Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Cars

New Report Tracks Urban Transit Emissions — Where Does Your City Rank?

1:15 PM EDT on April 22, 2010

chartyy.pngComparing the average emissions per passenger mile of various transport modes. (Chart: FTA)

While state DOTs marked Earth Day by depicting roads as unsung heroes of livability, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the transit industry celebrated in their own ways by releasing reports on local rail and bus systems' roles in reducing U.S. transport emissions.

The FTA's updated report [PDF] on transit's value in combating climate change includes average emissions for various modes of transportation (see above chart), calculated using the government's National Transit Database. The emissions totals, which reflect average ridership estimates, show that transit averages about half the CO2 poundage per passenger mile of a single-occupancy vehicle.

But the FTA also breaks down individual transit systems' average emissions, illustrating how much of a difference high ridership -- and cleaner-burning sources of electricity -- can make when it comes to the energy efficiency of local rail.

Take the San Francisco metro area's heavy rail system, known as BART, which achieves average emissions of just 0.085 pounds of CO2 per passenger mile. That rock-bottom total is made possible by electricity generated largely through hydropower. Washington D.C.'s Metrorail, meanwhile, comes in at an average of 0.347 pounds of CO2, making it four times less efficient than BART.

The emissions numbers get worse in less trafficked rail networks, such as the Baltimore Metro (0.919 pounds of CO2 per passenger mile, an average comparable to a car) and Cleveland's rapid rail transit (0.805 pounds of CO2/passenger mile).

Fortunately, the average emissions-cutting power of heavy rail is skewed by New York City, where nearly 60 percent of the mode's U.S. passenger miles are traveled. New York's subway gets an average of 0.147 pounds of CO2 per passenger mile, bolstering the local transit authority's new estimate that it saves 17.4 million metric tons of emissions every year.

The FTA report found similar variability in the average emissions of local light rail, which ranged from uber-efficient in Los Angeles (0.219 pounds of CO2/passenger mile) and San Francisco (0.299 pounds of CO2/passenger mile) to middling in Dallas (0.534 pounds of CO2/passenger mile) and higher than the average single-occupancy auto in Pittsburgh (1.371 pounds of CO2/passenger mile). The weighted average for all American light rail, however, came in at 0.36 pounds of CO2 per passenger mile.

On the transit industry's end, Earth Day brought a statement of support from President Obama that was echoed by American Public Transportation Association (APTA) chief William Millar. "Everyone who cares about the environment should care about public transportation," Millar said in a statement that accompanied a lengthy list of efficiency improvements underway at transit agencies across the country.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Thursday’s Headlines’ Future Looks Bright

Amtrak Joe continues to make big strides on rail, although it's lagging behind on EV chargers.

December 7, 2023

Car Noise Pollution is Worse in Redlined Neighborhoods — And Not Just for Humans

Transportation noise pollution can wreak havoc on wildlife populations, too — and that can have a devastating effect on their human neighbors.

December 6, 2023

Oakland Calif. Mayor Makes New Promise About Safety

Mayor Thao Tweets "It's time to reach a critical juncture where tragedies don’t catalyze improvements." But when and how will we know if the city has really reached that point and is serious about safety for all road users?

December 5, 2023

Wednesday’s Headlines Envy Europe

Could the EU keep U.S. megacars off their streets?

December 5, 2023

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Getting Warmer

EVs and renewables are not going to be enough to stave off a climate catastrophe, scientists are warning officials at an international conference.

December 5, 2023
See all posts