Public Transportation—Key to Fighting Climate Change!

 By Chris Johnson, Woods & Wetlands Group

This spring, the Illinois Sierra Club and the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition fought hard to urge state legislators to pass House Bill 3438, which would generate approximately $1.5 billion in funding for public transportation. The bill includes $220 million for public transit Downstate. The bill would also create a new transit agency called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA), ensuring an integrated rate structure and better coordinated schedules.

The Illinois Senate approved of the transit bill, but the House failed to bring the bill to a vote. There is still an opportunity for the legislature to pass a transit bill this summer or fall. Legislators are aware that without such legislation, public transit in Illinois faces cuts of 40 percent or more!

Fixing and funding public transit in Illinois is a key pillar in the fight against climate change. As you talk to your friends and neighbors about the importance of fixing public transit in Illinois, here are some key facts:

• A single person who switches from a 20-mile solo commute by car to public transit reduces annual carbon dioxide emissions by 20 pounds a day—or more than 48,000 pounds a year.
• By switching to public transit, a typical household reduces its carbon footprint by 10 percent.
• Public transportation in the United States saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of emissions resulting from electricity use by 4.9 million households.
• Public transit saves the equivalent of 300,000 gasoline fill-ups every day.
• High-quality public transit provides broader access to jobs, education, health services, and other services.

Finally, please urge state legislators to convene a special session of the General Assembly to take action on public transit! Follow the link here.