IATR — IN FOCUS
by Matthew W. Daus, Esq. President, International Association of Transportation Regulators Distinguished Lecturer, University Transportation Research Center, Region 2

It was my great pleasure to participate in a progressive summit organized by the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) at City College on May 7th. The topic of the symposium was “Sustainable Transit: Developing An Action Agenda.” This event was the vision of Professor Robert (“Buzz”) Paaswell, the Interim President of City College, and was the culmination of the efforts of Dr. Camille Kamga, Danielle Petretta and other staff at UTRC. If you wish to view the conference or obtain copies of the presentations you may access the following link:

http://www.utrc2.org/events/events.php?viewid=264

I moderated a session entitled: “Meeting Sustainability Goals Through Innovations in Policy, Research and Finance.” My Co-Chair for this working session was Projjal Dutta, the Director of Sustainability Initiatives for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), who was the first person to measure the carbon footprint of the MTA and develop a plan to reduce it.

The session included presentations by:

• Professor Michael Meyer, Director of the Georgia Transportation Institute at Georgia Tech;
  
  
  
• Professor Anthony Perl, Director of the Urban Studies Program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia;
  
  
  
• Jon Rynn, author of Manufacturing Green Prosperity; and
  
  
  
• Professor Elliott Sclar of Columbia University.
  

Several of these presentations centered on the challenges facing transit systems including political gridlock and the concept of carbon avoidance: Whether the manufacturing process for producing clean energy vehicles and trains emits more pollutants than are saved by introducing them to service. Also, our speakers offered suggestions for
further research to help us achieve:

• sustainability goals,
  
  
  
• the financing involved in meeting those goals, and
  
  
  
• also set forth a pragmatic vision of what our transit system would look like if it were 100% sustainable.
  

Similar conclusions were reached in that the ideal sustainable system would include electric mobility and traction including subways, light rail, electric buses and short distance electric cars including taxicabs and other forms of for-hire ground transportation.

I ensured that the debate included sustainable for-hire ground transportation, which is easy to be overlooked whenever having a discussion about mass transit. My viewpoint is that taxicabs, car services and commuter vans can be part of the solution, especially in two-fare zones and as supplemental service at transportation hubs. This includes the possibility of using dispatch or taxi stands during peak hours at transit hubs with group rides for multiple passengers to their local residences along and beyond bus routes to fill in the gaps and pockets that mass transit cannot reach.

A unique opportunity to mold the developing for-hire transportation systems around the world into sustainable models exists. Not only is there going to be a significant increase in the number of urban centers over the next century, but these developing cities are either ineffectively or wholly unregulated with older and more polluting vehicles.

While the economic downturn in the United States has somewhat drawn the focus away from sustainable transit, from both a corporate and public standpoint, we need to get back on track. It may not be the wisest policy, for instance, to compel businesses like the black car industry in New York City during an economic downturn into aggressive sustainability measures when it could actually put a company out of business. But in terms of long term goals and planning, we should not lose sight of envisioning what a truly sustainable private ground transportation industry would look like either.

Professor Matthew Daus (right) introduces Vivian Baker (left), Assistant Director of Transit Friendly Land Use & Development for NJ Transit Corporation at "Sustainable Transit Summit."