Supporting Sustainable Transportation

Since transportation contributes to the majority of carbon emissions in California (approximately 50 percent), it is essential to evaluate the environmental impact of such a major part of everyone's lifestyles: getting from one place to another.

Nearly half of all car trips made in the United States are 3 miles or less! 

When traveling locally in the US, why is it commonly considered more convenient to drive rather than to walk or bike? 

One of our readings from this week, "Unraveling Ties to Petroleum: How policy Drives California's Demand for Oil," suggests that policies developing and maintaining the automobile infrastructure often inhibit the quality of transportation alternatives.

In one of the first few weeks of this year, our Sustainable Transportation class discussed the benefits of cycling. Some of the environmental impacts our class brought up involved reducing congestion and air pollution as well as less dependency on oil.

One of the promotional aspects of my project is identifying the scenic and safe bike routes around Santa Cruz County using the SCCRTC Bike Map. I downloaded a digital version of this map and plan to highlight routes to recommend to cyclists via the People Power Facebook page. This promotional plan is free and paperless since it will utilize digital media to share the route with a large audience across several online platforms. I hope to encourage more physical activity and promote sustainable transportation choices by suggesting enjoyable routes to local spots.