Map-21 is a highway bill, not a transportation bill, it cuts support for public transit in favor of highway expansion



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Lack of efficient public transit is related to an increase in air pollution and other transportation related health issues.


Rubin 9 (Victor, PolicyLink Vice President for Research, PhD in City and Regional Planning, All Aboard! Making Equity and Inclusion Central to Federal Transportation Policy, PolicyLink, 2009, pg 7) ZLH 

The impact of transportation policy on health is unevenly distributed from one community to the next. Research shows that low-income people and communities of color enjoy fewer of the advantages of efficient transit systems, such as access to jobs and healthcare facilities, and bear a disproportionate burden of the negative health impacts that transportation facilities and air pollution can infl ict. More affluent neighborhoods are also more likely to have the infrastructure and safety features that make walking and cycling more feasible, leading to more opportunities for exercise and better health. In order to eliminate health disparities, transportation policy must direct benefi ts to low-income people and communities of color by prioritizing these communities for capital expansion grants for public transit, investing in the repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure, and bolstering fi nancial support for transit operating costs.

Increased investments in Mass Transit would increase fuel efficiency of cars, reduces energy use and emissions, and saves money that could be redirected to boost economic growth


American Public Transportation Association 08 (http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/greenhouse_brochure.pdf)

Public transportation use reduces congestion. Public transportation serves some of the most congested travel corridors and regions in the country. Increased use of public transportation in these areas eases congestion; as a result, automobiles traveling in these same corridors achieve greater fuel efficiency 8 Public transportation use is one of the most effective actions individuals can take. Public transportation offers an immediate alternative for individuals seeking to reduce their energy use and carbon footprints. This action far exceeds the benefits of other energy saving household activities, such as using energy efficient light bulbs or adjusting thermostats. Public transportation gives people energy efficient choices. Public transportation reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions without reducing the mobility so vital to our nation’s economic health and our citizens’ quality of life. The increasing cost of fuel makes driving private vehicles even more prohibitive for many. Public transportation households save an average of $6,251 every year3even more as the price of fuel rises. Public transportation is essential to energy efficient land use patterns. Efficient land use produces results far beyond the immediate benefit of increased use of public transportation. It has the potential to significantly change the way we live and travel, reducing our individual carbon footprints while preserving and enhancing our mobility.


Effective mass transit would mean a reduction in carbon emissions


American Public Transportation Association 08 (http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/greenhouse_brochure.pdf)
A single person, commuting alone by car, who switches a 20-mile round trip commute to existing public transportation, can reduce his or her annual CO2 emissions by 4,800 pounds per year, equal to a 10% reduction in all greenhouse gases produced by a typical two-adult, two-car household. By eliminating one car and taking public transportation instead of driving, a savings of up to 30% of carbon dioxide emissions can be realized.


Lack of policy aimed on urban public transportation has led to air pollution


Sanchez et al 3(Thomas W Professor, Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech, Rich Stolz Staff of Community of Change, Jacinta Ma, legal fellow, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium “Moving to Equity: Addressing inequitable effects of transportation on minorities” The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University pg 24.) ZLH

Like Detroit, many urban areas have significant pollution, much of which can be traced to



transportation policies that favor highway development and automobile travel over public

transportation. In addition, these transportation policies combined with land use or zoning

policies lead to more toxic usage of land in poor and minority neighborhoods than in affluent



areas and areas with fewer minorities.147 Higher percentages of African Americans (65%) and

Latinos (80%) compared with whites (57%) live in areas with substandard air quality.148

Research suggests that these polluted environments in turn result in higher rates of respiratory

diseases, such as asthma.149



Transit reduces emissions by over 4.2 billion gallons of gas each year


American Public Transportation Association 08 (http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/greenhouse_brochure.pdf)
Higher densities allow for closer proximity of housing, employment and retail, reducing driving distances and enabling communities to plan for and support alternative travel options. • In many central business districts, trips taken for shopping, dining or other non-commuting purposes are often made on foot—even by those who drive to work. • Higher density development—including transit-oriented development (TOD), multi-use buildings, and compact apartments and office space—is more energy efficient and extends public transportation’s contribution by integrating it with other sectors of our economy. Public transportation with its overarching effects on land use, is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by 37 million metric tons annually This indirect “leverage effect” of public transportation is estimated, conservatively, at three to four times the direct effect of transit service. With this leverage effect, transit is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. In addition, public transportation reduces energy consumption by the equivalent of 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline each year, the equivalent of 320 million cars filling up—almost 900,000 times a day.6




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