Mobility Promotes Sustainability, Too

Mobility Promotes Sustainability, Too

By Ravali Kosaraju, PE, PTOE

Mobility is an essential element of urban and transportation planning in the 2020s and it will continue to be for decades to come. When we provide seamless mobility, we promote more vibrant economic development, more sustainable communities, and a better quality of life for residents and visitors.

The concept of mobility is about peoples’ lives and the quality of those lives. And one of the most important contributors to quality of life today is sustainability. In a world in which climate change is having such a dramatic impact on the quality of life, mobility must also address sustainability issues.

So, where do mobility and sustainability intersect? Nearly six billion gallons of fuel are wasted every year by vehicles sitting in traffic. Not only is that a terrible waste of a valuable resource, but idling vehicles generate around 30 million tons of CO2 every year. This is a significant cause of climate change.

Therefore, when we implement effective mobility practices that keep people moving seamlessly, we are also promoting sustainability. As communities and private developers work to promote sustainability in their projects, it’s imperative to include mobility strategies in those plans.

Ravali Kosaraju, PE, PTOE, is Director Mobility for WGI, and a member of the Sustainable Mobility Task Force. She can be reached at Ravali.Kosaraju@WGInc.com.