Understanding the Benefits of Sustainable Transportation in 2022

Sustainable transportation is such that it has a low negative impact on the environment when compared to unsustainable transportation. A movement for sustainable transportation has been sparked by the difficulties in the current transportation industry in our lives. To meet our current demands and reap the benefits of sustainable transportation, we need a boom in the functioning of the transportation sector. The effectiveness and efficiency of transportation systems, as well as the effects those systems have on the environment and the climate, are the main factors that define what sustainable transportation is. The communities that embrace sustainable transportation experience some of the most rewarding environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainable transportation.

Sustainable transportation is a means of travel that is safe and has little impact on the environment. Sustainable transportation is often referred to as "green transportation." Sustainable transportation has numerous benefits, including reducing your carbon footprint^[1], enhancing your health, and saving money by using sustainable transportation. Sustainable transportation promotes justice within and between future generations by ensuring that people, companies, and society's basic access and development needs are met safely and in a sustainable way for both human and environmental health.

• Reduces carbon footprint: Sustainable transportation like cycling and walking has almost no carbon emissions. They don't use energy, make greenhouse emissions, contribute to air pollution, or make noise. Additionally, by reducing the volume of vehicles on the road, public transit produces fewer emissions per passenger mile than single-occupancy vehicles.
• Reduces congestion: When more people start switching to sustainable transportation, there will be less congestion and traffic on the roads. Less traffic will allow people to reach their destination on time, and more open spaces and roads will help protect our natural habitat.
• Good for public health: One major benefit of sustainable transportation is that it can improve the public's general health. Cycling and walking can help you improve your overall health as well.
• Pocket-friendly: Opting for sustainable transportation is a great way to save transportation costs. Taking public transport to work is less expensive than maintaining and fueling a personal vehicle. Cities may reduce maintenance costs for roads and parking lots.
• Reduces noise pollution: Less road congestion means less noise and better living conditions for people. Noise pollution^[2] is not something we should overlook; it can adversely affect the residents' well-being. Considerable reduction in noise pollution is one of the many benefits of sustainable transportation.

Let us look at real-life examples of cities successfully incorporating sustainable transportation practices.

Zurich's Sustainability Transportation System

Zurich is famous for being one of the most eco-friendly cities in the world. The public transit system in Zurich is among the most effective and dependable in the whole globe. Therefore, it should be no surprise that streetcars and buses are the city's most popular forms of public transit. Every location in the city is connected by a comprehensive network of frequent services, allowing travellers to take in even more of the surroundings as they go. Some reasons behind the success of Zurich's transportation system are:

• They have installed a well-connected, easily accessible public transportation network with inexpensive fares for trains, trams, and buses to encourage regular usage.
• Their administration has ensured additional room on the road for bikers and pedestrians.
• To discourage the use of automobiles in congested areas, Zürich introduced hefty toll levies.
• Induction loop sensors were installed to monitor vehicle movements and control traffic flow.
• They have a detailed and well-executed long-term accessibility strategy
• The effectiveness of Zurich's sustainable transportation infrastructure may be seen in the city's low vehicle ownership rate and high public transit usage. Zurich's vehicle ownership has gone down to almost 50%.

Stockholm is Europe's one of the most popular and also one of the most sustainable cities. Renewable energy sources fuel this city's entire public transportation system. The Stockholm public transit system's high level of regularity, dependability, and intermodal connection has been its most significant achievement. Additionally, the city runs trams and light rail across lines that can carry more passengers than buses. These are an essential part of newly developed neighbourhoods all around the city. In the 1980s, the transition to low-carbon, fossil-free public transportation began. The objective of using only renewable energy for the metro, buses, and local trains was attained in 2017 thanks to its administration's long-term strategy and well-stated interim goals.

Sustainable transportation is a desirable, healthy, and dynamic equilibrium between people, automobiles, and the environment. The growing concerns about our depleting resources and increasing air pollution have created an immediate requirement for sustainable transportation. At Schneider, we are dedicated to implementing our client's sustainability initiatives. We create the mobility for the future and deliver the greatest customer experience with digital solutions in urban transportation using the IoT-enabled, future-ready EcoStruxure. At Schneider Electric, we work towards creating a net-zero future, and EcoStruxure for eMobility can help you reach it.