Ohio Chapter

NEWS RELEASE

Study Shows Investing in Public Transportation Clears the Air

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COLUMBUS-The Sierra Club gave Ohio cities an "F" for its efforts to clear the air with transit spending. A Sierra Club report released today found a clear connection between cities' investments in public transportation and their success at cutting smog per person from cars and trucks. Although most of America's 50 largest cities failed in their performance at reducing car and truck smog, those that invested in public transportation suffered from less automobile pollution per person.

"By devoting more dollars to public transit and by planning development wisely, Ohioans will drive less and breathe cleaner air," said Shannon Harps, Transportation Policy Analyst for the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Today's report is called "Clearing the Air with Transit Spending: Sierra Club Grades America's Fifty Largest Cities". Three areas in Ohio were studied including Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, Columbus, and Cincinnati-Hamilton. Columbus and Cincinnati-Hamilton received an "F" for the amount of smog from cars and trucks per person while Cleveland-Akron-Lorain received a "D-." All three areas received an "F" for the amount spent on public transit versus highways per person.

In Cleveland-Akron-Lorain, 95 pounds of smog from cars and trucks is created per person per year and 37.1 percent of smog is from cars and trucks. In Columbus the numbers were 105 pounds and 41.7 percent respectively and in Cincinnati-Hamilton the numbers were 103 pounds and 29.0 percent respectively.

To address these statistics, only $20.80 is spent per resident in Ohio on transit for every $100 spent on highways per person.

"Clearing the Air" gave New York State the highest grade in terms of its spending on public transit, and found that New York is the only state that spent more money on providing people with transportation alternatives than on new roads. At the same time, New York City had the least amount of smog per person from cars and trucks. On the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoma flunked for having a high amount of smog from cars and trucks per person and spending a paltry $5.80 on public transit to every $100 it spends on highway and road construction. Oklahoma completely failed in terms of spending on transportation choices versus roads.

"When cities build more roads instead of cleaner public transportation, it becomes obvious why smog and air pollution have gotten worse," Harps said. "Investing in transportation choices and building livable communities will help clean the air, improve our health, and enhance our quality of life," Harps said.

Cars today typically spew 70% to 90% less pollution per mile than their counterparts of the 1960s, yet smog is still a serious problem. One of the main reasons pollution levels are not decreasing as fast as desired (or in some cases are actually increasing) is more people are driving farther. The average American driver spends 443 hours per year-the equivalent of 55 eight-hour workdays (more than 10 workweeks)-behind the wheel. Residents of sprawling communities drive three to four times as much as those living in compact, well-planned, walkable areas.

Twenty percent of Americans live in areas where scientists say the air is not safe to breathe. Breathing smog has been implicated in a range of illnesses from asthma to pneumonia. We have long recognized smog as a public health problem. Despite that, smog has actually increased in a number of regions in the last ten years. In fact, only ten to fourteen of 207 polluted cities (less than five to seven percent) saw a reduction in their air pollution in the 1990s.

The Sierra Club recommends that the state and federal government increase the amount of money set aside for public transit and at least equalize funding between highways and public transportation. Government should also plan development wisely to shorten car trips and facilitate public transportation; and support public involvement in the transportation and land use planning process. The Sierra Club encourages people to let their local, state and federal leaders know they want transportation choices for cleaner air.

The Sierra Club is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with 700,000 members nationwide. The Ohio Chapter, chartered in 1968, has over 18,000 members. The Sierra Club has been a leader in an effort to promote more livable communities that provide people with a variety of safe transportation choices.

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