The neighborhoods where everyone walks to work and shops, exist only in dense vertical cities, but in the rest of the horizontal country people drive cars, which need well-maintained roads, and the future of pollution reduction from cars will keep coming from the auto technology which continues to reduce it; with hybrids, biofuel, and other innovative technologies driving auto pollution down.
Editorial: Imprint the blueprint
Núñez needs to back bill on better planning
Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, April 17, 2007
When it comes to challenges that threaten the state's economy and environment, transportation is near the top of the list.
Californians are not only increasing in number, they are driving longer distances, for work and errands, and spending more and more of their time behind the wheel. You can measure the consequences in congested highways, worse air pollution and more families that complain they don't get enough time together.
These driving habits also pose a challenge to the state's law to reduce greenhouse gases. Even as Californians transition to cleaner vehicles, they are driving more miles. Ever-increasing mileage means more fuel consumption, more carbon dioxide and less chance the state can reduce emissions 25 percent in 13 years, as the law requires.
Fortunately, there are strategies for slowing the growth of what engineers call "vehicle-miles-traveled." One of these is embodied in legislation that goes before an Assembly committee tomorrow.
