Comments on: The Urban Transportation Report Card

By: Hilary

Hilary — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:38:20 +0000

Wouldn't the difference between SUV's and hybrids be much wider in an urban environment? Is this accounted for?

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:34:22 +0000

Vance, thanks for the clarification. Can you please give the source/method for the 97 sq. ft. footprint for bicyclists?

By: Vance Wagner

Vance Wagner — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:29:41 +0000

As the creator of the above table, I'd like to offer a few quick responses / clarifications:
- It's true that per passenger-mile figures are also applicable for private vehicles. We chose to include only per mile here since it is more intuitive (as opposed to assuming an average occupancy for vehicles and including another footnote to explain that).
- The numbers presented here are averages, yes, and there certainly would be variability across cities, routes, and technologies. The reason we didn't separate out hybrid buses is that a bus rider likely doesn't have a choice about what bus s/he will ride. Citywide, though, there are absolutely key opportunities to drive the average bus emissions number down through adding hybrid buses and optimizing routes for maximum occupancy.

By: Charles Siegel

Charles Siegel — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:39:29 +0000

I agree: there should be a separate entry for hybrid buses, since there is one for hybrid cars.

This report card also fails to consider the sort of development that different forms of transportation promote. Buses tend to generate transit oriented development, which allows for more walking and is generally more energy efficient. Cars (including hybrids) tend to generate sprawl, which makes walking impossible and requires longer distance travelling.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:14:58 +0000

These figures are not footnoted but they appear to be averages and so specific experience with particular cities/routes/technologies may vary widely. I can't believe that the emissions per passenger mile on a huge and heavily used articulated hybird crosstown bus like the M79 is as much as 0.4 lbs. And I believe it has been shown that a bicyclist's footprint on NYC streets is more like 36 sq. ft., not 97 sq. ft.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:03:15 +0000

The passenger-mile calculation is appropriate for cars and SUVs as well.

Carpooling, which has been declining, can save as much fuel as fuel efficiency. Meanwhile, low ridership means in some parts of the country buses generate more greenhouse gases than cars.

The one group of people who could really benefit from mass dynamic carpooling is, in fact, public employees, since their homes and worksites (schools, police precients, fire houses, sanitation garages, bus depots, train yards) are generally to dispersed for time-efficient transit trips.

At one time I proposed that parking permits be limited to public employees who were willing to take two or three people with them to the area, in order to get a system off the ground.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:45:28 +0000

See? Driving a hybrid car don't exactly make you Jeezis on stilts.