Sustainability Benefits of the Proposed Transit Program

Written by TAP Coordinator (Jenny Novak) | 16 August 2011
Posted in GPSS Blog - GSG Team

Air quality benefits:  Residents of Los Angeles are familiar with the air pollution that plagues our city.  Despite the fact that it has improved, Los Angeles is still famous for having the worst air quality in the country[2].  Switching from driving alone to taking public transit eliminates 3,300 pounds of vehicle exhaust emissions and pollutants every year[3].  Encouraging students to take public transit through the pass program is a responsible step towards cleaner air in Los Angeles.

Health benefits:  Using public transit is good for your health.  The Center for Disease Control recommends that adults spend at least 22 minutes per day doing a moderate physical activity.  Less than half of Americans meet this target, but transit users in contrast walk a median of 19 minutes, which nearly meets this goal.[4  Cost savings:  A study of transportation costs found that a typical driver in Los Angeles could save $838 per month by switching from driving to transit[5]. Many students have limited incomes and the choice of a convenient, inexpensive transit option could give students more flexibility to spend on other items.

Reduced parking demand:  With more students using Metro, parking demand will decrease.  A study by Donald Shoup at UCLA found that the number of students on the wait list for UCLA parking permits dropped by 33.5% (see Figure 1).  Less demand for new parking spaces will save the university money on the capital costs of new parking construction as well as ongoing maintenance costs.

Figure 1: Effect of UCLA reduced transit pass program on parking demand.