Since the public began to be educated on the environment decades ago, there has been an increasing awareness of how complex, synergistic, and far reaching environmental issues have become. And as traffic congestion worsens in our urban centers, the need for better and more effective public transit systems becomes clear. Concrete plays a leading role in helping urban areas reduce congestion and consume less energy, thereby benefiting the environment.
The need for public transportation has never been greater. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), between 1976 and 1996, the mileage Americans had driven increased four times faster than the population, two times faster than the number of licensed drivers, and over thirty times faster than new road construction. The current cost of congestion from inefficient traffic flow, lost productivity, wasted gasoline, and increased air pollution is estimated at $74 billion per year. And according to a recent article in Car & Driver magazine, by 2010 the projected consumption of gasoline by cars and trucks will be over 150 billion gallons, or 51% higher than in 1990. The potential negative impact to the environment is a legitimate and vital concern.
These are among the many reasons that commuters are choosing public transportation
now more than ever. The American Public Transportation Association
(APTA) recently reported that transit passenger trips have increased
15% over the past four years and now exceed 9 billion trips. The
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which authorizes
$41 billion for transit programs in fiscal years 1998 through 2003,
is a catalyst for the many transportation projects underway across
the country. And now the movement surrounding the reauthorization
of TEA-21, commonly referred to as TEA-3, is in full force. Coalitions
have been formed and are working towards the reauthorization of
funding that will benefit transportation, the public, and the environment.
Concrete Benefits the Environment
Concrete in the Transit Industry