Environmental and Social Change through Multimodal Transportation

With the effects of climate change causing more and more major weather events, cities are looking for new ways to ensure that infrastructure is resilient while also making downtown areas more attractive as places to both live and work. One major way our clients are looking to do this is by providing residents with alternative modes of transportation that will reduce the reliance on traditional gasoline single-occupancy vehicles, and lean towards slower safer spaces for pedestrians.  

Reducing Emissions and Improving Quality of Life

Multimodal transportation is a key feature of places that are looking for impactful, visible and cost effective  ways to mitigate climate change. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Providing a range of transportation choices and the walkable neighborhoods that support them can help improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Ultimately, the goal of multimodal transportation is to provide options beyond dependence on single-occupancy vehicles. With the vast majority of single-occupancy vehicles still powered by fossil fuels, this has substantial impacts on emissions. For example, according to the National Park Service (NPS), NPS transit services eliminated an estimated 11.5 million passenger vehicle trips taken on US National Parks in 2023   , which in turn eliminated over 60,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. Our cities produce vastly more CO2 than preserved natural areas, and transportation is an area ripe for positive change.

In Traverse City, Michigan our firm worked alongside community stakeholders and Toole Design to develop a new Mobility Action Plan, a sustainable and strategic vision developed to enhance cycling and pedestrian infrastructure within the downtown. We also created a plan to expand the city’s TART trail network by two miles—accommodating separate lanes for pedestrians and bicyclists. This improves not only the neighborhood connections, it also improves wayfinding for visitors and residents, and provides greater opportunity to get to (and around) downtown.

Multi-modal enhancements work best as a system approach rather than stand-alone improvements. For example, the Turner Avenue bike lane in Grand Rapids, MI may seem like a small project says civil engineer Piotr Szczepanski—but like the Traverse City project, it’s an expression of a generational shift towards sustainable urban design and connected infrastructure. The Grand Rapids bike lane will eventually connect with the proposed Soccer Stadium being developed just down the road, encouraging event traffic to consider alternate methods of transportation.

Vehicles contribute to poor air quality by emitting pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, which can lead to smog, respiratory issues, and environmental degradation. Poor air quality can deter outdoor activities and harm public health. Projects such as those described above provide the opportunity for people to walk, bike, jog, utilize public transportation, and take advantage of public bike and scooter sharing programs. This not only cuts back on emissions , but it also promotes physical fitness, encourages consumption at small businesses and restaurants, and makes the downtown atmosphere much more vibrant by helping us connect to each other.  

Less Blacktop, More People Space

Another way municipalities are improving environmental quality is by limiting the number of new parking structures being built in downtown areas, and prioritizing greenspace.   Limiting downtown parking improves air quality in urban areas by prioritizing people along with cars, which creates an environment where driving and parking is not the only option for transportation—thereby decreasing tailpipe emissions and traffic congestion. This encourages the use of alternative transportation modes like walking, biking, and public transit, which are less polluting and contribute to a cleaner, healthier urban environment.

Parking as a land use in metropolitan areas is a challenging balancing act for residents and city officials. From a placemaking perspective, urban designer Joy Sportel says lack of parking is a positive. “A downtown parking shortage signifies success, as it indicates high demand and popularity, reflecting a vibrant and thriving urban area where people want to be.” In addition to the climate concerns we face, there are very real social, economic and public health concerns which can be positively impacted by doing design in a multi-faceted way.

The City of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is looking to attract more residents to its downtown area. The street network includes two major one-way streets that act as a “business loop” enabling large vehicles to travel and maneuver through the city, but making it complex for visitors to park, dine, shop, and explore. We are helping the city to redesign these major roads into two-way streets that are easier for visitors to explore and navigate comfortably on foot. Two-way streets inherently slow and calm traffic, making them safter for pedestrians. Increasing the visibility of individuals in a downtown environment, drivers are required to “look both ways” and become accustomed to fewer travel lanes in each direction. Fewer travel lanes result in shorter crossing distances as compared to wider, multi-flow veins of traffic all travelling one direction. In addition, two-way lanes lean towards smaller vehicles, and we anticipate fewer large trucks causing emissions and disruption to the downtown in the future.

Contributing to a More Vibrant Tomorrow

Our cities are changing. Downtowns that were seen as a hub for work and commerce are once again being understood as places for people to connect professionally and personally. This transition is not only a more resilient way of operating, it also provides healthier interactions, increased social opportunities and more people-focused environments.

At Progressive Companies, our dedicated planners, architects, urban designers, and civil engineers are driven by partnering with our clients to see visions for sustainable, attractive and vibrant communities become reality.  

Sources:

NPSNational Transit Inventory and Performance Report for 2023

Bicycles& Pedestrians - Transportation (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-and-transportation

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