D.C. Region Sets Goal to Reduce GHG Emissions From Transportation 50% by 2030

“Leaders from around the D.C. area voted Wednesday to adopt aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals for the transportation sector, pledging to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030,” reports Jacob Fenston for DCist.

The vote by the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, came as somewhat of a surprise, according to Fenston. “The board was set to vote on a much more modest proposal to cut emissions by 32%, which planners said was realistic yet still ambitious. That goal was upped to 50% through an amendment put forward by Montgomery County.”

According to the article, TPB's ambitious targets will be aided by several initiatives ready to contribute to the cause:

1. “making half of new cars electric or fueled by other carbon-free sources by 2030;
2. “building an electric vehicle charging network;
3. “completing a regional trail network to boost biking and walking;
4. “building 77,000 new homes around transit hubs; and cutting travel times on bus and rail.”

This editor should note, however, the evidence that electric cars aren’t the emissions panacea some hope.

“Other strategies to be further explored include changes that could be more expensive or politically unpalatable, such as a tax on vehicle miles traveled, making all public transit free, and charging a fee to drive in downtown D.C. and other activity centers,” according to Fenston.

According to the source article, linked below, advocates are celebrating the adoption of the emission reductions targets as a historic step in the fight against climate change.