Public transit does far more than save people money. It connects communities in a way that drives the development of entire cities and increases quality of living for people from all walks of life.
It Creates Connected Communities
- Public transit gives people more mobility and more freedom to go wherever they need
- Public transit makes visiting friends, catching up with family, seeing the doctor and getting to work more convenient and stress free
- Access to bus- and rail-based public transit opens more job opportunities
- Transit oriented development creates live-work-play communities that place everything people need within walking distance of reliable public transit
It Drives Community Development
- Public transit creates and sustains 1.1 million jobs every year 1
- Property values near popular public transit centers perform 42 percent better than the average in the area 2
- Community investments in public transit yield nearly four times the investment in economic returns 1
- For every $10 million invested in transit operation, business sales return nearly $32 million 2
It Keeps Cities Moving
- Americans with access to bus and rail lines save 865 million hours in travel time and reduce driving by 4,400 miles per home annually 1
- Rapid-rail trains running four-car trains every four minutes can move 12,000 people each way per hour, as opposed to congested highways that move only 7,000 cars per hour 3
- Taking public transit is 170 safer than driving, freeing up highways with fewer accidents 4
It Saves Cities and Riders Money
- Public transit cuts down on use of personal vehicles, saving riders from costly damages and repairs
- Households can save more than $10,000 by opting for public transit and owning one less car 1
- Public transit saves cities more than $21 billion in congestion costs 2
Improving Quality of Life
- Staying away from the tension of traffic can reduce daily stress
- Public transit provides access to vital services when people are unable to drive
- Fewer cars on the road means fewer emissions and better breathing conditions in the city
Sources
- http://www.apta.com/mediacenter/ptbenefits/Pages/default.aspx
- http://www.voicesforpublictransit.org/
- http://leadership.saportareport.com/transit/2015/10/14/transit-if-for-all/
- https://www.apta.com/research-technical-resources/collaboration-between-transit-and-healthcare/