Blog Posts: sustainable transport

Introduced in a basic form in the 1960s, bike-sharing services are now seemingly ubiquitous in many major cities. The propagation of “dockless” systems, shared bicycles that can be parked nearly anywhere, has led to unprecedented growth, increasing the number of publicly accessible bikes from 1.2 million worldwide in 2015 to more than 16 million in China alone...

More than a million bike-share bikes crowd some Chinese cities, piling up in public spaces, blocking sidewalks and tripping pedestrians. But the chaos may soon be coming to an end.

The Seeds for Change project in Gurugram, India recently reclaimed four car parking spots to make space for 40 bicycles. Cities around the world are using similar strategies to shift people from cars to cleaner transport.

Transportation is a major source of carbon emissions in China and the United States—20 and 30 percent, respectively. It's why experts and officials came together to brainstorm low-carbon solutions at the recent US-China Transportation Forum. Four ideas emerged.

Sustainable transport, when implemented in ways that are socially, economically and environmentally positive, is at the nexus of better accessibility for people and a decreased carbon footprint.

Rio de Janeiro has long been known for its traffic congestion and lack of affordable, accessible public transit. Now, in celebration of its 450th anniversary and as the host city of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, city leaders are beginning to transform Rio's image into one of a sustainable mobility leader.

Mexico City will invest $150 million in energy-efficient buses, public bike-sharing and car-free days-one of the largest sustainable mobility investments in the city's history. It's a significant step forward in orienting Mexico City around people, not cars.

Brazil spent billions of dollars on World Cup infrastructure, and many are understandably questioning the long-term benefits these investments will bring to local communities.

While many of these criticisms are justified, if one looks beyond the shiny new stadiums—namely, to the city streets—a more positive story emerges. World Cup-related investments helped finance sustainable transport systems that will benefit Brazilians long after the final whistle blows.

Two weeks ago, EMBARQ, the sustainable transport and urban development program of the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Bank co-hosted Transforming Transportation. The two-day event concluded with the announcement of Transport Delivers, a global campaign calling city and national leaders to better integrate sustainable transport into policy discussions on development and climate change. If the campaign’s objectives are fully implemented, they could be a game-changer for today’s cities – as well as tomorrow’s.

A new publication from EMBARQ explores the existing literature on the safety impacts of sustainable transport – primarily from the United States and Europe – and adding examples from Latin America and South Asia. The evidence suggests that projects that reduce traffic—such as congestion charging—and those that improve infrastructure—such as high-quality mass transport systems—can have a positive impact on traffic safety, in addition to numerous other co-benefits.