Getting ‘better value’ on your journey

1. Getting ‘better value’on your journey Rhys Taylor Sustainable Living Education Trust and 1010NZ.com 4 May 2010

2. What do individuals value most? • Accessibility – travel door-to-door • Mobility – ability to move independently • The travel experience itself – dry, comfy... • Travel speed (but telecoms are faster!) • Convenience, such as not changing mode during a journey; and carrying goods Wants & needs prompt choices

3. Individual response to ‘needs’ • Private car use, mostly single occupant • Several cars per household (older, fuel in-efficient but cheap, imports) and 700 per 1000 people in Canterbury. • Cycles owned but unused. Fallen to 5% cycle commuters at last Census. • Steadily rising Christchurch city bus use. • Not getting enough exercise.

4. Light cycle.... or heavy SUV?

5. What does society value? • Mobility – of workforce to dispersed jobs, customers to dispersed services, retail. • Turnover – of transport related businesses • Avoiding congestion – economic cost • Safety – a costly road accident toll • Quiet – traffic is noisy, intrusive • Space – cars occupy a large area • Clean air – traffic fumes locally toxic, and the carbon warms Earth’s atmosphere.

6. Diesel engines are greater smoke particle emitters than petrol – these are carcinogens and lung irritants. Vehicles emit over 80% of the toxic carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides found in city air.

7. Private vs Public? • Individual choices in clear conflict with some of society’s preferences. • We used to be addicted to cigarettes – but society is reasserting needs for health, productivity, clean air, etc. • Are we addicted to cars? • Can we afford to be?

8. Globally high level of car ownership in Canterbury We’ve got hooked on oil

9. Oil discovery at peak in 1960s, • Global production at peak around now (86 million barrels per day = 5,500 Olympic pools volume compared to 66 in 1990) • As global demand still growing, price rises will allocate limited supply, and may be steep. • Cars use most of NZ oil imports

11. What choices do we have? • What mode of travel (several options in city) • How travel: solo, or sociably & more efficiently. • Where we travel, from home or workplace. • When (e.g. trip combining) and if we travel. • Why? Virtual travel as alternative and this may need new skills & information (e.g. comparison shopping using websites instead of mall visits) • Technology for efficiency – if it’s affordable

12. 1. How we travel, in the city • Congestion is growing – we risk gridlock on some Christchurch roads, and soon. • One person per car occupies a lot of road & park space. Compare to buses or bikes. 42 Brompton folding bikes in one car park space.

13. Road space required for same no. of travelers by car, bus, bike

14. 2. Shared travel • Multi-purpose family trips: combine tasks • Car pooling for school or work commuting • Shared vehicle ownership (private or club) • Shuttle bus for door to door airport access • Metro bus, many routes • Long distance by coach.

15. 3 in a car sharing to commute is as fuel-efficient as bus travel. Overseas, multiple occupancy cars use bus lanes.

16. 3. Different modes available • Under 2km – local walk 20 mins. Useful exercise in an often sedentary lifestyle! • Under 5 km – cycle, bus, walk (could taxi back with shopping?) Limit car use. • Under 10km – bus, cycle, scooter, car pool • Longer trips – coach, rail, motorbike, shared car applying fuel efficient driving. Fuel efficient vehicle technology.

17. Variation in Co2 emissions for 10km trip Car, 2l engine Smaller car Per person, shared car Per person, bus Bike, walk

18. Car fuel efficiency, by size: Compare cars at: www.rightcar.govt.nz/ or www.fuelsaver.co.nz

19. Walking the talk Two adults in our household share one car, rarely using it solo, and both walk or cycle for short city journeys. We also have Metro-cards for city bus use (& a bus stop near home). In 2009, we changed from a Subaru legacy wagon to a Toyota Platz saloon and cut fuel use on regular journeys by 30%. Bye bye gas guzzler!

20. Driver actions to save fuel • Avoid unnecessary loads, or roof-boxes • Use correct tyre pressures, check these! • Preventative maintenance and tuning the engine, especially diesels, extends vehicle life and reduces sooty air-pollution • Smooth acceleration & braking saves 10% • Start earlier - 90 km/hr uses 20% less fuel than 109 km/hr

21. 4. When and if we travel • Live close to work; pick school near home. • Work at home one day a week or vary pattern of working hours , to avoid road-congested travel times (save 20% fuel) • Combine tasks into one trip, less often. • Walk one way, back by taxi or bus? • Ask: Is the journey necessary? • Sell the second car, & hire.

22. This web-based UK scheme (above) encourages private car sharing between neighbours. Small City Hop cars (below left) are hired by the hour for NZ city region travel – no need to own one. Car clubs operate in many UK cities. Hybrid cars make good taxis, using clean electric power for stop-start short city journeys

23. 5. Virtual travel – smaller footprint • Shop by phone and internet; seek goods deliveries (by shared freight transport) • Phone and video meeting Although home computers and the internet are electricity users, ‘virtual travel’ by web site, phone conference, Skype and similar video conferencing uses much less energy than physical travel.

24. 6. Technology options? • Plug-in and petrol-hybrid electric cars • Lighter weight, smaller cars • Bio-fuel seems appealing but has high environmental cost and limited quantity. • Electric bicycles – becoming available.

25. Awaiting electric cars? • If 8,000 km/yr, would need 1,200 to 2,000 KWh/yr in energy ($400 at current prices) plus cost of battery lease or purchase. • Plug-in electric cars arriving 2012, hybrid electric/petrol cars available now from three makers, at high capital cost. Nissan Leaf, $25,000 in USA plus battery lease.

26. City cars are getting smaller, and lighter, which saves fuel and road/parking space. Concept cars designed in carbon fibre materials would be lighter than aluminium and less reliant on plastics from petro-chemicals. This Toyota example (at right) would weigh only 1/3 of their existing Prius car.

27. Transit is existing technology • Trams and light rail commuting systems • Road-rail convertible buses suggested (using rail corridor as alternative to SH1 for north and south of city) “We are not going to solve congestion by building roads” says Mayor Bob Parker, who favours rail, light rail and tram trains (Feb 2010)

28. Know how, can do... • Adapting to low-carbon travel will mean changes, both forced (higher fuel price, international climate protection) and voluntary (seeking better health & env.) • Behaviour change is more effective and affordable than technical fixes, but challenging! • Sustainable Living helps with information and meeting others who share interest.www.sustainableliving.org.nz

29. Rise to the Challenge • Cut 10% off your household (or workplace) carbon emissions this year and help protect the planet. Start with your travel! • Find out how at www.1010nz.com or at www.1010global.org • Measure impact of changes on the web:www.projectlitefoot.org orwww.carbonzero.co.nz/calculators/