LAKE COUNTY, Ohio — Ohio Transit provides more than 52 million trips each year, which can add up to have a major impact on helping the environment.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is putting on a challenge, hoping to inspire more people to use public transportation.
Laketran has about 500,000 riders a year in Lake County. Rachel Coxon is one of those riders, and she’s been using public transit for about 18 years.
Coxon said she doesn’t have a driver’s license and taking the bus has proved to be the most convenient method of getting where she needs to go.
Coxon participated in the challenge called: Ohio Loves Transit.
“You have to register what times you’re gonna ride the bus and then what time you’re gonna get back on the bus, and it registers points for you,” she said.
The challenge is meant to inspire more people to consider public transit, outlining how it creates economic development, job opportunities and also benefits the environment.
A UCLA study revealed every car on the road releases about one pound of CO2 per mile driven. Taking public transit reduces CO2 emissions by 45%, decreasing pollutants in the atmosphere and improving air quality.
Coxon takes pride in knowing she contributed to cleaner air.
“It feels good,” she said. “I mean it’s nice that I can take part in riding the bus and trying to save the Earth and whatever else I can do to help out”
Laketran, the regional public transit authority in Lake County, is going even one step further by incorporating electric buses.
Julia Schick, with Laketran, said these electric vehicles have come a long way.
“We actually operate the majority of our fleet with electric buses, and we do something unique as well that we actually charge them along the routes,” she said. “So once our buses are deployed in the mornings, they actuall ride, drive all day long and then they charge the batteries throughout the day.”
