Sustainable Transportation

Last weekend I went to a sustainable transportation conference focused on transportation in Spain and South America. Sustainable transportation is often described as “meeting or helping meet the mobility needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” and typically focuses on ecological, social and economic factors. The conference focused on strategies and current projects to improve public transportation systems and walking and biking facilities in order to move people from cars to more sustainable modes of transportation. A focus for both Spain and South America was the need to reduce traffic congestion and motor vehicle emissions. The South American presentations also included information about the impact of transportation on economic development and safety. A high portion of the population in many South American countries can't afford cars and rely on other forms of transportation. However, these countries also often lack funds to provide high quality public transportation systems. There are a few success stories, such as the TransMilenio, a bus rapid transit system in Bogotá, Columbia and a bus rapid transit system in Curitiba, Brazil. These systems have been able to provide fast, reliable public transportation service to millions of residents and have provided a focus on pedestrian and biking spaces in the cities. However, in many cities without high quality public transportation, residents are switching to motorcycles or scooters. This has greatly increased the accident rate in many areas and also increases pollution. It is frustrating to see the need for more sustainable transportation systems and realize that funding is often a huge barrier. It was reassuring to meet other people focused on this issue and hopefully as problems such as rising fuel costs and global warming gain more attention, investments in sustainable transportation will increase.