Efficient Transportation

Best Practices

Transportation is the largest generator of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the number and length of vehicle trips and engine idling reduces those emissions. Efficient transportation systems also conserve fuel and reduce travel costs and expensive road repairs.

Efficient Transportation Goals

  • Implement transportation planning processes that reduce automobile dependency.
  • Improve infrastructure and Transportation Systems Management (TSM).
  • Reduce Idling.
  • Promote alternatives to single-occupant auto commuting.

The table below offers specific suggestions on how to achieve these goals. You can download the entire Best Practices Framework under Documents & Resources on the right side of this page. Links to relevant case stories are provided under specific Best Practice suggestions, or you can see a list of related ILG Climate Leadership Stories.

Efficient Transportation
Goal Best Practice
Implement transportation planning processes that reduce automobile dependency.
  • Update transportation models and surveys to capture data for and accurately reflect all modes of transportation.
  • Make reductions in vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) a high-priority criteria in evaluation of policy, program and project alternatives.

    Example (www.ca-ilg.org/ClimateTransportationStories):
  • Implement transportation planning procedures that consider demand management solutions equally with strategies to increase capacity.

    Example (www.ca-ilg.org/ClimateTransporationStories):
  • Include all significant impacts (costs and benefits) in benefit-cost assessment of alternatives, including non-market or indirect impacts, such as improving mobility options or reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Collaborate with other local government agencies to share transportation-related information, coordinate planning goals and processes, and take advantage of opportunities to combine and leverage scarce resources.
Improve infrastructure and Transportation Systems Management (TSM).

See also Land Use and Community Design section.
  • Implement Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for surveillance and traffic control, such as synchronized signals, transit and emergency signal priority, and other traffic flow management techniques, to improve traffic flow and reduce vehicle idling.

    Example (www.ca-ilg.org/ClimateTransportationStories):
  • Implement programs to reduce "incident-based" traffic congestion, such as expedited clearing of accidents from major traffic arteries, airport traffic mitigation, etc.

    Example (www.ca-ilg.org/ClimateTransportationStories):
  • Develop infrastructure improvements such as HOV/HOT lanes and dedicated bus rapid transit right-of-ways.
Reduce Idling.
  • Adopt and implement a policy requiring limitations on idling for commercial vehicles, construction vehicles, buses and other similar vehicles, beyond state law, where feasible.
Promote alternatives to single-occupant auto commuting.

See also Land Use and Community Design section.

Agency operations

  • Provide agency employees with incentives to use alternatives to single-occupant auto commuting, such as parking cash-out, flexible schedules, transit incentives, bicycle facilities, ridesharing services and subsidies, and telecommuting.

    Example (www.ca-ilg.org/ClimateTransportationStories):
  • Incorporate a guaranteed ride home program as part of agency commuter trip reduction incentive programs.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal fleet operations by purchasing or leasing high MPG, low carbon fuel or hybrid vehicles, or by using an external car sharing program in lieu of city/county fleet.

Community

  • Work with major employers in the community to offer incentives and services to increase the use of alternatives to single-occupant auto commuting (voluntary commute trip reduction programs).
  • Encourage and facilitate the development of car-sharing, Dial-a-Ride (or similar flexible-route transit service) and other services that reduce the need to own a personal motor vehicle.

    Example (www.ca-ilg.org/ClimateTransportationStories):
  • Develop and implement voluntary agreements for commuter trip reduction programs for new commercial developments.
  • Provide parking preferences in public lots, garages and on-street spaces for residents who rideshare or use low-carbon fuel vehicles.
  • Implement variable (“congestion”) pricing and other pricing mechanisms for parking facilities, to provide incentives and discourage single-occupant-vehicle and peak travel.
  • Dedicate revenues from fees and tolls to promote alternative transportation modes.
  • Consider public health benefits of promoting use of transit and other alternatives to single-occupant vehicle travel as a means of reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases. (www.ca-ilg.org/ClimateWhitepapers)

 

 

MORE FROM THE INSTITUTE