[sustran] Re: Fuel consumed by idling

[Madhav Badami, Prof.]

Hello all,

Quite apart from what idling (or indeed motor vehicle activity generally) does in terms of air pollution and energy consumption, I think there is a larger picture here, that it is important that we do not lose sight of.

I think it is unwise to look at the urban transport problem through the prism of only air pollution, or energy, or whatever (important though each of these issues is). This is because policies to address one urban transport impact can not only fail to address but in fact exacerbate other impacts. As we all know, attempts to smoothen motor vehicle traffic flow in order to address congestion (and fuel consumption and air pollution) can affect accessibility, and particularly so when there is, as in many low income countries, a very large number of pedestrians.

Smart urban transport policy should therefore look for ways to simultaneously address a wide range of urban transport impacts, at low cost; indeed, a "reconciliation of valid opposites", to use EF Schumacher's felicitious terminology, is what public policy should do generally.

Trying to address multiple urban transport objectives (accessibility, energy consumption, air pollution, road safety, and so on) so that we end up with a system that is low cost, ecologically benign, and socially just, is particularly important in low income countries, where urban transport impacts are severe (despite low levels of motorization), on account of poor quality technologies, highly constrained financial and administrative resources, and a large share of the populace has no ability to own and operate motor vehicles but yet are heavily exposed to and affected by their impacts.

Particularly in such situations, ensuring accessibility, I would argue, is the absolutely number 1 priority. After all, a significant proportion of trips are short distance and capable of being conducted by foot. If we can ensure that these trips are indeed conducted by foot (which is increasingly not the case, precisely because access is being severely compromised thanks to rapidly growing motor vehicle activity, planning to accommodate it, and utter disregard for pedestrians and cyclists), and provide convenient and affordable public transit, then air pollution and (fossil fuel!) energy consumption would not be such a big deal, and we wouldn't have to fuss about how much idling contributes to either.

Cheers,

Madhav 

************************************************************************

"As for the future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable it."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
 
Madhav G. Badami, PhD
School of Urban Planning and McGill School of Environment
McGill University
Macdonald-Harrington Building
815 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada
 
Phone: 514-398-3183 (Work); 514-486-2370 (Home)
Fax: 514-398-8376; 514-398-1643
URLs: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning
www.mcgill.ca/mse
e-mail: madhav.badami at mcgill.ca




-----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+madhav.g.badami=mcgill.ca at list.jca.apc.org on behalf of Markus Sander
Sent: Thu 5/10/2007 8:31 AM
To: Global 'South' Sustainable Transport
Subject: [sustran] Re: Fuel consumed by idling
 
On Thu, May 10, 2007 at 10:54:26AM +0100, martincassini at blueyonder.co.uk wrote:

> I thought I said, and meant, that 40% of polluting gases from traffic, not
> fuel used, is from traffic idling. I got that figure from pro-regulation

I still don't see what's the problem. Assuming that the time a car motor
is switched on is constant, it is better burning fuel while idling
instead of burning fuel while driving.

Pleae take into account that the traveling *time* is the long term
constant, not the distance.

If you substitute 'idling' with 'driving slow' your statement would be:
"40% of pollutions are from traffic driving slow" and "if everyone goes
faster, we have less pollution". That doesn't make sense.

-- 
 (c) markus
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