Sustainable transportation has several facets--renewable fuels and technologies (e.g. hybrids, biofuels, hydrogen); alternative transportation modes (e.g. rail, waterborne, human-powered); progressive transportation systems and forward-thinking urban planning (e.g. smart growth, improved mass transit). The common denominator of this new paradigm is efficiency. By maximizing people and/or goods per vehicle, and by minimizing non-renewable energy input along with the need to travel far distances, we can move away from a system oriented to automobile use and fossil-fuel consumption to one that reduces congestion, pollutants, expenses, land-use, noise, and travel time.

The New York/New Jersey metropolitan region is known for its excellent mass-transit system and its "walkability," though at the same time fossil fueled vehicles are still a huge and intractable component of the transportation structure. Air and noise pollution affect the physical and mental health of many communities, as well as plants and animals. Infrastructure, incentives, and education are still needed to encourage people and businesses to use alternative methods of transportation and alternative sources of energy for their vehicles.

Transportation is typically viewed in the human context--how it relates to human health, safety, mobility, and aesthetical values--and is rarely discussed in relation to the natural world and biodiversity. Due to this contextual gap, the goal of this panel is to explore alternatives to the New York metropolitan area's current transportation systems/practices and then analyze how they intersect with biodiversity in the region. In particular, we suggest that the panelists address the following questions:

1. What are your priorities for sustainable transportation?
2. Given the definition provided, has the NY/NJ region achieved sustainable transportation?
3. How will alternative transportation fuels, modes and systems benefit, impair, or interact with the biodiversity of the New York metropolitan region?
4. What do we need to do to make the region's transportation systems more sustainable?
5. Are biofuels beneficial or harmful (to humans, the atmosphere, and biodiversity)?  
6. Would a rush-hour tax like London's work here? (Carpool, as during the blackout)
7. How do we steer public policy in a sustainable direction? How do we change societal attitudes?
8. In areas not well-served by mass transit, roads and vehicles are the norm.   Should new road construction be limited? Or done in a more ecological manner (narrower streets, wildlife-compatible curbing, etc.)? Can existing road networks be retrofitted in a similar manner?

Moderator: Hilary Kitasei, Environmental Consultant, Harlem Brownfields Opportunity Area Project

Rapporteur: TBD

Panelists