Introduction:
This essay outlines the issues surrounding traffic congestion within Auckland, such as high pollution output levels, stress and anxiety, inefficient public transport and increased travel time. These are all contributing factors to the decline of economic growth within the Auckland transport (AT) system. Through utilizing ethical theories such as Kantian and Solomon’s theories in order to achieve sustainability, positive changes can be made to the way AT operates. By identifying and addressing current social and environmental issues, Auckland Transport Solution (ATS) has come up with a new public transport system. With the introduction of the electric tram, carbon emissions will be reduced and more travel options will be available for central Auckland residents. In addition to this, bathroom and shower facilities along with secure bicycle storage will be offered to public transport users. This will greatly improve the efficiency and revenue of the AT system and decrease the volume of traffic congestion in Auckland city.
Discussion:
Issues and solution
As Auckland residents, we all contribute to society and have a large impact on the environment. From large scale firms producing and releasing harmful chemicals and bi-products into the atmosphere, to sitting in traffic on the way to and from work every day. We all have a carbon footprint and as population continues to grow rapidly, so does the amount of traffic congestion and pollution within the atmosphere.
Three quarters of emissions in 2004 were coming from road traffic (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). Emissions used from transportation are forecasted to increase from the year 2007-2030 by about 80% according to studies done by James Woodcock who is currently studying climate change and health from car fuels (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). This is due to the fact that the emissions from vehicles are increasing significantly and are higher than any other energy fragment (Woodcock, p.1930, 2009). The only way to lower this percentage is to decrease the number of individual automobiles on the road and increase the number of public transit systems, starting long distance walking to work or school, carpooling or even biking to destinations. These principles would
Late 20th century Los Angeles, California was a bustling, diverse, and segregated city. Both El Norte (1983) and Falling Down (1993) depict Los Angeles in revealing ways. Falling Down in particular has many shots of the city itself; in fact, the first scene in the film takes place in a classic LA traffic jam on the highway. It shows cars lined up and not moving on the highway as far as the eye can see, with construction going on around them. It is also very hot in LA. The people are sweating, it’s sunny outside, bugs are flying around, and there are palm trees around the highway. Similarly, one of the last shots in El Norte shows a busy highway with the LA skyline in the background. That shot with the skyscrapers, cars driving quickly by, and palm trees is one of the most iconic images of LA in either film.
Michael Pollan describes the effects of climate change and the different things that people can do to help correct this problem in his essay entitled "Why Bother?" He believes that even the simplest changes can create a huge difference. One of the things the he says will help is taking one day out of the week to use as little technology as possible. Things to not use include cars/motor vehicles, cellphones, electricity, and more. Just taking one day away from these things will help reduce pollution. Another thing he says would help a lot is planting a garden. Planting a garden will provide people with their own home grown food which reduces the need for food shipments and commercial growing. This reduced the pollution caused by the vehicle
This document specifically highlights how the Gold Coast City Council is tackling the city’s issue of traffic congestion by improving the existing structure of the roads and public transport. Hopefully this will decrease the number vehicles on the road which will reduce the amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere (City of Gold Coast, 2013).
Organizations from around the world are working together to reduce the effects of greenhouse gases on the Earth and save the future generations of humans. In order to make a global impact on an affair, it must start locally. In Markham, many citizens are devising a solution to the accelerated heating of the Earth. Advertisements about greenhouse gases have been implanted on billboards and websites to raise awareness of the issue. The mayor of Markham has built more bicycle lanes and pathways to decrease the use of automobiles (City of Markham, 2014). Markham has also increased the effectiveness of public transportation
One of the largest contributors to a high ecological footprint is related to personal transportation and the construction, maintenance and operations of buildings3. When more people are living in an area, the amount of energy and transportation needed decreases and so does the area’s ecological footprint3. This occurs because as walking increases, the amount of personal driving decreases. Another way Vancouver is working to reduce its ecological footprint is by protecting land in the “Green Zone”7.
