Sustainable Transportation 101 - Introduction To Sustainability & Transportation
Sustainable Transportation Curriculum for Universities
Slide 1
Sustainable Transportation 101: Introduction to Sustainability & Transportation
Slide 2
What Is Sustainability?
Sustainability encompasses a holistic consideration of economic, social, and environmental progress over the long term.
Slide 3
Sustainability Triple Bottom Line (TBL)
Sustainability has three primary focus areas:
- Economy
- Society
- Environment
Slide 4
Sustainability Principles and Equity
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Fundamental principles of sustainability:
- Preserving and restoring environmental and ecological systems
- Fostering community health and vitality
- Promoting economic development and prosperity
- Ensuring equity among population groups over generations
- Equity connects each element of triple bottom line sustainability
Slide 5
Transportation and Sustainability
There are several areas in which transportation impacts sustainability
Sustainability principles and considerations can apply to every stage of the transportation life cycle
Sustainable transportation reflects how sustainability principles are applied to the transportation sector
Slide 6
Transportation and Sustainability (Continued)
Energy/climate change
Habitat
Water quality
Hydrologic cycle
Air quality
Mobility and access
Community impacts
Non-renewable resources
Slide 7
Sustainability across the Transportation Life Cycle
Slide 8
Policies and Programs Partially Addressing Sustainability
- Climate change
- Resilience
- Context-sensitive solutions
- Health
- Equity
- Environment
- Connectivity
- Neighborhood revitalization
- Smart growth
- Multimodal transportation
Slide 9
Sustainability and Emerging Transportation Trends
Mobility Transformation
Electrification
Connectivity
Autonomy
Slide 10
Performance Measures for Sustainable Transportation
Description
Describe the effect of program or policy
Evaluation
Assess progress and diagnose problems or barriers
Accountability
Set targets for specific staff or programs and measure how well they are reaching those goals
Decision Support
Inform which approach supports the most sustainable outcomes
Communication
Explain to stakeholders what the program or policy is achieving
Source: NCHRP Report 708: A Guidebook for Sustainability Performance Measurement for Transportation Agencies. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/14598
Slide 11
Key Points
- Sustainability has social, economic, and environmental dimensions
- Sustainable transportation applies sustainability principles to the transportation sector
- There are several linkages between sustainability and transportation
- Sustainability concepts are applicable across the transportation life cycle
- Several transportation-sector programs relate to sustainability
- Challenges and opportunities are associated with new transportation trends
- Performance measures can help transportation agencies understand and apply sustainability concepts
Slide 12 [end]
Sustainable Transportation 101: Introduction to Sustainability & Transportation