Sept. 29, 2004

For more information contact:
Donna Johnson
515-233-7875

Communities in Motion set for Oct. 7

AMES, Iowa –On Oct. 7, transit communities will join together to celebrate “Communities in Motion.”  Iowa public transit systems will be calling upon all citizens to join them in this nationwide effort to promote public transportation’s benefits, and take an active role in education and advocacy efforts to promote the vital role that public transportation plays in Iowa and across the United States. 

Communities in Motion is a three-year-old program developed by the American Public Transit Association to commemorate public transportation and showcase how transit benefits communities by providing personal opportunity to individuals.  Public transportation gives people from all walks of life access to opportunities by providing mobility, choice and freedom to accomplish what is important to them, in-turn making our communities stronger and more vibrant. 

Nearly 24 million rides were provided last year by Iowa’s 35 public transit systems serving all 99 counties. A few transit systems will be celebrating Communities in Motion in their local service area on a different day in October, and in some cases, for more than one day.

Public transit stimulates economic development, saves money, creates jobs, gets people to work and school, eases traffic congestion, fosters more livable communities, boosts real estate values, improves air quality, reduces energy consumption, ensures safety, and enhances mobility during many types of crises, both natural and manmade.  For every mile traveled, public transportation uses about one half of the fuel consumed by automobiles, and about a third of that used by sport utility vehicles and light trucks.  Riding a transit bus is said to be 91 times safer than car travel.  Mark your calendar now and look for ways to join the celebration in your community.

For more information about public transit in Iowa, visit iatransit.com.

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