Transportation is at the heart of much of Colorado’s economy and lifestyle, fueling our ski and tourism industries, our agricultural and industrial exports, and our ability to flexibly access Colorado’s great outdoors. Transportation is also at the heart of many key sustainability challenges in Colorado, spanning economic, social/health and environmental issues.
- Rising gas prices and increasing urban traffic congestion impact workforce productivity and our economic recovery. A Texas A&M University study found that traffic congestion continues to rise, costing the US economy roughly $115 billion in 2009 (up from $24 billion in 1982), with the total amount of wasted fuel in 2009 topping almost 4 billion gallons – equal to 130 days of flow in the Alaska Pipeline. This translates into significant annual costs to the average commuter: $808 in 2009, compared to an inflation-adjusted $351 in 1982.
- The transportation sector is 90 percent dependent on oil and oil products, most of which come from foreign supplies.
- Colorado’s transportation sector — cars, trucks, trains and construction equipment — represents 23 percent of Colorado’s total greenhouse gas emissions (according to former Governor Ritter’s Colorado Climate Action Plan) and the associated health and environmental impacts, evidenced by Denver’s infamous “brown cloud” and Colorado’s “Beetle Kill Epidemic” devastating our forests.
- Denver has the 16th longest commute times in the country, draining our workforce and wasting precious time.
These are just a few of the many indicators adding to the urgency of aggressively addressing transportation solutions .
But there are many genuinely exciting trends in Colorado that offer real solutions:
- Teleworking saves commute time & carbon emissions while often increasing productivity. Find out ways you can see if teleworking can work for you, and for your organization, boss & coworkers.
- Mass Transit offers a means to reduce carbon & lets you put commute times to good use; thanks to HOV lanes, commute times are also often reduced.
- Bike sharing is a great way to get around urban areas, and offers a realistic way for regional commuters to use mass transit: take the bus or light rail into work and home, and use a bike-share bike to get around during the day. Bike Denver, one of our Alliance Center nonprofit tenants, is a great resource for biking in the Denver/Boulder area.
- Car Sharing, like Bike Sharing, allows you to commute to & from work, and still get around the city when you need to by renting a car for low-cost, short-term-use. Alliance Center nonprofit tenant eGo CarShare services the Denver Boulder area. Try it, and consider not owning a car!
Click here to share other ideas and trends that offer Colorado a more resilient and sustainable future.
