Mass transit and energy conservation

Technical Report · Wed Mar 05 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7193757

Stuntz, M S

Improvements in mass transit will have only a small effect on National energy conservation efforts, unless they are combined with policies to discourage (through disincentives, surcharges, and tolls) private auto use. A doubling of present transit riders would save only 0.04 million barrels of oil per day because 96% of urban travel would still be by automobile. Transit use, in spite of $3.1 billion in Federal assistance programs, declined steadily since World War II. This decline was due to the relative attractiveness of auto travel and the patterns of urban/suburban growth. New transit riders tend to be former walkers and carpoolers, rather than converts from single passenger autos. Both fare and service elasticities tend to be low for transit systems. Extensive new systems have too long a lead time and are too expensive to affect short-term conservation programs. Improvements and incentives for bus lines show the most potential for energy saving programs. (10 references) (DCK)

• Research Organization: Federal Energy Administration, Washington, D.C. (USA); Federal Energy Administration, Office of Energy Conservation and Environment, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 7193757
• Report Number(s): PB-246232; FEA/D-75/646
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
291000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
298000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320203 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Land & Roadway
AUTOMOBILES
BUSES
CHARGES
COST
ECONOMIC ELASTICITY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
VEHICLES