The term sustainable transportation refers to ways of transporting people and goods that are socially, environmentally and economically sound. It includes considerations for the design and operation of all modes of transport including road, water, rail, air and freight transport. Sustainable transport is based on the principles of environmental stewardship, economic development and equity within and among generations.

The need for Sustainable Transportation has grown as urbanization increases and the world’s population expands. Currently, over 55% of the world’s population lives in cities and predictions indicate that this figure will double by 2050 (UN Environment Programme). Transportation has a major impact on the environment, accounting for about 10% of global energy use and producing substantial greenhouse gas emissions, and the economy depends heavily on it.

While the focus of the sustainable transportation movement is on the improvement of public transport, there are many things you can do to reduce your personal carbon footprint. By walking or cycling more, taking a bus to work instead of driving, and carpooling with friends and colleagues, you will make a significant difference to your personal and community emissions.

New technologies can help reduce the environmental impact of vehicles. These include electric scooters and bikes, hybrid or all-electric cars, and fuel cells for buses. Some cities are also implementing zero-emission bus fleets, and experimenting with electric vehicle charging stations in downtown areas.

Sustainable transportation also includes the planning of all transport networks to ensure that local, short-term decisions are consistent with strategic, regional and global, long-term goals. This includes integrating sustainable transportation with land use policies, encouraging mode choice, and building the technical capacity of transport planners and implementers.

There are a number of useful tools and methodologies to measure and quantify the performance of transport systems, such as The Guide to Sustainable Transportation Performance Measures (2011), which makes it easy for transportation agencies to incorporate measures of environmental, economic and social sustainability into decision-making. The Mixed-Use Trip Generation Model is another helpful tool, developed by EPA and the U.S. General Services Administration, to explore how mixed-use developments affect worker commute travel and mode choice in a way that promotes environmental and economic sustainability.

It is vital that transportation systems operate as efficiently as possible, in order to limit planetary resources, minimize the negative impacts on humans and ecosystems, and foster equitable access to jobs, markets, services and education. Efficiency can be achieved by limiting emissions and waste, promoting renewable energy sources, using non-renewable materials at or below their rates of replenishment and recycling them where possible.

Fortunately, it is also possible to make our current transportation systems more efficient by improving their operations, service levels and design. For example, reducing car congestion and increasing traffic flow improves the efficiency of transport operations and lowers fuel consumption. Similarly, investing in rail infrastructure for transporting both people and freight across long distances improves the energy efficiency of intercity and transit travel. These and other improvements will reduce the negative impacts of transport on the environment and enhance the economy.