Research Idea Details

Research Idea Scope

Recent studies are showing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) is one of the greatest problems faced today.  To reduce GHG is extremely complex and difficult since its production is so broad and intrinsic. Many agencies are realizing this significant problem and are beginning to legislate and act in various ways to mitigate it.  However, most strategies focus on electric energy generation, trading carbon emissions, and promoting efficient energy use – very little focus has been placed on altering our lifestyles and vehicle use, for vehicles are the greatest producers of GHG.
 
Studies of other countries have shown that they reduce vehicles trips in various ways.  Examples of strategies are better coordinating development and transit and enacting various forms of pricing and taxation to reduce vehicle use. There should be a study made on the effectiveness of these various programs, such as the ones in Stockholm, Curitiba, Kobe, Osaka, Yokohama, and Singapore. In Singapore, for example, Land Development and Transport were combined under a single administration. Vancouver, Canada has also enacted a similar program that combines Planning and Transportation. These cities have developed communities favoring transit. By comparison, large older cities such as New York, Tokyo, Osaka, London, and Paris have developed dense development around transit over decades before automobiles were widely utilized, and they have still managed to maintain high transit mode shares. In addition, many of these countries have imposed pricing and higher taxes on the use of autos, which has reduced auto use by making people think twice before using or buying a vehicle.
 This study would focus on how effective the strategies described above, and potentially other strategies, are in promoting transit and reducing vehicle use.