Study Shows Shift To Freight Rail Could Reduce Pollution By More Than 900,000 Tons
1 Jul 2008
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Study Shows that Freight Rail Can Reduce Gridlock on America's Highways
Seventh Annual Congestion Relief Index Illustrates How Freight Rail
Can Help Commuters Save Time and Money
A new annual study shows that freight rail can help reduce time spent in gridlock traffic, saving drivers hundreds of dollars in gasoline and hours behind the wheel.
The study, the seventh Annual Congestion Relief Index, a study of traffic congestion in 82 major urban areas, shows that if 25 percent of freight volume is shifted from trucks to rail, by 2026, commuters across the United States could each save an average of $985 in fuel costs. Even more, the shift of freight volume would save commuters 41 hours a year - an entire work week - in time spent in their cars.
“With gas prices at an all-time high, Americans can't afford to waste money and time sitting in traffic. Because one intermodal train can take nearly 300 trucks off our highways, shifting freight from trucks to trains reduces competition between commuters, drivers and freight traffic for space on the road,” said Wendell Cox, author of the study and principal of Demographia, a market research and urban policy consultancy. “Freeing up space on our highways increases the flow of traffic and saves commuters' time, money and gasoline.”
The study shows that a 25 percent shift of freight from trucks to rail in urban areas in the U.S. by 2026 would, on average:
- Save each commuter 41 hours a year
- Save $985 in congestion costs per commuter each year
- Save each commuter 79 gallons of fuel each year
- Reduce air pollution by nearly 920,500 tons each year
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