When Driving Wanes, Local Economies Gain

Want to boost your local economy and produce significant environmental dividends at the same time? Just drive one mile less per day says a new report from CEOs for Cities.

1 minute read

December 23, 2013, 7:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Evacuated Highway 401

Kenny Louie / Wikimedia Commons

"Helping people to drive less could lead to big savings, as a new analysis by CEOs for Cities shows. If everyone in the 51 largest metro areas reduced driving by one mile per day on average, the U.S. as a whole could save $31 billion a year. And here's the thing: that money would likely go to more productive use than it does today being tied up in the fossil fuel economy," explains Ben Schiller. 

So how can cities encourage significant economic and environmental benefits through modest reductions in driving? "[B]y creating 'strong urban cores and neighborhoods with a mix of uses'; investing in public transit, allowing people to travel less; by focusing on walkability and cycling infrastructure; and enabling car sharing."

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 in Fast Company Co.Exist

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