Building conveniently located homes in walkable neighborhoods could significantly reduce the growth in the number of miles Americans drive, shrinking the nation's carbon footprint while giving people more housing choices. That's the conclusion of a new study, Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, by the Urban Land Institute.
The findings show that people who move into compact, "green neighborhoods" are making as big a contribution to fighting global warming as those who buy the most efficient hybrid vehicles, but remain in car-dependent areas. On the other hand, if sprawling development continues to fuel growth in driving in the U.S., the projected 59 percent increase in the total miles driven between 2005 and 2030 will overwhelm expected gains from vehicle efficiency and low-carbon fuels.
Thinking about land and transportation
Marc Lefkowitz Says:Unless we start to place a greater emphasis on where and how we build, Northeast Ohio will continue to try and drive its way out of the sprawl conundrum. The way out, ULI reports, is living closer to work and daily needs, or providing alternatives to getting places. How much we drive is influenced by fuel prices, but only to a degree. Cars and driving are a major pastime and identity definer, and taking stock in that is in limited supply.
The ULI report proves how important it is to link transportation resources with smart land-use policies. How do we drive that point home? Maybe we need to be asking different questions, such as “Do you want to give up nearly one quarter of your income to get yourself to work or to run errands?” Greater Clevelanders pay a higher proportion of their salary compared to almost all similar sized cities—just to keep their cars happy. Those living further away from jobs or in sprawling suburbs do have little choice but to drive. When you don’t have enough options to live, work, and play without a car, it's a sign that Greater Cleveland is an incomplete region. A complete community has built in savings for transportation and a healthier environment by design; a community where you'd rather walk, bike or take public transportation.
As fuel prices continue to rise, demand may indeed dip, and with it the gas tax revenue as more opt for fuel efficient vehicles, or to walk, bike or bus it around town. Because of declining gas tax revenues Ohio Department of Transportation is expecting a $1.5 billion deficit by 2013. It’s enough of a gap to stall new highways, bridges and roads in Ohio especially if ODOT plans to maintain its current infrastructure. Raising the gas tax isn’t an attractive option for state officials. ODOT ushered in a six-cent gas tax increase in 2003 which fueled a $500 million boom of spending on new highways in Ohio, the Plain Dealer reported, making it one of the highest gas tax rates in the nation.
Maybe what we need is to merge ODOT into a cabinet-level Sustainable Development office so that it can calculate how many millions of dollars a moratorium on new highways and interchanges it will save the state in fixing its air pollution problems. Or, how much its budget shortfall can be reduced by the transportation agency funding an urban housing strategy. Or to pay for cleaner transportation options such as the Lorain to Cleveland commuter rail linking suburbs with city.
Sustainable ODOT???
Susan Miller Says:Per your suggestion for ODOT: I know that those considering the environment and ideas related to land use and transportation have long considered this, but it seems out of reach. Still, imagine if we stopped building and widening freeways and instead spent the gas tax on mass transit, rail and urban street repairs (oh it would be wonderful for ODOT to use permeable asphalt and concrete and work with stormwater utilities to install biodetention, bioswales and vegetated filter strips and even simple curb-cuts for existing tree lawns).
It seems like the time is now to invest fossil fuel revenues in alternative energy options. Put some of that gas tax into making every school bus in Ohio run on biodiesel. Connect walkable communities with safe, efficient mass transit. Reduce surface parking and require all repaired surface parking areas to use permeable asphalt. There are so many things large and small that we could do to improve the planning here. We are at a crossroads in the region. Land is being cleared in the central city. It is time to zoom out with our viewfinders and think carefully about walkable communities that are connected by efficient mobility options. (yep, the opportunity corridor already exists -- it's called the RTA)
Does ODOT know where all these people on our roads are going? With your suggested reconfiguration of ODOT, their staff might get a new challenge (or they might get a new staff) to look at the glass half full. Could we inquire appreciatively as to where our gas tax dollars might be directed in a more perfect world? I can hear it now, "OK we have enough roads, so now what do we spend the money on?" It could be very exciting to see high-speed rail for all the students and parents who regularly drive I-71 to and from Columbus where our kids are in school. And think of the number of people who have to make that journey weekly to interact with the state government.
Sustainable ODOT seems like an oxymoron, but who knows maybe a budget crunch will help them to see a new way. Imagine this headline, “Angry consumers refuse to drive gas powered vehicles and demand alternative transportation options”. It seems we are slowly moving that direction since apparently the economy is making folks think before they crank up the Hummer to drive a block to the SevenEleven. If we paid for the externalities on each gallon of gasoline the story would be very very different right now.
What would happen if we had a day of no driving? Just one-as an experiment, sort of like the big blackout we had a few summers back. You could only get to work and work could only be staffed by folks who could get there on public transit or bike or foot? I know it is impossible, but imagine what we might measure…