By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming has invited The Rapid’s
CEO Peter Varga to testify this morning on “green” transportation. The
focus of the hearing is “Constructing a Green Transportation Policy:
Transit Modes and Infrastructure” as the committee prepares to consider
legislation that will determine the nation’s first green policies on
public transit.
The Rapid is recognized nationally for
its sustainability practices: using electric hybrid buses to reduce
energy consumption and constructing the country’s first LEED-certified
public transit station (2004), as well as incorporating daily energy
efficient practices such as conducting energy audits and using energy
efficient light bulbs. Last year the Sierra Club identified Grand
Rapids as one of three U.S. “cool cities” for public transportation.
“I’ve been asked to address two
questions,” Varga says. “How can Congress support local and regional
public transit, and how can public transportation reduce overall
greenhouse gas emissions from the overall transit system?”
At the time of this writing, Varga
planned to talk about green transportation practices small cities have
in place and to present some federal statistics on autos versus buses
in regard to greenhouse gas reductions.
One study Varga planned to cite
indicated in 2007 that, in a two car household, if one driver switches
to public transit for a daily 20-mile commute, it reduces greenhouse
gases for the whole household by 10 percent.
“If congress wants to know the answers
to their questions it means they’re looking at solutions and benefits,”
Varga says. “We’re in the good business of saving the environment and
saving money. What better way to do that than suggesting that public
transit should have more financial support?
“We’re part of the solution. When
people are faced with less income and higher fuel costs they can reduce
their transportation costs with public transit.”
Source: Peter Varga, The Rapid
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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