|
|
 |
|
CITIZENS' AGENDA
: GOAL 4 |
Improving
energy use and environmental protection
“Transportation investments, services and incentives
should meet our travel needs, preserve and protect open space, scenic
resources and agricultural land, protect and enhance the integrity of
natural resource systems and wild places and improve air and water quality.
Such efforts can promote resource efficiency and energy conservation,
while reducing reliance on foreign oil and offering solutions to climate
change.” (1)
1.
The Alliance for a New Transportation Charter is a project of the
Surface Transportation Policy Project in Washington D.C.
|
| What this means is:
 • Open
space and farmland.
Development uses significantly less land for roads, driveways, and parking
lots. On the edge of the region, agricultural lands and natural areas,
including habitat for animals and plants, are preserved with less disruption
and fragmentation. In town, land is available for other uses, like new
housing, neighborhood retail development, and parks.
• Healthy
water.
Water cycles are less affected by road building and the paving of driveways
and parking lots. Run-off and sedimentation are reduced. Salt from
road de-icing and toxics released from tires, engines and brakes are
reduced, with less impact on wetlands, rivers and groundwater. Reduced
fuel consumption means fewer spills and less pollution from drilling
and transportation of fossil fuels.
• Energy
conservation and a healthy climate.
Our dependence on fossil fuels reduced. Carbon dioxide emissions, which
promote global climate change, are decreased. The urban heat island
effect is lessened because there are fewer impervious surfaces, such
as roads and parking lots.
|
|
|
