Buses attract walkers: federal obesity program

The Unitrans bus system in the city of Davis California (near Sacramento) won the Philip S. Tow Award in 1992. Expansion of bus ridership was cited in the award as an “outstanding” promotion of transit and as constituting a “cost-effective clean air program” through getting drivers out of their private cars. Bus ridership doubled in two years. But according to a research study by Norman Coontz, a state of California analyst, published in the latest issue of “Transportation Quarterly” (Eno Transp. Foundation) private car trips increased along with bus usage. Bus ridership increases came entirely from students attending the Univ. Cal. campus who were formerly walkers and bike riders, Coontz found. So as well as a fatter budget deficit, the award-winning transit system of Davis CA has produced a lot of fatter students!