|
The Link Between Driving and Air Pollution
Click HERE for graphic. The Link Between Driving and Air Pollution Vehicle exhaust is the leading source of hazardous air pollution in Washington State. While air quality has improved in the central Puget Sound region, population and employment growth will undoubtedly lead to more and more vehicles on the roads, and more pollutants in the air. This brochure explains the link between air quality and driving, and the health impacts of poor air quality. Some promising air- quality improvement efforts are described, as well as some personal strategies you can undertake to decrease the number of trips you take and the number of miles you drive. Impacts of Air Pollution Even though emission-control equipment has reduced the amount of pollution produced by motor vehicles, Puget Sound area residents continue to drive in ever increasing numbers. Over the past 10 years, they have increased the amount they drive by more than 70 percent. Although the forecasted growth in vehicle miles of travel for the year 2020 is not quite so dramatic as that of the past 10 years, the increase is expected to be at least 40 percent.' With the increase in driving, the health impacts of air pollution have come into focus. Automobile emissions are the major cause of air pollution which comes in a number of forms, but those we're most concerned about in this region are ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. * Vehicle Exhaust is the leading source of hazardous air pollution in the state - Ozone is the principal component of smog. It causes breathing problems, reduced lung function, asthma, eye and nose irritation, and reduced resistance to colds and other infections. - Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of blood to bring oxygen to body cells and tissues. It may be particularly hazardous to people who have heart or circulatory problems and people who have damaged lungs or breathing passages. - Particulate matter, a pollutant that causes nose and throat irritation, lung damage and bronchitis, is caused in large part by diesel vehicles and by road dust suspended in the air by moving vehicles. - These forms of air pollution also decrease visibility and damage plants and trees. They can eat away stone, damaging historic buildings, monuments and statues. The health impacts of driving are of great concern to the public. More than three quarters of the respondents in a 1993 survey believed that automobile emissions contribute a great deal to air pollution in the Puget Sound area. Respondents indicated that the most important reason for maintaining or improving air quality was to avoid the health risks of air pollution. (1) Puget Sound Regional Council forecasts (10/94) (2) Random Sample Public Opinion Survey of Air pollution in Puget Sound Region, Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency, 1993. New Rules Say Transportation Improvements Cannot Worsen Air Quality As a consequence of poor air quality due to vehicle emissions, federal and state air quality regulations specifically target auto emissions and auto travel. Our region must attain and maintain air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. If air quality falls below set standards, the federal government can impose dramatic sanctions, including the increased controls on industry and the withholding of federal transportation dollars earmarked for the central Puget Sound region. Further, state and local governments would be forced to adopt programs that may limit the amount of miles we drive each year. The region has proven that it is in compliance with federal air quality standards at this time. To ensure that we maintain those standards, air quality will be monitored constantly, and a regional air-quality maintenance plan will soon be put in place by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency (PSAPCA). * The worst air pollution happens when your car is warming up - during the first few miles of travel. In addition to maintaining air quality, all major transportation improvements in Washington State must prove that they do not worsen air quality. Proposed projects are tested to ensure their consistency with air quality regulations. If they worsen air quality, they cannot receive local, state or federal funding. Without this funding, most transportation projects would never be built. This relatively new constraint placed on transportation project funding will become increasingly important as our region grows. Local Efforts Target Auto Travel Dramatic congestion on our freeways and arterial streets hasn't deterred driving. In fact, driving is on the increase with noncommute trips now accounting for more traffic volume than peak- hour commute trips! The Puget Sound Regional Council, the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency, the Washington State Department of Transportation, the State Department of Ecology, the Washington State Energy Office and local jurisdictions in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap Counties are working to improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions. The Regional Council is identifying and assessing strategies to decrease mobile-source air emissions. These Transportation Control Measures-or @com#)ute TCMs-are being tested for their effectiveness at reducing vehicle emissions. They will be implemented by the state, regional, and local agencies as needed to maintain and improve air quality. * Noncommute trips outnumber commute trips 4 to 1 To assist in their evaluations of potential TCM'S, the Regional Council, working with its Transportation and Air Quality Advisory Committee, has developed a computer model, called TCM Tools, to test the effectiveness of these strategies. Local jurisdictions have begun using the model to test whether a particular approach to improving air quality is likely to produce the desired results in the context of each community's unique combination of land use, transportation patterns, existing air quality, and other factors. Some of the most promising TCMs being considered by local governments and others are listed below. Several of these TCMs have been implemented on a localized or case-by-case basis. These programs will require the active involvement of citizens interested in improving air quality in our region. To learn more about these programs, contact the listed agencies, Puget Sound Regional Council or Puget Sound Pollution Control Agency. Click HERE for graphic. Click HERE for graphic. The strategies described above are being evaluated by local jurisdictions for their effectiveness in reducing air pollution. As the need to reduce air pollution arises, selected strategies will be proposed and implemented. Why Drive Less? Finding ways to drive less is critical to Puget Sound air quality. And air pollution is not caused by commuters alone. Trips for recreation, shopping, errands, social events, and other purposes all contribute to health hazards and reduced visibility. Call the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency or the Puget Sound Regional Council for more information about how you and your community can find ways to drive less. Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Planning 1011 Western Ave, Ste. #500 Seattle, WA 98104-1035 (206) 464-7090 Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency Transportation and Air Quality 110 Union Street, Ste. 500 Seattle, WA 98101-2038 (206) 343-8800
