“We have prioritized gas-guzzling, low-occupancy vehicles on highways for 100 years. This car-centric approach accelerates the climate catastrophe, makes our roads less safe, and worsens racial and economic inequalities.
Still, these solutions presume America's sustained reliance on roadways. In contrast, Canada's environmental minister said last month that the country will no longer subsidize road construction projects, instead investing in walking and cycling.
Steven Guilbeault told the Montreal Gazette, “There will be no more envelopes from the federal government to enlarge the road network.” He added money would be “better invested into projects that will help fight climate change and adapt to its impacts.”
Other countries are moving away from car-dependent infrastructure to tackle climate change. After voting to treble SUV parking fees last month, Paris has added almost 50 km of bike lanes since 2020.
Dublin can help “achieve the national objective to reduce emissions from transport by 50% in accordance with the 2023 Climate Action Plan” by reorienting the City Centre towards sustainable transport modes, according to a draft City Centre Transport Plan.
MIT Mobility Initiative senior scholar David Zipper said equivalent measures are difficult and controversial in the U.S. owing to policy inertia. “We’ve spent 100 years building roads at the federal level and funding states to do the same, so state officials and the public expect that to continue, even if it’s useless and harmful to the environment,” he added.
Psychological factors are involved, he noted. Many citizens and authorities believe increasing highways and roads will reduce local congestion. Zipper explained that induced demand explains why expanding car lanes tends to increase traffic by encouraging more people to drive.
He said the U.S. must cease developing roadways and invest more in cleaner alternatives to combat climate change.
“If we’re serious about reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, we have to be serious about reducing transportation emissions, and that means addressing the main source of those emissions, which are cars and trucks on highways,” he said. "And to that extent, we need to rethink highway expansion."
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