April 15, 2009

For Immediate Release
Contact: Eron Shosteck
Phone: 202-218-7220

WASHINGTON – The status of motorcoaches as the undisputed greenest way to travel make every day Earth Day for the members of the American Bus Association.

“When you go by motorcoach, you’re traveling on the greenest travel option,” said ABA President & CEO Peter J. Pantuso. “Earth Day is April 22nd. But buses are the eco-friendly choice any day. So at ABA, every day of the year is one to celebrate reducing our carbon footprints, cutting energy use and saving fuel.”

The Union of Concerned Scientists, an activist group known for its environmental advocacy, recently released a report titled “Getting There Greener: The Guide To Your Lower Carbon Vacation” in which they recommended going by bus. “A couple traveling on a motorcoach will generate nearly 50 percent less global warming pollution than they would driving a hybrid car,” the scientists concurred.

A recently updated study from DePaul University found that more bus travel cuts CO2. “The growth of new bus operators … over the past year has reduced the carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 36,000 tons,” DePaul researchers reported, citing “… the proportional shift in travel from less fuel-efficient modes” to more efficient bus travel.

Motorcoaches lead every other travel mode in terms of their fuel efficiency on a per-passenger basis, averaging more than 200 passenger miles per gallon, according to an updated study by MJ Bradley & Associates, “Updated Comparison of Energy Use & Emissions From Different Transportation Modes,” which looked at 14 travel modes.

“Independent scientific and academic third parties are corroborating that buses are the greenest way to travel,” Pantuso added. “Motorcoaches are part of America's energy solution. For buses, every day of the year is Earth Day. April 22nd is only one of 365.”