Transportation Facts

Action: Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle.

Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and air toxins in Canada. There are approximately 17 million light-duty trucks (SUVs, passenger vans and pickups) on the road these days -  together they are responsible for about 15 per cent of Canada's total carbon dioxide emissions. A typical SUV uses almost twice the fuel and releases nearly twice the emissions of a modern station wagon, although both seat the same number of passengers.  

Cars are becoming lighter, more fuel-efficient and less polluting (hurray for public pressure on the auto companies) BUT vehicle emissions continue to rise because Canadians are still buying more and bigger cars, and driving them more often for longer distances.

We have to move ourselves and the stuff we use around somehow, right? It’s simple: drive smarter and you’ll reduce your environmental impact and protect the earth we love. Here’s how.

Action: Walk, bike, carpool or take transit.

Each year, Canadians make 2,000 car trips for distances less then three kilometres. Many of these trips could easily be done on foot, transit or bicycle — healthier alternatives for humans and the planet.

Bet you didn’t know this - researchers in California found the air we breathe inside our cars can be up to 10 times more polluted than the air outside!
Someone who takes the bus every day instead of driving to work keeps 800 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air each year. A single public bus takes 40 vehicles off the road during rush hour, saves 70,000 litres of fuel and reduces air pollutants by nine tonnes a year.

In 1999, the Canadian Automobile Association estimated that the annual cost of owning and operating a subcompact car was $7,500 compared to $11,500 to operate a full-size one. Put another way, driving a car on your own costs about 50 cents per mile, while riding public transportation costs about 20 cents per mile. It costs between $625 and $1,000 per month to keep a car on the road (including fuel, service and insurance). Compare that to the cost of monthly bus passes – most are less than $100 per month.  (Think about it - what will you do with the money you save?)

No one’s asking you to give up your automobile love affair completely. Just pay a little more attention to other methods of getting around (you might just get swept right on your feet). Here’s how.

Action: Choose a home close to work or school.

There is only so much land on the planet where we can grow food, and we need to keep what we have in the agricultural land reserves. We should also preserve habitats for the other creatures that share the earth with us. The post World War II notion that everyone can have a house in the suburbs has got to go – we need liveable cities.

Walking-oriented European cities devote less than 10 per cent of the land to transportation, while automobile-oriented North American cities devote up to 50 per cent to roads and off-street parking. More cars mean more roads and parking facilities, and less green spaces and recreation areas. People living in sprawling suburbs spend less time walking and weigh up to six pounds more than those living in pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods.

Over 80 per cent of Canadians already live in urban areas, but people need to make proximity to the places they go in their daily lives a higher priority. The average person spends 32 hours a month driving and 27 hours a month working to pay just for the use of their car! Think of the time and money you’ll save simply by locating yourself more conveniently. Here’s how.



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