Toward a Policy on a Sustainable Transportation System

Abstract

As the world’s population increases and its resources remain constant, there is a need to address the sustainability of transportation systems. A sustainable transportation system is defined as one in which fuel consumption, vehicle emissions, safety, congestion, and social and economic access are of such levels that they can be sustained into the indefinite future without causing great or irreparable harm to future generations of people throughout the world. A wide range of factors influencing the conditions of sustainability is identified. These factors include, for example, market forces, low-price fuel, and vehicle-dependent land use patterns. Opportunities for policy intervention are identifiable through the influence diagrams developed. Participants in the transportation-use decision process and their possible actions and resultant consequences are discussed.