[sustran] Sustainable Mobility Principles, Practices & Priorities - a proposed discussion frame

[eric.britton at ecoplan.org]

Dear Friends:

Next week I am giving an overview presentation to a meeting in Italy which
is being given over issues involving the support of carsharing innovations,
a process that is already well engaged. In this context, I also want to
provide a few words on the needs for making absolutely sure that whatever is
done takes places within the necessary broader frame – in a phrase, a
sustainable  mobility system.  Here is what I propose to share with them in
this context, trying to put this in the broadest strategic context.  Any
comments or suggestions would be much appreciated.

And I very much hope that this might be useful to at least some of you.

Kind regards,

Eric



Afterword: Sustainable Mobility Principles, Practices & Priorities

(This is my vision of the broader strategic  frame within which all
carsharing initiatives  should be understood and developed from a public
policy perspective.  It may well not be yours.)

Prioritiy 1.       Improve quality and quantity of access for low income
groups, neighborhoods --  as main beneficiaries of public funding.  Why? . .
.
*         Because it gives you more mobility bang per taxpayer buck.
*         On social justice grounds
*         Because such improvements ‘trickle up”  -- far better than what
happens when you start at the top of the economic spectrum and wait for
things to trickle down
Prioritiy 2.       Get used to the concept of multi-level, multi-part ,
multi-player systems
*	Which require the creation, integration and coordination of hundreds of
measures and players –bearing in mind that most of these are going ort be
new, unfamiliar and at times difficult and time consuming to bring on line.
*	Leadership in such situations resides not so much in the old practices of
deciding, doing, and providing, but  rather in evoking and supporting
positive ideas and inputs from as broad a range of people, groups and
interests as possible
*	If you can’t handle this level of complexity and the leadership challenges
that go with it, give up on the idea of a sustainable  and just (and
efficient) city.
Prioritiy 3.       Reduce motorized vehicle traffic (and with it accidents,
pollution, etc.)
*         Targeting above all draconian reductions in low volume carriers
(cars with one or few passengers)
*	Systematically transfer existing road infrastructure (roadway, parking) to
high capacity vehicles (i.e., away from private/solo driver cars)
Prioritiy 4.       Protect children, provide them with healthy transport,
*	Moreover, get them actively involved in understanding and even in laying
the basis for an improved system.
Prioritiy 5.       Increase the space for innovation and demonstrations
*	Bearing in mind that in almost all cities of the world the sector is badly
hogtied through restrictive histrionic legislation, practices, and turf
battles.
Prioritiy 6.       Invite and increase entrepreneurship, innovation, problem
solving, and new and better services at highest level of decentralization
possible
*         To all three sectors (i.e., private, public and
volunteer/community)
*         Reduce barriers to experimentation and new services
*         Reduce barriers to entrepreneurship
Prioritiy 7.       Become a world level sustainability performer in your
community
*	By bringing people, interests and groups (say taxi drivers just to name
one of the harder nuts) to the table and finding ways to get them positively
involved in creating their city’s new, multi-level mobility system
Prioritiy 8.       Manage and support success and failure:
*	Increase visibility of Best Practices  through honest, open and critical
reporting
*	Subject all ‘failures’ to frank, open, generous public analysis,
discussion -- bearing in mind that in many cases these ‘failures’ will carry
within them the seeds of future success..
Prioritiy 9.       Get time on your side.
*	Achieve early visible successes - “Proof of concept” to get the public on
your side
*	Steer clear of  big expensive hardware solutions that promise to “solve
your problems” in 10+ years (during which you will continue to have an
unsustainable  and unjust city).

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