NRDC Releases State Transportation Scorecard

The Getting Transportation Right report highlights which states are making the most progress on reducing transportation emissions and improving access to clean transportation options.

1 minute read

April 21, 2025, 7:02 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


White BART public transit train at Coliseum station in Oakland, California.

Sundry Photography / Adobe Stock

A ranking by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) rates each state on its transportation policies, from state planning to vehicle electrification to embodied emissions (a calculation that includes emissions produced in the making of building materials and components).

According to NRDC, “Vermont earned the top score on the strength of its electric vehicle policies, EV charging network, climate pollution reduction, and safety for people who bike and walk. But that score, only a 70.5 out of 100, shows that there is significant room for improvement, even among the top-scoring states.”

The scorecard indicates that expanding transportation choices is one of the categories that makes the biggest impact on reducing emissions. “It is also the category where states haven’t made enough progress. Only the District of Columbia and Hawai'i earned marginally more than 50 percent of the available points in this category.”

See the source article for the full rankings chart.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in Natural Resources Defense Council

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Regeneration of contaminated industrial land used for waste dumping, West Midlands, UK, 2006 .

EPA Awards $267 Million to Clean Up and Reuse Contaminated Sites

The EPA is investing the funds to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites nationwide, supporting economic growth, community revitalization, and environmental restoration.

May 18 - Environmental Protection

Archway made of bikes in Knoxville, Tennessee over Tennessee River.

Knoxville Dedicates $1M to New Greenway

The proposed greenway would run along North Broadway and connect to 125 miles of existing trails.

May 18 - WATE

25mph speed limit sign with digital "Your Speed" sign below it.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot

The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.

May 18 - WHYY