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How can transportation become greener? Using less fuel or renewable fuels, reducing emissions, moving more people and goods per vehicle, and finding ways to eliminate unnecessary trips are all strategies being employed. A less frequently considered transportation impact is how much of our landscape is now paved and how that has altered the environment.
Good maintenance and driving habits can make existing cars greener. Comparisons are available to help consumers choose greener cars. Other strategies include “slugging” in the D. C. area, HOV lanes, and TRAFFIX. Public transit is more efficient per gallon of fuel than personal cars, however, in Virginia Beach, public transit is limited in both areas served and times. And the costs of public transit are far greater than the fares can cover. Some trips can be eliminated, perhaps by telecommuting, though that can make work vulnerable to offshoring.
Paved roads carry a lot more than traffic. We use roads to channel storm water but our location at sea level means that drainage may be overwhelmed during storms and that pollution has a short path to the watershed. Pavement concentrated in urban areas contributes to heat islands and that warmth and other factors attract wildlife to their doom. Traffic can be a barrier to natural migrations. Roadsides introduce prairie habitat, while vehicles aid the dispersal of invasive species.
Tags: Air quality | emissions | flooding | fuel efficiency | green transportation | habitat change | paved surfaces | personal vehicles | pollution | public transit | ride sharing | telecommuting |
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