Coaches leading the way in USA environment push

America has joined the rest of the world in the fight against climate change with President Obama marking a key shift in policy in June. . Buses and coaches are now leading the way in the USA in helping to meet the countries climate change obligations.

27 June 2013 - As the USA’s political leadership is debating ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and preserve the environment, the nation’s coach companies and American Bus Association members are already taking the lead in that important effort.

President Obama has called for new environmental regulations in a host of areas, including increasing the fuel economy standards for heavy-duty trucks, buses, and vans after 2018.

According to research by the The Union of Concerned Scientists and the American Bus Association Foundation , coaches are the most environmentally friendly form of transportation. And as more people ride coaches instead of using their private car, they are helping cut polluting emissions. .

Some green facts:

a couple boarding a coach will cut their carbon emissions nearly in half, compared with driving even a hybrid car. And if they take the coach rather than flying, they will cut their emissions by 55 to 75 percent, depending on the distance they travel.
Coaches provide 207 passenger miles per gallon of fuel, compared to 92 passenger MPG for commuter rail, 44 passenger MPG for domestic airlines, and 27 MPG for single passenger automobiles.
Each coach has the potential to take as many as 55 cars off of the road, reducing congestion, saving fuel, and significantly cutting emissions.
The USA coach industry is growing, providing some 700 million passenger trips annually. The FAA says in 2011, the airlines provided 732 million passenger trips. In contrast, long-distance passenger rail carried 30.2 million passengers in 2012.
According to DePaul University of Chicago, intercity bus service grew by 7.5% between the end of 2011 and 2012—the highest rate of growth in four years. Conventional bus lines expanded by 1.4%, in part due to new express services.
Daily departures on express bus carriers surged in 2012, up by 30.6%, and for the first time, they exceeded more than 1,000 daily scheduled operations.

“The coach industry is committed to continuing to be the most environmentally friendly form of transportation,” said ABA President and CEO Peter J. Pantuso. “Our ABA member companies every day provide high-quality, safe transportation to hundreds of thousands of people. Our members are leaders when it comes to improving the environment, because they know that improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions makes their companies better. We are proud of the work our industry is doing and will continue to do.”

Learn more about the environmental benefits of bus and coach travel