 home | communications |
Media Releases
VIA mobile classroom on display at Earth Day
Posted:
4/20/2012
VIA Metropolitan Transit’s mobile classroom will be on display for Earth Day 2012.
The Classroom on Wheels, a modified diesel-electric hybrid transit bus, will be on hand at Woodlawn Lake Saturday, April 21 to show Earth Day participants how public transportation benefits the environment. Each full bus means there are up to 40 fewer cars on the road contributing to local air pollution.
As an operator of a fleet of buses and vans, VIA’s primary environmental efforts are focused on the reduction of vehicle emissions. Four downtown circulator buses are powered by compressed natural gas, and the 19 bus rapid transit vehicles that will make up the VIA Prímo fleet will also use this fuel. Diesel-electric hybrid technology powers 30 buses that are deployed on VIA's express routes, and VIA is taking delivery of three electric buses that will be used in the central business district.
With recent high fuel prices, people who switch to transit will be able to save on their personal travel expenses while also helping to reduce emissions. According to the American Public Transportation Association, a person riding transit instead of driving a car can save an average of over $800 per month and over $9,700 per year while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 4,800 pounds annually. In all, public transportation in the United States saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.
|