Energy reduction in Los Angeles.

• Author: Ervin, Nikki
• Position: 80% Less Energy - Report

The "if you build it they will come" mentality of Field of Dreams may work for attracting the souls of lost baseball players, but trying to get L.A. residents to leave their cars at home and use new streamlined and comprehensive mass public transit may prove a to be another ball game entirely. Without a radical change in the way citizens of Los Angeles consume transportation energy, current traffic congestion, visible smog, environmental degradation, and resource depletion will only increase.

Although it may seem rash to propose an 80% reduction in energy for the greater Los Angeles area it is a severely needed initiative.

Current estimates show that automobiles and trucks account for about 45% of the anthropogenic VOCs (volatile organic compounds), 50% of the NOx (oxides of nitrogen), and 90% of the CO (carbon monoxide) ... in the ozone ... by far the largest category of emissions, and recent studies indicate that these estimates could be low for VOCs and CO. [1] In order to effectively reduce the massive pollution taking place as a result of daily car commutes in the city of L.A. it is necessary to take an integrated approach to not only reduce emissions in the present, but to further create viable and sustainable alternatives to the current nightmare that supplies Los Angeles and surrounding residents with transportation to and from work each day.

It will be necessary to first create and implement policy initiatives that curb auto traffic and highway ridership in general. This must then be followed by an intense focus on government subsidization and building of more extensive light rail systems and bus rapid transit lines. Additionally, it is essential to create incentives for commuters to choose public transit in place of individual auto transport for this system to be practical and sustainable both environmentally and economically.

The greatest challenge is found in passing policy initiatives that will restrict the use of automobiles in the vicinity of downtown Los Angeles, also known as city center or the financial district. This would be the essential equivalent to restricting all automobiles traveling in the city limits of Washington, D.C., closing the city off entirely to cars and forcing individuals to suffice through alternative means of mass transit, walking, and biking. By restricting automobile traffic in the 10 square mile area of downtown L.A., daily traffic congestion will be greatly alleviated.

Downtown Los Angeles is the major focus of daily commutes for residents of the 65 square mile area of greater L.A. city and the...