420F98024
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
EPA420-F-98-024
May 1998
Office of Mobile sources
v>EPA IRAQ Technical Brief
Transportation Air Quality Center
Initiative to Involve Youth in
Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled
The Environmental Protection Agency has entered into a cooperative
agreement with the Academy for Educational Development to develop a
program that would involve youth in decreasing vehicle emissions by
changing travel behavior. This community-based, voluntary program will be
field tested in three pilot sites. The results of the field testing will be used to
produce a program blueprint that can be used by diverse localities
interested in innovative, effective approaches to address their air quality
concerns.
Significance
The increase in the number of miles being driven in recent years threatens
to overwhelm the technological advances made with respect to vehicle
emission reductions, adding to air pollution as well as urban gridlock.
Although today's cars are 70 to 90 percent cleaner than their 1970 counter-
parts, transportation emissions continue to be a significant cause of air
pollution due to the rapid increase in travel activity since 1970. The amount
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of miles driven has almost doubled in the U.S. from 1970 to 1990, tripled
from 1960, and increased even faster in many specific metropolitan areas.
Youth contribute to travel activity and can play an important role by devel-
oping a better understanding of the impact of travel choice. This youth-
based initiative will create a voluntary program which will be field tested to
provide effective application in communities around the country.
Objectives
The initiative will produce a blueprint for a community-based program that
supports states and local communities seeking to meet air quality standards
and improve public health. It will do this by developing a replicable and
sustainable approach to involving American youth and their families in
reducing emissions from travel activity.
Partners
EPA's Office of Mobile Sources entered into a cooperative agreement with
the Academy for Educational Development (AED), who first proposed to
undertake this effort. AED is a private, nonprofit service organization with
35 years of experience in addressing the problems of human development,
with a strong emphasis on youth.
Initiative Design
This three-year initiative began in spring 1997. A youth-design oriented
program is being developed at the local level at three pilot site locations:
Tampa Primary Partner: American Lung Association of Gulfcoast Florida
Projected Results: Reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT) because of youth
involvement in VMT issue. The objective will be realized through two
tracks: 1) enhancement of the current AirWise curriculum to strengthen the
VMT component targeting seventh-grade students; and 2) creation of youth
committee of tenth-grade students to develop appealing promotional ap-
proaches around specific travel activities.
Boston Primary Partner: Alternatives for Community & Environment
Projected Results: Enhanced suburb-to-suburb transportation options, so
that low-income residents have better access jobs. The objective will be
realized as youth become engaged in identifying needs and proposing
solutions to expand and improve transportation choices available in target
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neighborhoods. For example, the youth may engage the transit agency to
expand or enhance bus service.
Kansas City Primary Partner: Mid-America Regional Council (MARC)
Projected Results: Enhanced use of a wide range of travel choices by
students who live close to school. This objective will be realized by devel-
oping a bike/pedestrian initiative to involve youth in working with the
community to make walking and biking to school a viable alternative.
Youth Involvement
Involving youth in the decision-making process can improve project effec-
tiveness and sustainability. Youth can play a role in several ways.
• Communicate about travel choices.
• Contribute to finding travel solutions.
• Choose travel options that minimize VMT.
Appropriate local youth-focused organizations are being identified and
invited to participate in each pilot site.
Outcome
Upon completion, AED will have a program blueprint and tools to conduct
an effective, community-based, sustainable approach to involve youth in
reducing VMT. This will be shared with EPA and communities across the
country. The blueprint can then be used by states and local communities
interested in including a youth component in their VMT reduction efforts.
For Further Information
For more information on the initiative to involve youth in reducing vehicle
miles traveled, please contact:
Connie Ruth
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
2000 Traverwood
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
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Phone: 734-214-4815
Fax: 734-214-4052
E-mail: ruth.connie@epa.gov
Rick Bossi or Bill Smith
Academy for Educational Development
1255 23rd Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: 202-884-8898
Fax: 202-884-8701
E-mail: rbossi@aed.org or bsmith@aed.org
Additional documents on transportation and air quality are available
electronically from the EPA Internet server at:
http://www.epa.gov/oms/traq
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