ABOUT
TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES
AMERICA'S DEPENDENCE ON CARS
Before the car-centered policies of the 1920s-1960s, most Americans took public transportation for their travel needs or were pedestrians for shorter trips. A combination of zoning laws, subsidies, large-scale transportation planning, and urban renewal programs increased automobile use to the point that 85% of daily trips are made by car today. The average American drives 13,476 miles a year and there are currently 190,625,000 licensed drivers. 35% of trips in the US are less than 3 miles long.
HOW EFFICIENT IS THIS SYSTEM
In 2019, transportation accounted for 33% of US emissions. A quick look at the different actors involved indicates how this number can be so high. A typical passenger vehicle emits 404g, or .90lbs, of CO2e per mile. Hybrid plug-ins vehicles emit half of that figure at 200g or .44lbs, while battery electric vehicles emit 100g, or .22lbs per mile. Cycling and walking are aerobic activities and thus result in emitted CO2e, but these emissions are miniscule: cycling results in 25g or .06lbs of CO2e per mile, while the emissions from walking are too low to practically measure.
Obviously there is much potential in returning to a world where shorter trips are no longer made by car. Replacing walking and bicycling for trips less than one mile can prevent 12-22 million tons of CO2 from being emitted annually while trips between one and three miles are estimated to prevent 9-23 million tons annually: however, our infrastructure is not designed to support these modes in a safe or convenient manner, despite the opportunities to mitigate emissions.
A NEW WORLD NEEDS NEW IDEAS
Policy Highlights + Solutions
The Biden administration has spearheaded an unprecedented focus on transportation. Between the "Build Back Better" initiative, the Bipartisan Infrastructural Law/IIJA, and Secretary Buttigieg's dedication to righting the transportation wrongs of the past, the United States has quite a way to go. A reimagined network that serves all modes is possible, but it will take work.
Most transportation projects happen on the local level. Though funding comes from above and designs must be held to certain standards, especially if the municipality is trying to get a grant, consumer voices must be loud enough for local staff to hear. Voice your preferences for more walking, cycling, and transit connections to make this future a reality.