LaHood spoke to this Senate sub-committee to discuss transportation's role in climate protection. He advocates investment in pedestrian and cyling facilities and better designed neighborhoods, as well as public transit, so as to reduce vehicle-miles-traveled, which he states to be a necessity in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• ...."even if we were to achieve a 55 mile-per-gallon fuel efficiency standard in the coming years, carbon emission levels from transportation would still only decline modestly. We must implement policies and programs that reduce vehicle miles driven.
• This means providing communities with additional transportation choices, such as light rail, fuel-efficient buses, and paths for pedestrians and bicycles that intersect with transit centers....We can promote strong communities with mixed-income housing located close to transit in walkable neighborhoods."
"U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on (July 14) called for fighting global warming by developing communities that are closer to public transportation or within walking distance of goods and services.
Transportation accounts for almost 30% of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama took a step to reducing tailpipe emissions by increasing mileage standards to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, four years earlier than required by law."
However, as noted above, Secretary LaHood indicated that fuel efficiency alone can not reduce carbon emissions sufficiently.
Thanks to Steetsblog Daily