Sustainable transportation is a buzz phrase that means many things to many people. Just Google the idiom and you will get at least a dozen different definitions on the first page. However behind these apparent differences, there is a common, unifying, concept.
At the core of sustainability is the idea of improving our health and wellbeing while, at the same time, reducing the impact transportation has on the environment.
Although this idea is laudable in its own right, it is very wide ranging in its scope and impacts on several aspects of society.
The first target of a sustainable transport system is to improve the health and wellbeing of the local community. To this end, there are a plethora of potential benefits to implementing sustainable transport policies.
The most obvious benefit is the reduction in pollution related health issues. The increase in popularity of the car has caused a lot of problems in major cities across the globe. In London, congestion means average speeds can be as slow as 5mph. The resultant pollution and CO2 emissions have caused respiratory illnesses to rise dramatically in recent years.
Air quality in big cities across the world has been a rising problem. It made headlines during the Beijing Olympic Games, but is a wider and less publicised issue then many think. Carcinogenic (cancer causing) particles may have been reduced by innovations like the catalytic converter, but the sheer number of cars and traffic on the roads has offset any potential benefits these innovations have provided.
Successful management of transportation will increase the living standards of the local residences. Pollution reductions aside, less cars allows more spaces to be opened up for the community. ‘Pocket parks’ – small parks accessible to the general public, and expansion of grass verges all help open up local communities.
Reallocation of road spaces by local authorities and the promotion of ‘home zones’ – opening up roads to other users, allowing streets to be used as a social space rather than just for cars, are all incentives that are being used to reduce the monopoly cars have on local living spaces.
The knock on consequences of this is an increase in property prices as the desirability of living in a well managed area increases.
Another benefit is to encourage consumers to shop at local high streets. Currently, shoppers can be attracted to large out-of-town superstores. Increasing efficient local transportation and use of space allows greater access to local shops, increasing revenues of business and stimulating the local economy.
Improving the health and wellbeing of individuals also means encouraging fitness of local residence. Sustainable transportation encourages walking and cycling. To this end, the Barclays cycle hire scheme is a good example of how this goal can be achieved. After an initial trial period in central London, it is being extended to cover more of the capital.
Combined with this initiative, the government is committed to expanding the infrastructure for bicycles around London. The cycle ‘superhighway’ scheme aims to increase the cycle routes around the capital and allow for fast cycle access from outer London to the centre.
Although there are some questions surrounding the particular layouts of some of the routes, the overarching principle of encouraging cycling around London will help improve the health and wellbeing of commuters in the capital.
The second target of a good sustainable transport policy is the management and reduction of environmental pollution. To this end there has been the most striking and conspicuous progress. Governments around the world have recognised the impact CO2 levels have on climate change. Over the past 30 years, there has been a concerted effort to reduce pollution levels.
International pressure to reduce CO2 levels have culminated in policies such as the Kyoto Protocol. This is an international agreement, linked to the U.N. framework convention on climate change. It includes 37 countries as well as the EC countries and aims to reduce CO2 to an average of 5% against 1990 level by 2012.
The EC is a big driver for climate change in the UK. Regulations such as the Energy Services Directive (2006/32/EC), specifically includes the transport sector. It seeks to support fuel and energy efficiency by encouraging business and fuel retailers to promote access to fuel efficiency methods. More stringent regulations regarding emission on vans and lorries are also in the pipeline and will further decrease CO2 emissions from the transportation sector.
These large pieces of international legislation are the corner stones that help shape national policies. In the UK we have seen successive laws being introduced, by concurrent governments, which have placed more restrictions on pollution from the transportation sector.
As a result of this, even during these austere times, the government has pledged around 1 billion to local authorities nationally to improve sustainable transport solutions.
This includes £560 million over 4 years to local authorities to promote their sustainable transport solutions within their communities. An additional £400 million has been pledged for hybrid technology, purchasing green buses and other low carbon technologies to be used by local authorities.
This has also forced private companies and individuals to improve the environmental friendliness of their vehicles. Making vehicles more efficient and less polluting can be a very expensive process. But considering around 25% of all CO2 emissions produced by the UK are generated from the transportation sector, it is no wonder that this is a ripe target for the government to clamp down on in its bid to meet increasingly stringent legislation.
To this end, the government has pumped huge sums of money into public transportation, subsidising public transport to ensure they run frequently throughout the day. This ploy to get people out of their cars and into public transport is beginning to work as the governments carrot and stick incentives begin to change public opinions in pollution and climate change.
As governments take a more active role in shaping sustainable transportation policy, the green agenda will become more mainstream. This will stimulate more initiatives to be implemented and further fuel a change in individual behaviour and attitude towards sustainable transportation.
We can see the effects of this already. London was one of the first cities to translate policies into real world solutions. Transportation revolutions have already begun with innovative and bold strategies.
One of the first of these strategies was the congestion charge. Introduced in 2003, its primary aim was the reduction of congestion in central London.
The reduction in congestion in central London has had significant impact on air quality and road safety.
Another consequence of the governments’ commitment to reducing CO2 levels is the increase in fuel prices. Petrol has increased in cost by around 40% since 2000. This, in spite of the fact that crude oil has actually decreased in price.
The VAT ‘escalator’ on fuel has kept petrol prices high, discouraging its use. The government has also launched a range of incentives to help us switch to more environmentally friendly transportation, like subsidising hybrid and electric cars.
There are a host of future proposals planned for London too. The scheme to promote electric vehicles in London is underway with the introduction of 1300 e
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
