Benefits for Public Programs and Community Services

Public transportation produces savings in public programs and services such as human services, healthcare and education.

Roadway-related costs

A recent study estimates that transit use reduces roadwayrelated costs—traffic enforcement, emergency services, right-of-way acquisition—by as much as $1 billion to $1.7 billion per year.

Human services

According to a recent study, savings to social programs from transit use may be as high as $1.3 billion to $2 billion per year. Human services-oriented transit programs can be found in communities around the country.

• Clallam Transit in Port Angeles, WA, coordinates services with 14 other agencies to reduce transportation costs of public programs.
• CitiLink in Ft. Wayne, IN, joined a consortium of human service agencies in the Community Transportation Network to meet local needs at a lower cost.
• The Los Angeles LAMTA underwrites transit travel and taxi vouchers for clients of 600 Los Angeles social service agencies.

Healthcare

The availability of public transportation can reduce costly duplication in transportation services. This helps agencies avoid medical institutionalization of the indigent and associated public costs, reduce demand for more expensive and oversubscribed paratransit services, provide an option to the costly use of ambulance and EMS services, and relieve other public agencies of transportation responsibility, thereby increasing their productivity.

• According to CTAA, costs could be significantly reduced if public transportation were available for many types of medical trips. Monroe County, NY, for example, reimburses providers $10.55 each way for car or van trips and $192.91 each way for advanced life support ambulance trips.
• In Florida, the use of Metro Dade transit passes saves the Dade County Medicaid agency over $500,000 a month and gives Medicaid clients unlimited travel for $1 a month.

Public transportation reduces health-care costs in other ways as well. Maryland estimates that public transportation saves $70 million annually in air pollution-related health costs by reducing vehicle emissions.

Education

Approximately 12% of public transportation users are en route to schools of various types; and school districts, educators and concerned parents are finding that greater reliance on expanded public transportation services helps improve educational systems. Across the country, "Unlimited Access" transit pass programs at 35 universities provide free, system-wide service to 825,000 college students, faculty and staff, expanding access, reducing autorelated expenditures, and saving universities millions.

• Salt Lake City, UT’s University TRAX LRT line serves 46,000 students and faculty, relieving campus congestion and reducing university parking costs.
• The Worcestor, MA, Regional Transit Authority connects 26 training facilities and two GED test centers, as well as 26 major employers and 24 childcare facilities.
• In Duluth, MN, the U-Pass program allows access to the TA system, easing parking costs and congestion at three area colleges and universities.

In addition, many public transportation agencies and educational institutions — in areas such as Waukegan, IL, Orlando, FL, Syracuse and Albany, NY, Madison, WI, and Flint, MI — have established cost-saving partnerships.

More access for children and young adults

The need for increased access and mobility also ties into the emerging lifestyle needs of children and young adults. As their activities become more extensive and widespread, public transportation plays an increasingly important role in linking young Americans to the larger community.

Mobility for seniors

By 2020, 40% of the U.S. population will be senior citizens; many will be unable to drive. In fact, one-fourth of today’s 75+ age group does not drive. Meeting the transportation needs of seniors is a major community objective as well as a national goal. Public transportation and related travel options represent a lifeline for seniors, linking them with family, friends and a changing society. Mini-buses in Miami, for example, serve areas with unique geography and character, connecting residents with critical neighborhood facilities and services.

A vital link for citizens with disabilities

Over 54 million Americans have disabilities. Nearly 35% say they are uninvolved in their communities, and the lack of effective transportation options contributes to an unemployment rate of approximately 75%.

Nearly 85% of today’s public transportation vehicles are accessible to people with disabilities. However, to ensure that disabled persons remain actively involved in their communities, maintain productive roles in the economy, and have access to the full range of facilities and services needed to lead enjoyable and productive lives, the reach of public transportation to this population needs to be broadened.

Supports diversity

In a world with fewer and fewer boundaries, Americans’ travel needs are increasingly diverse. Transit services are becoming more agile and responsive, providing extraordinary value and benefit for a wide range of lifestyles.