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TR N EW S 28 8 SE PT EM BE Râ O CT O BE R 20 13 12 The author is a PhD can- didate in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Sustainability has become such a buzzword thatits root meaning often seems to have been lost.In its most basic sense, sustainability means being able to continue, either indefinitely or for a defined period. The sustainability of human civi- lization requires that all people achieve an acceptable quality of life, without degrading the natural envi- ronment (1, 2). The environment provides natural resources; without these, the economic and social resources that support quality of life could not exist. Economic resources include money and financial markets, as well as the physical assets that make up the built environment. Social resources include the intellect, skills, knowledge, work, culture, and inter- actions of human beings. The sustainable development process can be visu- alized as a bicycle ride.1 The riders represent human civilization, and their continued experience of the bicycle ride represents human quality of life. The journey is supported by the quality of the path, which represents the built and natural environment. The front wheel of the bicycle, which steers the ride, represents social processes. The back wheel, which powers the ride, represents economic processes. Like the two wheels of a bicycle, social and economic processes are linked inextricably, and defects in either can slow progress. Transportationâs Role As the adage maintains, âtransportation is a derived good.â The primary purpose of transportation sys- tems is to expand the choices available to people, connecting them with goods, services, and opportu- nities that promote quality of life. Moreover, trans- portation is a sociotechnical system (3). Some human and social inputs into the transportation sys- tem include peopleâs attitudes, such as modal pref- erences; choices and behaviors, such as driving speed or helmet use; and the skills of system users and designers. Technical inputs include infrastructure, such as roads, rails, and signals; other mechanical components, such as vehicles; and software compo- nents, for operational management. Nevertheless, transportation also may create risks and barriers to quality of life. A transportation system may constrain or enhance peopleâs life choices, depending on the mix of modes, configurations, and land use. For example, life choices that affect quality of life include what to eat, how much to exercise, and whether or not to breathe clean air. According to the CDC Recommendations for Improving Health Through Transportation Policy, the choice of what to eat often depends on whether or not grocery stores are accessi- ble from a personâs regular travel modes and routes (4); the choice of how much to exercise may be enhanced by the availability of safe and pleasant walking and bicycling paths, or it can be limited by time spent in a car; and the choice of whether or not to breathe clean air may become irrelevant to someone who must walk along a busy roadway corridor at rush hour. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) publication, Livability 101: Six Principles of Livability, emphasizes the benefits of âmore transportation choices,â âtransit-oriented development,â and âsafe and walkable neighborhoodsâ (5). Greater variety in mode choice accommodates the preferences and abil- ities of a greater number of people. At the same time, public transit options with connecting bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can allow more opportunity for physical activity, with motorized transportationâ automobile and transitâproviding time savings for long-distance travel. Paths, Roads, and Rails to Better and More Sustainable Living J A M I E M O N T A G U E F I S C H E R Environmental Sustainability in Transportation 1The bicycle analogy was developed in the authorâs doctoral research and was previously unpublished. An effective transportation system offers a variety of travel options to commuters and travelers. P H O TO : N O R TH C A R O LIN A D O T
TR N EW S 288 SEPTEM BERâO CTO BER 2013 13 Promoting Quality of Life To promote quality of life effectively, transportation agencies need decision-support tools, performance metrics, and context-sensitive policies to inform investment decisions. Some agencies are making headway in these areas. For example, u Several state DOTsâamong them California, Florida, Maryland, and Louisianaâreport performance information related to multimodal accessibility (6): â Percent of total commute trips by each mode, including single- and high-occupancy ve- hicles and transit; â Monthly percentage changes in vehicle miles traveled and intercity rail boardings; â Percentage of roadways with sidewalks and percentage of sidewalks that meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and â Crash rates, serious injuries, and fatalities, separated by mode. u Some transportation agencies, including met- ropolitan planning organizations and state DOTs, are incorporating public health and safety concerns into their planning and performance management pro cesses: â The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is addressing bicycle and pedestrian safety through a complete streets policy (7); â The San Diego Association of Governments has drafted a health and wellness policy framework that includes performance measures for safe and walkable streets, equity in mobility, and access to resources such as healthy foods, medical care, recreation, jobs, and schools (8); and â The Nashville Metropolitan Planning Orga- nization scores transportation projects with a points system based on outcomes in air quality and physical activity, among other health concerns (9). Continuing the Journey Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), the 2012 federal legislation authorizing transportation programs, mandates new perfor- mance reporting and management strategies from state DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations, and others that receive federal funds. MAP-21 also provides several grant programs supporting the new federal emphasis on livability.2 This and future fed- eral policies are intended to motivate state, regional, and local transportation agencies to develop their own metrics, policies, and tools to support decisions related to quality of life. As these processes gain momentum, they can help the transportation sys- tem evolve to enhance, preserve, and provide access systematicallyâand long into the futureâto the social, economic, and environmental resources that support quality of life. Acknowledgment The information in this article was gathered through multiple research projects conducted by the Infra- structure Research Group3 at Georgia Institute of Technology. References 1. World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, 1987. 2. Chambers, N., C. Simmons, and M. Wackernagel. Sharing Natureâs Interest: Ecological Footprints as an Indicator for Sustainability. Earthscan Publications, London, 2000. 3. Fischer, J. M., and A. Amekudzi. Quality of Life, Sustain- able Civil Infrastructure, and Sustainable Development: Strategically Expanding Choice. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, Vol. 137, No. 1, 2011, pp. 29â38. 4. CDC Recommendations for Improving Health Through Trans- portation Policy. Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion, 2010. www.cdc.gov/transportation/docs/FINAL %20CDC%20Transportation%20Recommendations-4-28- 2010.pdf. 5. Livability 101: Six Principles of Livability. U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013. www.dot.gov/livability/101. 6. DOT State Stats. Midwest Transportation Knowledge Net- work, 2012. http://stats.mtkn.org/. 7. Complete Streets Work Group. Final Report for the Secre- tary of the Department of Transportation and Development. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, 2010. www.dotd.la.gov/planning/highway_safety/docu ments/Complete%20Streets%20Final%20Report%2007- 29-2010.pdf. 8. Draft Health and Wellness Policy Framework and Potential Performance Measures for the Regional Comprehensive Plan Update. San Diego Association of Governments, 2010. www.sandag.org/uploads/projectid/projectid_381_ 14445.pdf. 9. Regional Transportation Plan: Transportation Policy for Health. Nashville Metropolitan Planning Organization, 2012. www.nashvillempo.org/regional_plan/health/. Departments of transportation in California and several other states report performance information such as the percentage of sidewalks that meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Infrastructure elements, such as a bicycle rack at a bus stop, can allow travelers to combine modes of travel in a single trip. 3www.irg.ce.gatech.edu.2www.dot.gov/livability/grants-programs. P H O TO : D A N B U R D EN, PB IC PH O TO : D A N B U R D EN , PB IC