Decarbonizing Transportation

Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Local policies, particularly around development, land use, and street design, can have a major impact on transportation emissions in a community.

Expanding Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure

In order to get more people walking, biking, and rolling rather than driving, these methods of transportation must be made safe, convenient, and pleasant. Cities can do this by devoting more space and protection for pedestrians, bicyclists, and those in wheelchairs, scooters, and other forms of transportation. Car-free zones, protected bike lanes, raised and separated bike lanes and paths, wider sidewalks, robust crosswalks, and lower speed limits are some of the ways to ensure more people are able to move sustainably and safely through your community.

Eliminating Minimum Parking Requirements and Lowering Maximum Parking Allowed for New Construction

The availability of parking (or lack thereof) is one of the biggest determinants of whether people choose to drive or use sustainable transportation options. Cities can regulate how much parking is built during new construction. For decades, many cities have required new development to include a certain amount of parking. By eliminating these minimum requirements and instead imposing parking maximums, local governments can have a major impact on how much new parking is built. Cities can also add sustainable transportation requirements (also known as transportation demand management, or TDM) for new construction, such as covered bicycle parking or on an onsite car share vehicle.

Fare-Free Public Transportation

Fare-free public transit is the epitome of an equitable climate solution that prioritizes economic justice and mobility for all. By providing public transportation at no costs, a municipality can make the ability to move freely a right rather than a privilege. Car ownership and use is not only accelerating the climate crisis — it is also extremely expensive. Robust, fare-free public transit allows more people to get to more places without the use of an automobile — regardless of their physical ability or income. To make public transportation fare-free, local governments must work to find alternative funding for public transit to replace the lost revenue that fares generate.

Restrictions/Fees on Gasoline-Powered Vehicles in Downtown

For traffic, air quality, noise, safety, and quality of life purposes, cities around the world have restricted or penalized the use of internal combustion engines in downtown areas. Such policies are of course also beneficial from a climate standpoint as they disincentivize greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and encourage sustainable transportation. New York City is poised to become the first city in the U.S. to adopt such a policy (hence the lack of examples below).

Expansion of Public Transportation

Expanding and improving public transportation improves the quality of life of those already using transit while simultaneously attracting new users. Public transit, especially when propelled by electricity, emits vastly less per passenger mile traveled than personal automobiles. It also uses less space, resources, and is more affordable – for the user and for the taxpayer. There are numerous ways to improve and expand transit systems, including creative solutions like bus rapid transit.

Subsidies for Electric Vehicles and/or Electric Bicycles

Municipalities can accelerate the transition to electric transportation by providing incentives or rebates for residents looking to purchase electric cars, bicycles, or other mobility options. This option is particularly viable for municipalities that own or control their electric utility, as the utility and ratepayers typically benefit from the additional electric demand (when these electric vehicles charge, this creates new revenue for the utility, lowering costs for customers).

City Support of Shared Mobility Systems

Bikeshare, carshare, scooter share, and other shared mobility systems are critical for allowing residents and visitors alike to reduce their use of cars. Bikesharing makes biking convenient, accessible and affordable for a wide array of people, including those who do not own a bicycle. Scooter-sharing is often an even lower cost and more physically accessible option than bike share. Carsharing systems allow more residents to avoid car ownership while still having affordable access to a vehicle when needed. Avoiding car ownership is critical to reducing emissions. Whether or not someone owns a car is the single biggest factor that influences how much one uses a car for transportation.

Transportation Demand Management Requirements

Transportation demand management policies and programs are those that reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles and therefore reduce the demand for car infrastructure such as parking spaces.

Electrify Municipal Fleet/Public Transportation

Municipalities own or lease vehicle fleets, sometimes even owning or controlling public transportation in their jurisdiction. As municipalities work to get residents to switch to electric vehicles, they must lead the way by converting their own vehicle fleets to electric.

Requiring EV Charging Stations in New Developments

As municipalities work to enable and encourage more people to walk, bike, roll, and use public transit, they also need to ensure that the cars that do remain on the road are electric. This requires charging infrastructure. Municipalities can require that a percentage of new parking built has EV charging stations or at the very least has the electrical infrastructure to support a charging station.