Water Pollution: Cars vs. Transit

Everyone knows that cars produces air pollution, but many people are not aware of the amount of water pollution that they produce. Cars pollute the water ways buy grinding up roads and their own tires; the dust produced runs into waterways when it rains. In addition, the oil used as lubricant is constantly leaking out. In addition, some irresponsible car owners dump used oil directly into storm drains. Overall, more oil is dumped into our nation's waterways than was spilled following the Deepwater tragedy in the Gulf.

Doesn't most of this apply to buses also? Yes, except that most buses transport many, many more people compared to the surface area of their tires and the amount of oil that they use compared to cars. People who maintain buses professionally are much less likely to dispose of used oil improperly.

Trains cause even less water pollution. Train tracks take up less space than roads, and the tracks themselves are made of less toxic materials than asphalt. Train tracks are more water permeable than roads. Permeability matters because this keeps pollutants from pooling in one area. There are many chemicals that are harmless or even beneficial in small quantities are toxic in large concentrations.

For example, if one hundred people take a supplement with 10mg of iron every day, their health may improve. But if only person takes that entire amount, 1g , it would eventually kill them. Covering a large percentage of our cities with concrete and asphalt encourages rainwater to pool in limited areas and for pollutants to also pool in those areas, allowing chemical concentrations to reach dangerous levels.

Public transit not only uses oil more efficiently than cars do, buses and trains use space more efficiently as well. Using space more efficiently leaves us more places for parks and open space.