Why focus on reducing solo driving?
Passenger vehicles, freight, rail, and aviation account for more than 40% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions (50% in the San Francisco Bay Area). Two-thirds of those emissions are generated by passenger vehicles, which consume 42% of US oil. Transportation is also one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions and a driving force in growing US oil consumption. One step all of us can take now to reduce our nation’s oil dependence, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and concurrently reduce traffic congestion, is to reduce the number of solo driving trips we make—to bicycle, carpool, use transit, carpool or telework even once or twice a week. Carpooling and bicycling won’t end global warming, but our collective actions can significantly decelerate the process and inspire others to become part of the solution.
