The Sierra Club's vision for a 100% clean energy future for the transportation topic should specifically include transit and better infrastructure for walking and bicycling, in addition to encouraging the transition of automobiles from fossil fuels to electricity.
The draft 100% Clean Energy Vision draft document only mentions increasing the number of electric vehicles (EVs) to 1,000,000 by 2018 and to 10,000,000 by 2030. In contrast, the Club’s transportation policy (http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/transportation) also supports transit, reduced subsidies for parking, and better facilities for walking and bicycling.
1. Reliable, safe transportation should be available for all, not just those who can afford or want to buy cars. Those who most rely on transit, bicycles and walking are the very people we are hoping to attract to the Sierra Club with our DEI initiatives.
2. An electric vehicular fleet will demand more electricity. More transit, walking, and bicycling would moderate the need to expand the use of clean renewable energy for the electric vehicles.
3. More active transportation means a healthier society.
4. Electric cars take up the same room as fossil-fuel powered cars. By itself, electrification of the vehicular fleet does not address the need to reduce vehicular miles traveled, which creates road congestion leading to demands for more pavement.
5. The most resource intensive form of transportation, the single occupant vehicle (SOV), dominates our roads. The clean energy vision should encourage all alternatives to the SOV since they use less energy and other resources.
6. Transit systems around the country are hurting - we notice this every day for the Washington (DC) Metro system as we read in the Washington Post. We need to move the focus and funding from roads to transit.
7. Often people choose to drive because alternatives, such as walking and bicycling are perceived as (and may actually be) less safe. Government at all levels can address this need by providing safe sidewalks, trails, and bicycle lanes by engaging in “Complete Streets” urban design and planning.
While we feel the vision statement must embrace the need for better transit and better infrastructure for walking and bicycling, we express and emphasize our appreciation of the Vision and the people who helped create it.