Chicago is not the only city considering the value of multi-modal transport in an urban environment. New research is coming out that agrees with and builds on what CNT advocates: eliminating auto dependency is a key to cleaner, less congested and more livable cities.

WorldChanging editor Alex Steffen recently wrote in BusinessWeek that cities are “a smart alternative to cars”, and that the key to reducing emissions lies not in new auto technology, but in cities that eliminate the need to be constantly driving.

The fundamental issue is an overdependence on vehicles to get from here to there, resulting in the nation’s increasing congestion problems and rising greenhouse gas emissions. This paradigm means that efforts at making vehicles more fuel efficient—while important because vehicles cannot be eliminated—does not properly focus on the solution of reducing vehicle dependency altogether. As Mr. Steffen puts it, “The best car-related innovation we have is not to improve the car but to eliminate the need to drive it everywhere we go.”

After all, as one sits in congestion, amongst a seemingly infinite amount of vehicles, on a finite amount of space, is the point to be wasting time in a car that gets better fuel efficiency? Or can we delve deeper into solutions—reducing the use of cars, whenever possible? The new issue of the Chicago Reporter, “Jammed” looks at the driving habits of Chicagoland residents. And it becomes clear that the region is “at capacity” for more people and more cars at farther and longer trips, which is the direction the region is headed. With some commuters spending 20 hours a week just driving to and from their jobs; others spending hundreds on gas each week, it seems the problem cannot be solved in the car.

In 2007, rides on the Regional Transportation Authority system—which includes the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace—made up just 5.6 percent of all trips taken in the six-county Chicago region, according to a study by Chicago Metropolis 2020. Some advocates say the figure needs to be more than twice that in order to sustain the region long-term. It seems the most important fixes are to build off of the increasing trend of using alternate ways to get around, while also focusing on making that shift easier by developing or redeveloping, using infill development and infrastructure investments to transform existing medium-low density neighborhoods into walkable compact communities.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 26th, 2008 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Climate, Featured Portfolio News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.