Sustainable Transportation: Review of Proposals, Policies, and Programs 2000-2007

This paper reviews the most recent research, policy proposals and recommendations, implemented policies, and programs on sustainable transportation at the national (federal) level, with regional focus on the US, UK (related to European Union if appropriate), and Canada. The paper found that the concept of sustainable transportation had been given increased attention recently. However, there are significant variances between the research, policy proposal, and implementation. Efforts made towards sustainable transportation, and the focus of the efforts within and outside the US also vary notably. As a whole, the US federal government was less aggressive than its British and Canadian counterparts in marketing and implementing sustainable transportation. This is evidenced by a lack of overarching federal policy (mandate) or even a working definition for sustainable transportation, absence of an organized approach (such as gateway and dedicated websites) within governmental agencies to market the idea of sustainable development in general and sustainable transportation in particular, and discrete rather than coordinated plans on sustainability and sustainable transportation issues.