Want to Reduce Carbon Emissions? Pay Bus Drivers More.

The U.S. is experiencing a bus driver shortage that started about 10 years ago but, like so many other things, was exacerbated by the pandemic. The situation has implications for bus route planning, which impacts the day-to-day lives of people who depend on this mode of transportation. It also has implications for the environment, given that every bus on the road cuts the amount of carbon emissions by 80%, according to Kyle French, Operations Manager at Marin Transit in Marin County, California.

I recently connected with French and three other transportation professionals who are all passionate about providing convenient transportation options and reducing carbon emissions. We discussed the causes behind the bus driver shortage, the resulting challenges for their agencies, and the steps they are taking to address this issue.

Extent of the Problem

French, who started his career as a bus driver, noted that his agency’s current driver capacity is 15-20% below what it should be to provide the best possible service and run all scheduled routes at all times. Others reported an up to 30% decrease in capacity since the pandemic.

Ann Rajewski, Executive Director at the Colorado Association of Transportation Agencies (CASTA) described an initiative that highlights the extent of the problem. When funding became available for a Zero Fare program in which Colorado agencies can allow passengers to ride buses free of charge, a number of them declined because they didn’t have enough drivers to handle the expected increase in ridership.

Rajewski said that the bus driver shortage also impacts agencies on a deeper operational level, stating, “On some days the transit director might have to work as a supervisor or dispatcher so that person can work as a driver.”

Driver Shortage Causes

While there have always been ebbs and flows in bus driver availability, depending on a number of variables such as the state of the economy, the situation has become more pronounced in recent years. Some drivers have found better positions as the unemployment rate has declined. Others left during COVID and never returned. In addition to regular economic shifts and COVID, reasons for the bus driver shortage include insufficient salaries, federal funding requirements, difficulties in getting drivers trained, and job dangers.

Bus driver salaries and benefits often don’t compete with those that come with other positions these employees might be qualified for. So, many with the needed skills are choosing to work for businesses that offer a better package, such as delivery and trucking companies.

According to Rajewski, low wages can be a particular problem for agencies in resort areas, which are common in Colorado. She explained, “In resort towns, service industry jobs pay low wages, while the cost of living in these areas is high. People move further away to find affordable living situations until they are so far away that — if they don’t own a car, and many of them don’t — they have their own transportation dilemma in trying to get to work each day.”

Another challenge in Colorado is legalized marijuana. Potential employees who use the drug are discouraged from taking bus driver positions because many public transit entities get funding from federal sources, which have rules about drug and alcohol use. Rajewski said the drug tests currently deployed show marijuana in a person's system up to 30 days after use, with no way to check if a person is high at a specific point in time the way a test can determine a person's blood alcohol level. So, a transit driver who uses marijuana, even on their days off, risks being removed from their position.

Yet another obstacle for hiring drivers is ensuring they get their Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). Rajewski explained that, in the past, facilities had to employ certified CDL testers. When qualified testers weren’t available, agencies had to spend time and money to send applicants to distant locations for their tests. These locations aren’t always able to test right away, which increases the chance of applicants giving up and finding another position. Recent legislation in Colorado that allows agencies to hire testers on a contract basis will help to remove this obstacle.

As if all that weren’t enough, bus drivers face verbal and physical assaults from the public. According to French, assaults have increased by a factor of 10 in the last three years. These attacks have been well publicized and, as a result, safety is one of the biggest factors turning people away from transit jobs.

Impact on the Environment

An average commuter bus holds 57 people. Articulated and double-decker buses hold around 70 or 80. All those people getting into cars when a bus route is canceled amounts to a substantial carbon impact. According to French, “One trip cancellation of one bus that would normally be full at peak times is 230 annual tons of carbon emissions that are back in the environment due to people taking cars.”

Yet getting people on buses isn’t always easy and comes with addressing what Rajewski called the “transit conundrum.” To enable more people to ride buses, agencies must give a more convenient option than waiting half an hour for the next bus. To increase the frequency, agencies need more funding. When they get the funding, they often can’t find enough drivers to pay.

Impact on Riders

But the issue goes beyond people who hop in their car if their bus route is canceled. Many regular bus passengers don’t own cars, leaving them with limited options to get to work, school, doctor appointments, and other important destinations. For these riders, the situation presents more than just inconvenience. It can lead to missed work, income, classes, healthcare appointments, or childcare.

Public transportation agencies like the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver are doing what they can by writing letters to employers to let them know their employees were unable to get to work due to canceled routes. But, while helpful to some degree, such communication is not a long-term solution.

French pointed out another result that may not be immediately obvious. Riders who depend heavily on public transportation often live in communities that are located near highway interchanges and ramps, where traffic congestion is higher than in other areas. When bus routes are cancelled, more cars on the road result in more CO2 buildup in these neighborhoods.

What Agencies Are Doing

Because each community is different, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. However, some solutions are universal, such as paying drivers more (including hiring and retention bonuses) and offering protection from danger.

Brian Funk, Chief Operating Officer at Metro Transit in Minneapolis, stated, “We’ve recently increased our starting hourly pay and bonus to be competitive. Additionally, we provide benefits many others don’t, including a paid apprenticeship toward a journey worker’s license, mentorship, a pension, and health care benefits that are second-to-none.”

Metro Transit has also streamlined its application process, held on-site hiring events, and removed the GED requirement which, Funk said, was “a barrier for many folks who would be great operators but may have made some mistakes in the past.” The agency even hosted a successful Drive the Bus event, in which applicants were allowed to try driving a bus under supervision.

And the more agencies can do to protect drivers, the better. One good example is the barriers, physically separating drivers from passengers, that went up during the pandemic. They not only helped keep drivers healthy; they also helped reduce the number of assaults they were subjected to. Kaley Zeisel, Interim Director at Transfort in Fort Collins, Colorado, noted that these measures are still important for decreasing risks for both bus drivers and passengers.

While the situation is still much less than ideal, things are slowly improving. French noted that ridership in his area is approaching pre-pandemic levels. Rajewski shared that, despite some agencies not participating, the Zero Fare program was successful overall in 2022, with one notable agency experiencing a 60% increase in ridership. She has seen more drivers being hired in agencies throughout Colorado and is hopeful for greater participation in the Zero Fare program this year.

What Energy Professionals Can Do

The introduction of electric public transit vehicles can help reduce carbon emissions above and beyond what buses already do. Funk stated that Metro Transit is introducing zero-emission buses to its fleet, with eight already in operation. Transfort has also added electric buses to its fleet.

Rajewski acknowledged the importance of this transition and encouraged anyone involved in the effort to think about the qualification changes that will be required for drivers. “Driving electric is very different from diesel,” she said. “Finding folks interested in this new technology can be challenging. So, we should be thinking about how we recruit those who are interested in both the technology and serving their community.”

Finally, energy professionals should pay more attention to public transit overall. French observed, “So much energy is focused on single-occupancy vehicles, but more could be focused on larger-scale transportation methods. Single-occupancy vehicles are great, but public transit and non-rail transit will really be what helps to make a positive impact on the electric revolution.”