News & Events: Facts About Public Transportation
Benefits at Every Turn
Jobs. Economic development. Real estate. Clean environment. Community quality. What has a positive impact on every one of these?
Public Transportation. And in Bay County that’s the Bay Town Trolley.
With over 371,000 riders climbing on board in 2007 alone it’s clear that the Bay Town Trolley is meeting a real demand for our area, just as public transit is doing in communities across the country.
In America’s troubled economy, which currently faces the threat of recession, public transportation is becoming more and more popular on a local, regional and national level. Gas prices and environmental concerns are boosting this trend along.
People on the Move...
…Here, There and Everywhere.
- In 2007, Americans took 10.3 billion trips on public transportation – the highest ridership level in 50 years.
- Florida’s Department of Transportation Public Transit Office reported 2007 ridership at 258,394,132. (This number has not yet been validated by federal authorities.)
- Inline with both national and state figures, Bay Town Trolley’s ridership peaked at 371,007 in 2007, a 20 percent increase from 2006.
Money and Gas Savings
The average price for gas in Florida has jumped about $1.20 in just two years. Prices flew by the $4 a gallon mark in Bay County just as summer arrived in 2008, forcing people to make conscious decisions about their commutes to work as well as their leisure travel.
How can Bay Town Trolley help you lower your fuel costs? Let’s calculate.
Say your average weekday commute is 30 miles, averaging about 660 miles per month and you drive a 25 mile per gallon vehicle. Assuming that gas is $4 a gallon you spend $105.60 on gas in one month just for your weekday commute alone. That’s $85.60 more than the cost of a monthly trolley pass.
Quick facts
- Each year, public transportation use in the U.S. saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline, representing almost 4 million gallons of gasoline per day.
- The average household spends 18 cents per day on transportation and 94 percent of this goes to buying, maintaining and operating cars.
- Americans living in areas served by public transportation saves $18 billion annually in congestion costs.
- Public transportation use saves the equivalent of 300,000 fewer automobile fillips every day.
- According to the Florida Department of Transportation and West Florida Regional Planning Council, Floridians spent $20 million everyday on gasoline.
Driving Away Pollution. Cashing in on Energy Savings.
According to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), public transportation is the number one answer to cleaner air in the state. One “trolleyload” of passengers could take up to 40 vehicles off the road, preventing thousands of pollutants from entering the air.
Statistics also show that on average, one person taking public transit to work instead of driving eliminates over 3,000 pounds of exhaust and pollutants every year.
Quick Facts
- Public transportation produces 95 percent less carbon monoxide, 90 percent less in volatile organic compounds and about half as much carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, per passenger mile, as private vehicles.
- 82 percent of total US human-made greenhouse emissions comes from energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.
- Public Transportation saves 1.5 billion gallons of gasoline yearly
Facts courtesy of the American Public Transportation Association
Look How Fast the Trolley’s Moving
Even more riders than predicted. Bay Town Trolley reached record high numbers last year. Over 371,000 rides were taken on the Bay Town Trolley in 2007. The most frequented routes are 1, 4, 7 and 8.
More service by demand. For the first time in over 10 year, local officials agreed to fund Bay Town Trolley in 2008, enabling the system to extend its service by two hours in the evening. On March 3, 2008 the trolley began operating between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Bigger and Better Opportunities. To accommodate the peak tourist season, Memorial day through Labor day, Bay Town Trolley is servicing the Pier Park Express on the beach, Friday through Sunday. The inaugural ride took off Friday, June 13, 2008.
Community Connection. Bay Town Trolley is proud to foster the life of this community, not only by enabling people to attend city activities and entertainment, but by supporting and participating in local causes such as the Spring Festival of the Arts and the Harvest Trolley Food Drive.
Quick Facts
| General Stats | 2006 |
| Service Area Population | 85,458 |
| Service Area Population Density | 1,780.4 |
| Operating Expense | $808,632 |
| Service Supplied | |
| Total Annual Revenue Miles | 420,927 |
| Total Annual Revenue Hours | 24,096 |
| Total Revenue Vehicles | 12 |
| Route Miles | 137.7 |
| Service Usage | |
| Annual Passenger Trips | 309,232 |
| Annual Passenger Miles | 1,861,667 |
| Average Trip Length | 6.0 |