Across the Rockies - Why Alternative Transportation?

Why Alternative Transportation?

The transportation sector is the largest and fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. It accounts for 33% of total greenhouse gas emissions, 61% of which come from cars and light duty trucks. Therefore, the Across the Rockies team believes that the US must adopt the widespread use of alternative transportation in order to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming. There are many alternative transportation choices available to us today that are economical, healthy, and even fun.

Biking

You could say biking is our favorite form of alternative transportation. We love biking so much that we've decided to spend all summer biking 4,200 miles from coast to coast across windy plains and over towering mountains. Biking is considered to be the most efficient form of transportation. Consider that on one slice of pizza a person can travel 100 feet by automobile, 3.5 miles by foot, and 10 miles by bike. Most importantly for the purposes of our project, biking creates zero CO2 emissions (except for the small amount produced by your body when you bike). But there are many other benefits that biking offers as well:

-Biking is cheap. The average American family spends $1 out of every $5 on transportation. The costs of biking are limited to a one time investment in a bike plus occasional repairs. Aside from this, biking is free.

-Biking is healthy. One of the main causes of America's obesity epidemic is sedentary lifestyles. Not only can biking help stop global warming, it can also improve the health of the American population.

-Bikes create better urban environments. Unlike automobiles, bikes create minimal noise pollution. In addition, bike paths are narrower than automobile lanes and bike racks take up less space than parking lots. This means that when cars are replaced by bikes, more urban space is opened up.

-Biking is fun. At least we think so!

We believe that it is highly feasible for biking to become a widely used mode of transportation in the United States, especially in cities. Consider that 40% of trips in metropolitan areas are 2 miles or less, and 89% of these are made by car. In many cities where traffic is bad, a 2 mile trip on a bike would probably be quicker than a 2 mile trip by car. Canadian cities have 3 times the level of cyclists as US cities, so it seems that biking is a viable form of transportation even in cold areas. In fact, biking can and should be a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

It is clear that biking can realistically accomplish a large amount of the short trips (and some of the long trips) that are made in America's towns and cities. But in order to get to that point we believe that a) America's perceptions and attitudes about biking must change and b) cities must invest more money in biker-friendly infrastructure. We hope to help accomplish both of these goals during our trip. First, by biking across the country we will show that biking is an economical, healthy, and fun mode of transportation, even for the purpose of pulling heavy loads over long-distances. We will help to clear up America's misperceptions about biking as a legitimate mode of transportation. Second, we will advocate biker-friendly initiatives in the cities we ride through, and we will film a series of videos about how successfully or unsuccessfully America's cities are accommodating cyclists. We encourage you to reach out to your own bicycle advocacy group and see what you can do to make your town or city more biker-friendly. Also, check the Resources page for more information on bike commuting, repairs, advocacy and more.

Carpooling

Carpooling is a great way to reduce your personal greenhouse gas emissions. There are many carpooling resources on the internet that can help you find and give rides. Please visit our Resources page to find a ride and start carpooling today!

Public Transit

On average, a public transit rider creates 65% less greenhouse gases than a person making the same trip in an automobile. We encourage you to help develop better public transit systems in the US by patronizing public transit in your area and by reaching out to your local public transit advocacy group. You can also visit our Resources page to learn more about public transit and find out what is available in your area.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles

We advocate any alternative fuel vehicle that emits less greenhouse gas emissions per mile than vehicles that run on gasoline. The alternative fuel vehicle industry is beginning to offer many vehicle options that are both highly efficient and relatively inexpensive. As more people become interested in alternative fuel vehicles more money will be invested in alternative fuel technologies, and this will allow alternative fuel vehicles to become more affordable in the long run. Please visit our Resources page to learn more about alternative fuel vehicles, what is on the market now and what is being developed for the future.