This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and APTA has partnered with Earth Day organizers to develop outreach tools and advertising creative. APTA is working with the Earth Day organizers to develop an Earth Day tool kit which will include advertising creative that highlight the use of public transportation as well as other activities to help save the environment, a press release template, and outreach ideas.
As part of the “Telling Our Story” initiative, join your fellow APTA members to spread the message in your community and nationwide about how the use of public transit helps the environment.
Get Involved with Earth Day Events Locally
Carbon Savings Calculator
Please include APTA's Carbon Savings Calculator on your website when promoting Earth Day, or all year long.
Sample Activities
Each year APTA members across the country host special events and activities for Earth Day. See samples of past activities.
“i am E” Campaign
The advertising creative will feature a few celebrities and everyday people, including public transit riders, flashing the “i am E” sign to note their commitment to the environment.
The ads can be customized for local use. Please download the ads today for use in your local community.
View and download the "i am E" advertising creative
Facts & Figures
Public Transportation Increasing Ridership:
- In 2009, Americans took 10.2 billion trips on public transportation.
- 35 million times each weekday, people board public transportation.
- Since 1995, public transportation ridership has increased 31 percent.
Public Transportation Reduces Greenhouse Gases and Conserves Energy:
- The “leverage effect” of public transportation reduces the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually – equivalent to the electricity used by 4.9 million households.
- To achieve similar reduction in carbon emissions, every household in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles combined would have to completely stop using electricity.
- People living in households within one-quarter mile of rail or one-tenth mile from a bus stop drive approximately 4,400 fewer miles annually compared to persons in similar households with no access to public transit.
- This equates to an individual household reduction of 223 gallons of gasoline a year.
Public Transportation Reduces Gasoline Consumption:
- The “leverage effect” of public transportation, supporting transportation efficient land use patterns, saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline – more than three times the amount of gasoline refined from the oil we import from Kuwait.
- Public transportation use saves the equivalent of 900,000 automobile fill-ups every day.
- The typical public transit rider consumes on average one half of the oil consumed by an automobile rider.
APTA's "Go Green, Go Public" Campaign
APTA’s “Go Green Go Public” PSA Campaign is targeted at college-aged students and addresses the positive environmental benefits of riding public transportation. College students worked directly with local mass transit providers’ communications and marketing departments to create the PSAs. Learn more about the campaign.
Contacts