DOT is Putting Transportation on the Right Track 

WASHINGTON – The Department of Transportation released a key rule last week that will require states to measure greenhouse gas pollution from highway systems and set targets to lower those emissions.  

This new greenhouse gas rule follows similar performance measurement standards for things like safety and the environment. As with these other areas, each state will set its own greenhouse gas targets and adopt its own strategies for reaching them. States will then regularly report on their progress, increasing transparency and accountability.   

The following is a comment from Shruti Vaidyanathan, director of federal transportation at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):  

“With the costs of the climate crisis becoming clearer every day and historic infrastructure funding flowing to states, we need to be sure these new investments are building a cleaner, more sustainable transportation system.  

“It’s way past time for officials to measure the impact of public spending and come up with ways to make it better. Just paving more, new lanes of highways is not the answer. The key is making sure the funds are spent on highway repairs and on alternatives such as charging stations, public transit, and bike lanes. 

“This rule will help us all focus on how to deliver a transportation system that serves all of us for decades to come.” 

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.