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Transportation
Introduction - Why Is
This Topic Of Interest?
Transportation Indicators
Introduction
- Why Is This Topic Of Interest?
London’s a city on the move!
London’s transportation system is
key to the community because it allows for the
efficient movement of goods and people.
Individuals’ actions are the
greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Vehicles are the biggest contributors, followed
by home energy use (natural gas and
electricity). Londoners can alleviate their
transportation emissions by considering various
available options and choosing to take transit,
carpool, walk, or cycle for more trips.
And we’re all paying in one way
or another.
For London’s transportation
system to function many inputs are required that
cost individuals and society. These include
public costs like infrastructure, transit
service, and maintenance. Private costs include
purchasing and maintaining a vehicle, parking,
and transit fares. There are also costs
associated with land needs for things like road
rights-of-way, pathways, parking lots, and
service stations, as well as resources such as
fossil fuels, concrete and asphalt.
While a transportation system is
required and provides the population with
methods to get around, using the system also
produces many negative environmental effects,
such as air and water pollution, climate change,
and wildlife habitat loss. There are also social
and economic negative impacts associated with a
transportation system, including limiting
mobility and access, promoting poor physical
health through sedentary lifestyles, and injury
or death. All of these negative outcomes cost
individuals and society.
Current
transportation costs can be reduced by using the
transportation system more efficiently and
minimizing demand. Investing in less-costly
activities, such as Transportation Demand
Management (TDM) initiatives, saves on more
expensive inputs like infrastructure and land
costs.
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Transportation - Fun Facts
Statistics Canada reports that
after housing, more household dollars are
spent on transportation than on food (14% on
transportation versus 11% on food).
It costs anywhere from $900,000
to $2,000,000 per kilometre plus the cost of
the land to build our major city streets.
Each car trip costs the public
43% more than a trip by public transit.
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