The team addresses that the main purpose of the study is to address long-term inter-regional transportation problems and opportunities and to consider alternative actions to addrees these issues as part of developing an integrated, multi-modal transportation system that permits the capable movement of people and goods, and provides better economic and transportation linkages between urban growth centres in the GTA west study area (figure 1) (Transportation development strategy report, 2012). In order to finalize the purpose of the study, the project team identified the specific transportation problems and opportunities within the study area (Transportation development strategy report, 2012). They developed, assessed and evaluated a range of Area Transportation System Alternatives to address the identified issues relating to transportation, and opportunities presented within the study area (Transportation development strategy report, 2012). Lastly, the team recommended a Transportation Development Strategy based on the Area Transportation System Alternatives supported onward from the assessment (Transportation development strategy report,
Tenner compares the use of transportation over time, demonstrating that although it has made transportation much faster, it has created “revenge effects” such as traffic and congestion, things that before the technological innovation were never seen. Examples such as these have led Tenner to advise society to fix problems that new technologies bring not by creating new technologies to solve the problem, but by slowing down and addressing the problem itself, not a quick fix.
Have you ever considered taking the buses, not the car, to your destination? According to his essay “The Bus, a Modern Panacea,” Lester Detroit states that the VTA system offers a fundamental solution for not only the SJSU student but includes most people who commutes to school or work. He claims that cars have the negative side effects for the environment problems; furthermore, cars are the problem of both traffic congestion and wasting time and money. He insists that students should “drop their car culture and create a new bus culture.” Bus is the “cure-all solution” for students. As for students, I strongly disagree with Detroit’s point of view that VTA system is a suitable transportation for students to commute. It is important for students to realize that not a lot of people know how to transit, taking the bus is inconvenient, safety concern, and pollution.
The community of Thornhill is located north of Toronto, between Highway 404 and Highway 400 from east to west. Between Highway 400 and Bathurst St., the northern boundary is Rutherford Rd., and from Bathurst St. to Highway 404 the boundary is at Highway 7. Steeles Ave. is the southern boundary line. It is split between the cities of Vaughan and Markham.
Although thought to be “not a big problem” and “under control” by most people, pollution is making its way in being a serious and an unforgiving threat to society. Pollution a topic everyone hears and knows exists. What they don’t know is how serious of a problem it is already becoming. Many health issues are being reported now that are linked to air pollution and even the most severe weather places have encountered are linked to air pollution also. By society, not fully being aware of the true threat that pollution is making, it will only become a growing threat that they will be encountering.
Gold Coast vehicle owners are currently faced with concerns relating to the amount of carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere whilst idling in traffic congestion. This is highlighted through their daily, lengthy car journeys caused by the increase in population. Although these carbon emissions have a direct impact on the immediate environment it is also contributing to the decline of coral growth on the Great Barrier Reef.
One of the contributing factors that is going to affect the air quality in the Plan Area, but also the living quality and the residents’ mobility is the transportation impacts. In this section, I will look closely at the impacts with the plan implemented in the Plan Area—VMT, mode share, and TNC; mitigation on cars with the utilization of bike and transit infrastructures—muni forward, Central Subway, and more and improve bike lanes. When talking about transportation, the VMT is very crucial for such an enormous redevelopment like the Plan Area because there is going to be a big increase in the number of residents in the upcoming years. An upward of 25,000 people is predicted to settle within
Globally, numerous urban cities such as New York City and London have the issue of traffic congestion, and in the United States, Los Angeles and New York City take the top title of the worst traffic jams (Bekiempis). Even though traffic congestion ratings may not indicate how much air pollution in an area, most times, traffic congestion does communicate the approximate degree air pollution lies at. Atlanta does have an honorable—or rather, notorious—mention of daily traffic congestion, even though Atlanta’s traffic may not live up to the scale of that of New York City. The quality of air in the Atlanta metropolitan area can also play a testament to how far traffic congestion has gone in the
Australia is one of the most highly urbanised societies in the world. Urbanization is occurring not only in the capital cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane etc but also in coastal areas within 2-3 hours of commutable distance from city centre. This has lead to formation of an exurban belt that is facilitated by transport improvements and technological change such as the internet. Such continued population growth in Australian cities is placing increasing pressure on infrastructure, such as public transport and roadways, energy, air and water systems within the urban environment.