Climate impact related to the transport sector: online educational resources on safe walking and cycling in urban areas as a mitigation strategy

Aldo T. Marrocco

《中華防災學刊》 11卷1期 (2019/03) Pp. 33-44

摘要

The transport sector is responsible for approximately 23% of total CO_2 emissions. In spite of more efficient vehicles, the emissions related to the transport sector are continuing to grow, from 7.0 Gt CO_2 eq. in 2010 up to the projected 12 Gt CO_2 eq. in 2050. The paper presents informative and educational resources on the possibility of reducing GHG emissions, thanks to safe walking and cycling infrastructures that are attractive to use and well connected with public transport. Such resources, downloadable for free from the web, consist of text, graphs, images and videos; they can be used with the methods felt as most appropriate by the teacher. Traffic calming techniques, aimed at both reducing vehicle speeds and providing more space for pedestrian and cyclists, contributed, e.g. in Germany to a fall in the rate of pedestrian fatalities from 6.2 to 2.3 per 100,000 population. Land use planning plays an important role in the number of generated trips, their length and the modal choice. Residential areas should include shopping, cultural and services centers that people can easily reach using sidewalks or bicycle paths and without de-tours. Interestingly, a hyperbolic relation exists between urban density and transport-related energy consumption. During the next decades, the growth of the world population will be mostly concentrated in the cities of the developing countries. In these fast growing cities, urban planning is expected to play an important role in the future energy consumption and GHG emissions. Some planning principles, together, make non-motorized transportation safe, easy, attractive and effective; this is what happens in certain cities and countries, as several documents clearly describe. Relations between an increased non-motorized transportation choice and the economy of the country and the health of the population are also discussed. The walking school bus is an educational activity and a form of transport for schoolchildren that go to school walking along a set route accompanied by a few adults.

關鍵字

GHG emissions ； urban transport ； safe walking ； safe cycling ； bike lane ； educational resources