AUGUSTA—New England Governors and Legislatures can reduce the region’s costly oil dependence by taking action to reduce the region’s largest source of global warming pollution: Transportation. This is the conclusion of a report, The report outlines twenty policies state officials can adopt to promote more fuel efficient vehicles and to help people drive less and save money, oil and pollution. There are many good opportunities to reduce global warming pollution from cars and trucks that at the same time reduce oil dependence and costs, and insulate the regional economy from energy price shocks. “Cars and trucks put out more global warming pollution than any other source and are the major contributor to our oil dependence,” said Jennifer Andersen of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. “Policies that get more efficient, cleaner-burning cars on the road will cut gas costs and pollution at the same time.” “We have to start re-imagining how to get people and goods from place to place,” said Matthew Davis of Environment Maine Research & Policy Center. “We can’t keep up the pace of sprawling development in southern Maine – it’s stoking global warming and driving up demand and prices for gasoline. Investing in transit, transit-oriented smart growth and pedestrian-friendly communities is a cheaper and less polluting way to solve transportation problems in the long run than building bypasses and widening roads.” For the New England states to follow through on their historic commitment – made in concert with the eastern Canadian provinces in 2001 – to reduce global warming pollution, reducing global warming pollution from transportation is job number one. Global warming pollution and oil costs and dependency from cars and trucks have been rising for decades and is projected to continue to increase if trends toward more vehicle travel and less fuel-efficient cars and trucks continue. Report recommendations include: 1. Adopt the clean cars program with carbon dioxide tailpipe limits – States adopting the full clean cars program can expect to roughly stabilize emissions of carbon dioxide from cars and light trucks within the next two decades. Maine has adopted these standards and continues to fight challenges from carmakers and the federal government. 2. Create incentives for the purchase of more fuel efficient vehicles – A program that combines fees for gas-guzzlers with cash rebates to purchasers of fuel-efficient vehicles could reduce global warming pollution from light-duty vehicles in the region by 5 to 31 percent below projected levels by 2020. 3. Require fuel-saving tires – By setting energy efficiency standards for tires, states could achieve a roughly 3 percent increase in vehicle fuel economy at little cost and without compromising safety. 4. Reduce emissions from government and transit fleets – Hybrid-electric buses can curb global warming emissions by 10 to 15 percent versus conventional buses. 5. Invest in the region’s rail infrastructure and develop a long-term rail plan – Passenger trains emit about half as much global warming pollution per passenger-mile as car or air travel. Maine should extend rail service from Portland to Brunswick, which will connect to the recently restored scenic Brunswick to Rockland service. 6. Expand suburb-to-suburb transit opportunities – By using smaller vehicles and more flexible routes, transit agencies in states like New Jersey have delivered effective service in hard-to-reach suburbs. 7. Improve transit in small cities and towns – Partnerships with local governments and major employers have helped rural and small-city transit agencies in New England extend their reach and bolster service. 8. Expand pedestrian and bicycling opportunities – Careful planning and infrastructure investments can reverse the decline in non-motorized transportation. 9. Redevelop urban areas in a sustainable way – State policy can encourage the redevelopment of old industrial and residential areas in cities, where per-capita global warming emissions from transportation are much lower than in newer suburbs. Redevelopment should be pedestrian friendly, incorporate mixed uses, be accessible to transit, and provide opportunities for existing residents to benefit from neighborhood improvements. 10. Encourage compact development – Through revised zoning laws, many towns are returning to a more compact, traditional New England style of development that relies less on the automobile and can allow people to complete more of their daily tasks via transit, by bicycle or on foot. 11. Support transit-oriented development – Providing residential and commercial opportunities near transit stations can magnify the benefits of transit and reduce vehicle travel. 12. Discourage sprawl by making it pay its own way – In Maryland and elsewhere, state and local governments are eliminating public subsidies for sprawling development, thereby encouraging more sustainable use of land and resources. 13. Create and expand commute-trip reduction programs – Employer-based programs to discourage single-passenger commuting can cut rush-hour automobile trips by as much as 20 percent. 14. Encourage workers to live near their work or live near transit – Long automobile commutes are responsible for an increasing share of global warming emissions. Public and private policies should encourage people to live nearer to their work or closer to public transit, thus reducing the need for long trips to and from work. 15. Calculate auto insurance rates by the mile – Shifting automobile insurance from a flat, yearly rate to one calculated by the mile can discourage excessive driving (particularly among the most dangerous drivers) – both reducing crashes and global warming pollution. Other insurance reforms can assign the proper risk premium to heavier, less efficient SUVs. 16. Allocate fairly the costs of parking – Many employers provide free parking to employees – and many towns require ample parking for stores and businesses – but few subsidize transit or provide equal benefits to pedestrians or bike riders. Reducing parking requirements and “leveling the playing field” for transportation alternatives can eliminate these subsidies for driving. 17. Eliminate other subsidies for driving – From government highway maintenance expenditures to fuel subsidies, taxpayers often subsidize excessive driving. Making individuals pay the full cost of driving will encourage cleaner and less-expensive alternatives. 18. Consider adoption of least-cost planning – Demand reduction, transit and other alternatives are often cheaper and less polluting ways to solve transportation problems in the long run than building new highways. “Least-cost” planning that incorporates the social costs of automobile driving and the long-term benefits of stable transit infrastructure may reduce global warming emissions and reduce the cost of transportation overall. 19. Consider global warming in transportation planning – Transportation plans should fully factor in the impact of new highways and other projects on the climate. 20. Fund transit and other alternatives at higher levels – New England states have not taken full advantage of the ability to use federal funds for cleaner transportation options, and several lack any stable source of funding for transit. Prioritizing funding for transit and other clean options can help get badly needed projects off the drawing board and into place, as well as help transit agencies maintain high levels of service and reasonable fares.
