Public Transit, Clean Air and Climate Change

Establishing a national transit strategy is an important first step in developing a broader strategy to address climate change and clean air. A national transit strategy can take cars off the road, reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The Quebec government has already linked a comprehensive transit strategy with climate change as part of its appeal to the public.

In Canada, the transportation sector as a whole is responsible for close to 30% of the country´s total greenhouse gas emissions. Passenger vehicles are the biggest source of increases in greenhouse gas emissions within the transportation sector, now accounting for 70 per cent of transportation emissions. Two thirds of these emissions are generated within urban areas.

The role of the passenger vehicle in meeting the transportation needs of Canadians must be reduced if we are to achieve substantive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. A study of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in urban passenger transport systems from 84 global cities reveals that energy consumed per passenger kilometre in public transport in all cities is between a fifth and a third that of private transport. A city bus can carry as many passengers as 50 cars…and pollutes up to 18 times less.

LEARNING FROM OTHERS

In developing a national transit strategy and a broader strategy around climate change and clean air, Canada needs to look at other world leaders. In some of the world´s leading cities, the public transit system forms the backbone of an interconnected web of roads, bridges, railways and ports, which collectively establishes the urban form. In these cities, public transit is fast, efficient and preferred by daily commuters. Adopting similar systems in Canada would not only provide economic and social benefits, but would also help us control climate change.

PUBLIC TRANSIT THE FIRST STEP

To encourage people to make greater use of public transit, we must do more than simply invest in public transit infrastructure. We must manage and reduce the role of the automobile in urban transport systems, while recognizing that urban form is a critical factor in creating sustainable urban transportation systems.

Canada´s aging public transit system presents opportunities to replace inefficient modes with cleaner and more efficient technologies (such as LRTs and articulated buses) and fuels (such as biofuel, natural gas or hydrogen), and to improve the public understanding of the links between public transit, quality of life and “urban form” (how and where development occurs). Doing so will also help make cities more competitive.

When made in the context of a broader transportation and sustainability strategy, investing in public transit will contribute fundamentally to cleaner air and action on climate change. This broader strategy must address our reliance on passenger vehicles and the inefficiencies of our urban form. New investments should take into account the full complement of environmental, social and economic considerations. But building a stronger transit system is a critical first step on which further strategies will be built.

For more information: Massimo Bergamini, 613-907-6247 or [mbergamini@fcm.ca]