We’re huge fans of alternative transportation here at offMetro. Our website was founded to help others travel responsibly, and eight years later we’re still striving to see the world while impacting the environment as little as possible. Even in the spread-out United States, it’s entirely possible to enjoy a vacation while leaving your personal vehicle at home. But sometimes while observing the thousands of personal vehicles on the road around us, we wonder: how great of an effect does choosing alternative transportation have on the environment?
As it turns out, a substantially great effect. A recent study undertaken by CheckMyBus, a search engine dedicated to bus travel, found that we would save 890 million metric tons of CO2 in a year if every American began traveling by bus rather than car. This is the equivalent of saving 840 million acres of forest, or the electricity usage of 94 million American homes in a year.
Source: CheckMyBus, 2016
The transportation industry is the second largest source of pollution in the United States, releasing 1.7 billion metric tons of CO2 into the air per year, to which cars contribute 1.1 billion metric tons (64.7%). By mile, cars release twice as much CO2 than airplanes do, just under twice as much CO2 than trains, and six times more CO2 than buses.
Source: CheckMyBus 2016
Choosing sustainable travel, whether by bus or by train, can go a long way towards protecting our environment. Next time you’re planning a day trip, weekend getaway, or far-off escape, consider saving yourself the parking fees and take the bus instead.
Read the full report at CheckMyBus.com.
Lead photo courtesy of New York City Department of Transportation.
Charlotte Leszinske is a writer newly arrived in NYC after a short stint in Paris (but is still a Californian at heart). When not searching for half-priced plane tickets she likes to explore bookshops and breweries in the outer boroughs.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram