Sustainable Transportation U.S. Dilemmas and European Experiences

The approach to sustainable transportation issues in the United States was examined in light of findings from a study of sustainable transportation planning in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland. In the European countries, reducing greenhouse gases has been the initial motivation for most sustainable transportation initiatives, but broader social, economic, and environmental concerns now figure into the idea of sustainability. In the United States, barriers to greenhouse gas reduction and planning for sustainability include uncertainty about the problem and the best ways to address it, uncertainties about public support, and the lack of a clear mandate for action. Nevertheless, efforts are under way locally in the United States to promote sustainable development, and transportation plays a central role in these plans. The European organizations visited are using many of the same strategies as are U.S. planners, but supporting their efforts are strong policy commitments, government incentives, and new planning processes emphasizing collaboration and performance measurement. Tracking the comparative success of these efforts would be an important next step.