These U.S. States Have the Greenest Commuters

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Dc_bikeshare
Image: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

  Children ride bikes past the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill July 10, 2014 in Washington, DC.

The majority of workers across the U.S. still commute by personal car, but residents of certain states take greener means of transportation, including public transit, walking, biking or carpooling.

While technically a federal district and not a state, Washington, D.C. has the greenest commuters in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Community Survey. The survey shows that 57% of D.C. commuters get to work in more sustainable ways, primarily by public transportation and on foot. New York takes the second spot with 35%, followed by Massachusetts with 15%.

Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama have the lowest number of green commuters, with more than 9 in 10 commuters using a car to get to work, and less than 1% of workers using public transportation.
It's important to note, however, that simply using public transportation doesn't necessarily mean "green," considering buses and trains still produce carbon dioxide emissions. Vehicles that use compressed natural gas, electricity or other low-carbon fuels can help reduce emissions.

Released earlier this year, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's "Fifth Assessment Report" noted that on the current trajectory, greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (including cars, trains, planes and ships) are set to be one of the greatest drivers of manmade climate change, and could even remain unaffected by future mitigation measures.

The following chart, created by statistics portal Statista, shows the top 10 places in the U.S. where commuters are getting to work through alternative means.

Green Commuters Chart
Image: Statista
 
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