Strategies for Change

A crucial aspect of any solution will consist of designing vehicles and transportation systems that use energy more efficiently.  Invention and technical innovation will play a lead role in this are, but even today most conventional vehicles can attain greater efficiencies by implementing strategies to decrease tire drag, improve aerodynamic profile, reduce vehicle mass, eliminate idling, and employ smaller engine designs.^[i]    

From 1977 to 2001, the number of miles driven every year by Americans rose by 151%—about five times faster than the growth in our population due largely to policies around land development and diminishing public transit options.^[ii]  With the right policies this trend can easily be reversed, drastically decreasing transportation energy consumption as well as saving ordinary citizens’ time, money, and unnecessary commutes.  Strategies for reducing vehicle miles traveled include the creation of bike and pedestrian infrastructure, public transit options, and smart growth strategies to minimize sprawl and increase development of mix-used communities.