May: National Bike/EcoDriving/Sustainable Transportation Month?

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that May is National Bike Month. It turns out that May is also National EcoDriving Month, at least according to the EcoDriving Program of the Auto Alliance. Driving habits can have tremendous impact on fuel efficiency. Did you hear about the expert hypermilers who drove a stock Ford Fusion Hybrid almost 1500 miles on a single tank of gasoline late last month? You can check out more tips on squeezing the most out of your gasoline on Ecomodder. I especially like the advise they give that has nothing to do with how you drive a car, but on what you can do instead of driving (walk, ride a bike, drive fewer miles). These are all great ideas, but we would be hard pressed to see big gains through better driving habits without the right incentives. Economic incentives would magnify the impact of EcoDriving. Hypermiling became popular last summer when gasoline broke the $4/gallon threshold, but how many EcoDrivers do we have now with $2/gallon fuel? Stable, moderately high fuel prices would not only motivate better driving habits, but reduce total miles driven (by petroleum fueled vehicles), create a market for more efficient vehicles, and provide the impetus for more Americans to consider cycling as a viable transportation option. We would probably even see a lot more creative activity in creating bicycle designs that make cycling practical for more people in more situations; for example, accommodating cargo and passengers, providing weather protection, and utilizing electric assist when human power alone is not sufficient. For a good example of this, have a look at the new FedEx delivery vehicles in Paris.

Electric-assist delivery bicycles used by FedEx in Paris

[Image Credit: autobloggreen]

May is already National Bike and EcoDriving month, perhaps we should just declare it National Sustainable Transportation month! We could promote sustainable transportation on many fronts: driving habits (hypermiling), vehicle choice (appropriate size vehicles, bicycles), vehicle design (electric/hybrid electric vehicles, practical bicycles), infrastructure design (advanced/adaptive traffic light timing, roundabouts), and transportation policy. In fact, the time between now and this fall is a great opportunity to get politically active and have an important influence on transportation reform. This fall several federal transportation programs are up for reauthorization by Congress. Let’s ensure our representatives understand that we do not support continuing the transportation system status quo. Reforms need to come sooner than later to provide a foundation for a vibrant economy and healthy ecosystems that provide invaluable services to humanity. Changes are being debated right now. If you want to make a big difference, more than switching to CFLs or buying a plug-in hybrid for yourself, please consider learning about these proposed changes and voice your support for a renewed transportation system that can serve our society sustainably.