1. Virginia Transit Association

2. WHO WE ARE The Voice of Transit in Virginia Over 30 years of experience Coalition of transit professionals from public and private organizations 59 members ◦Represent 26 public transportation providers Membership levels: transit system, business and associate

3. WHAT VTA DOES Legislative advocacy ◦Funding & legislation  FY 08 secured $70M in one time capital funds  $19M dedicated to statewide bus purchase  HB 3202 – new ongoing revenue: $100M from 2 cent recordation tax & 20% min. 3B bond funds Training/networking for transit professionals – Conference May 19-21 Arlington Web resource – www.vatransit.orgwww.vatransit.org Online Directory, bus & rail TOD Publicize transit best practices & transit benefits

4. TRANSIT IS GETTING THERE Ridership grew 20 percent from FY 02 – FY 06 ◦Factors  Price of gas  Traffic congestion  Growing elderly/disabled population Emerging: ◦Reducing Carbon Footprint BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT…

5. Source: Pew Center on Global Climate Change

7. REDUCING CARBON FOOTPRINT Impact by Typical household (2 adults) commuting to work: BehaviorSavings (Pounds of C/Yr) Home weatherize, adjust thermostat2,847 Replace 5 incandescent bulbs with lower- wattage compact fluorescent lamps 445 Replace old fridge with energy-saving fridge335 One member commutes instead of drive2 metric tons (More than all 3 combined and a reduction of 10%!)

8. Transportation spending is the #2 highest household expenditure* In a household (2 workers/1 car) using transit, savings could equal $6,251/year: ◦Enough to pay $5,781 annual household spending on food ◦Pay most of the $6,848 spent on mortgage interest and fees spent each year by the average household Transit Saves Time ◦Extra time spent with family rather than stuck in traffic = priceless * US Department of Labor, $7.420 in the South. Source: American Public Transportation Association SAVES MONEY AND TIME

9. RIDING TRANSIT SAVES FUEL More Public Transit = Fuel savings 40 SUVs getting 15 mpg, 20 mile roundtrip use 53.3 gallons of gas 1 GRTC bus holding 40 people, traveling the same distance, uses 3.78 gallons of gas 1 Metro train carrying 650 passengers, traveling the same distance, saves 520 gallons of gas

10. For every mile traveled, transit carries more people but using 1/2 the fuel of cars and 1/3 the fuel used by SUVs and light trucks Transit saves over 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline: ◦ More than 1 month’s oil import from Saudi Arabia ◦ 140,769 service station tanker truck deliveries ◦ 34 supertanker or a supertanker leaving the Middle East every 11 days ◦ More than 3 months of energy that Americans use to heat, cool, and operate their homes ◦108 million fill-ups Source: American Public Transportation Association LESS RELIANCE ON FOREIGN OIL

11. This many cars =

12. this many people =

13. …the same number of people “on a bus.” Decreases Pollution & Adds Road by Removing Cars from the Road

14. Adequate Funding Expand the transit network Convenience – Make breaking the car habit (for every trip) easy and appealing Customer Oriented Service/Amenities Good Pedestrian Access CHALLENGES

15. Virginia Transit Association Linda McMinimy Executive Director lmcminimy@mcm1.net 804.643.1166 www.vatransit.com

16. More Public Transit = Fewer Cars = Significant Fuel savings 40 SUVs getting 15mpg, 20 mile roundtrip use 53.3 gallons of gas. 1 GRTC bus holding 40 people, traveling the same distance, uses 3.78 gallons of gas. 1 Metro train carrying 650 passengers, traveling the same distance, saves 520 gallons of gas.

17. Transit Is Essential to Manage Congestion NOVA Public Transit = 12-15 peak hour freeway lanes of congestion VRE removes the equivalent of 1 lane of traffic on I-95 and I-66 every morning and afternoon. If every Metro rider began driving instead, the daily line of commuter traffic would extend from D.C. to North Carolina (3,250 vehicles per hour) “If everyone commuting alone in Hampton Roads would carpool or take the bus 1 day in 10, the existing congestion problems in Hampton Roads would disappear” Dwight Farmer Transportation Dir., HRPDC

18. Set Goals and Increase Investments and Incentives to: Increase the % of transit, rideshare, bike and walking trips to manage growth in Vehicle Mile Traveled (VMT). Extend transit routes so that 75% of Virginians in urban areas live within ¾ miles of a transit stop. Increase service frequency and convenience. Encourage efficient land use and transit oriented development. A State Energy Plan Should Set Measurable Transportation Goals

19. Major Increases By District In Just One Year (FY 05) Bristol 65% increase for Mountain Empire Older Citizens Fredericksbur g 13% increase for Bay Transit Hampton Roads 18% increase for HRT Lynchburg23% increase for Farmville Area Bus Northern VA43% increase across region (since 2002) Richmond9% increase for GRTC, over 60% on commuter routes Staunton29% increase for CATS Statewide 168 million trips in 2004 – a 17% increase from 5 years ago