The principles of sustainability have been gaining ground in the public transportation industry. Sustainability, at its core, is a way to make our communities more livable by integrating and balancing economic, social and environmental needs.
What Is Sustainability?
Sustainability is about practices that make good business sense and good environmental sense. It is balancing the economic, social and environmental needs of a community. For the public transportation industry, this means:
- Employing practices in design and capital construction, such as using sustainable building materials, recycled materials, and solar and other renewable energy sources to make facilities as 'green' as possible.
- Employing practices in operations and maintenance such as reducing hazardous waste, increasing fuel efficiency, creating more efficient lighting and using energy-efficient propulsion systems.
- Employing community-based strategies to encourage land use and transit-oriented development designed to increase public transit ridership.
APTA Sustainability Commitment - Formal Launch 2010
APTA has formally launched its sustainability commitment following a successful pilot phase in 2009. APTA members who sign on commit to a core set of actions on sustainability. APTA members can also obtain further recognition for their actions by signing on to the higher levels of the commitment.
For further information on the APTA sustainability commitment, click here.
To sign the APTA Sustainability Commitment, please use the application form.
If you have already signed the commitment, but would like to apply for a higher recognition level, please click here.
To see a current list of signatories to the APTA Sustainability Commitment, click here.
APTA members who have signed the Sustainability Commitment can access a discussion forum pertaining to implementation of the commitment here.
SAVE the DATE! July 25-27, 2010
APTA Sustainability and Public Transportation Workshop
Westin Hotel, New York, New York
Look for registration and preliminary agenda soon.
APTA Sustainability Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah: August 2-5, 2009
Launch of APTA Sustainability Standards and Resources
APTA has recently published the following sustainability standards and resources:
International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
APTA has also signed on to UITP's Charter on Sustainable Development.
Articles and Reports
For articles on sustainability in Passenger Transport, as well as reports, click here.
Other Links