Federal purse strings can help reduce climate impact from transportation

Environment America

The U.S. Department of Transportation took the first steps to consider requiring state and regional organizations receiving federal funds to consider global warming pollution when planning transportation projects. At this stage, the administration is only seeking comment, not proposing a rule, on whether transportation planners should factor in pollution.

Nearly a third of U.S. global warming emissions come from transportation. “Requiring consideration of global warming pollution would be an important step to tackle urban congestion, improve quality of life and avert the worst impacts of global warming — from rising sea levels to extreme weather” said Aminah Zaghab, Clean Cars Advocate with Environment America. “We urge the Obama administration to include global warming pollution in the standards and maximize the benefits to our health and climate.”

The administration is seeking public comment on whether states and regional organizations should measure how planned projects such as roads and public transit systems would contribute to global warming pollution. Several states and cities—California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Seattle, the Twin Cities and Chicago—already take global warming into account when developing transportation plans.

“Transportation is the country’s second largest source of global warming pollution,” said Zaghab. “Cleaning up trucks, buses, and cars must continue to be part of the solution to global warming.”