Report
WISPIRG Releases Connecting Wisconsin: Finds Enhanced Public Transportation Prepares Wisconsin for the Future
A new WISPIRG Foundation study was released examining
specific opportunities for enhanced and expanded public transportation across
the state and finding that such projects would save Wisconsinites money, boost
the economy, and reduce oil consumption.
Key findings of the report, “Connecting Wisconsin: Public
Transportation Projects for the 21st Century,” include:
·
In 2006, public transportation in Wisconsin saved approximately 700,000 gallons
of oil, saving consumers more than $1.8 million at the pump.
·
Public transportation prevented more than one million hours of traffic delay –
equivalent to about 25,000 work weeks – in the Milwaukee metropolitan area in 2006,
saving the economy more than $23 million in wasted time and lost
productivity.
·
More and more Wisconsin residents are choosing to take public transit rather
than drive. Outside Milwaukee, where severe service cuts have led to
dropping ridership, transit ridership has continued to rise, increasing by 17
percent since 2001.
·
In 2008, ridership on the state’s transit lines jumped 1.8 percent compared to
the year before, and vehicle travel dropped 3.9 percent.
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