles.

• rabbittransit has launched rabbittEXPRESS, the region’s first commuter bus service between York and Harrisburg.  

• rabbittransit offers commuter solutions in partnership with Commuter Services of South Central Pennsylvania including carpooling, vanpooling, telecommuting, and flex schedule options.

• There are more than 84,000 daily truck trips in an eight-county region including York, Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and Perry counties.

• Goods valued at $1.3 trillion (approx. 10% of the entire nation’s gross domestic product) pass in and out of the eight counties.

Provides Access to Jobs

• 45 percent of rabbittransit riders use the bus to get to work.

• rabbittransit provides more than 800,000 work trips annually.

• Public assistance agencies use public transportation to help more people enter the work force.

• Public transit employs 15,000 men and women through out the Commonwealth.

Provides Mobility to Seniors

• By the year 2025, 18 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 and over. One-fifth of persons 65 and older do not drive.

• The 2005 White House Conference on Aging ranked transportation options for older Americans to be among the top three priorities facing seniors.

• On fixed route buses, seniors 65 and over ride the bus for free. On the rabbittransit Senior Shared Ride, seniors 60 and over ride the bus for $1.00.  

• rabbittransit provides transportation for more than 700 seniors daily. 

Improves Air Quality/Environmental Benefits

• Public transportation produces 95 percent less carbon monoxide and nearly half as much carbon dioxide for every passenger mile traveled as compared to traveling with private vehicles.

• Transit reduces annual emissions of pollutants that create smog - - volatile organic compounds (70,000+ tons) and nitrogen oxides (27,000 tons).

• rabbittransit uses biodiesel in its vehicles which is known for being biodegradable, nontoxic and producing lower emissions. (insert local system if applicable)

• The use of biodiesel not only improves air quality, but stimulates the economy through soy-based diesel demand. It is also produced domestically, thereby reducing dependence on foreign oil.

Reduces Energy Consumption

• Public transit use saves 855 million gallons of gasoline each year.

• If Americans used public transportation for roughly 10 percent of daily travel needs, the U.S. would reduce its dependence on foreign oil from the Persian Gulf by more than 40 percent.

• Public transit uses about one-half the fuel of private autos, SUV’s and light trucks, freeing fuel for moving goods and use in industry and agriculture.

Stimulates the Economy

• Public transit spends over $1 BILLION each year with Pennsylvania businesses.

• Public transit does business with more than 2,000 Pennsylvania businesses.

• Public transit buys thousands of "Made in Pennsylvania" products and services from steel to foam seating.

• Public transit returns up to $6.00 in economic benefits to the region for every $1.00 of public funds invested.

Increases Safety

• Riding a transit bus is 79 times safer than car travel.

PA Transit Fact Sheet Press Release: PDF | Word

rabbittransit, York County’s public transportation system, provides a variety of transportation services to the residents of York County. Nearly 6,000 people depend on rabbittransit each day to get to work, medical facilities, school and other life-sustaining activities. rabbittransit is dedicated to helping all York Countians get to where they want to go.