Promote better intermodal and ecosystem-based planning (e.g. Portland, Oregon)
Partnerships among local governments, municipal planning organizations, and non-governmental organizations
Reactive government; economic inertia (perceived losses, market downturns); "frontier" mentality; racism
Initiate demonstration projects which would foster coordinated intermodal and ecosystem-based planning and action; pass local ordinances which would establish bike parking, accessory apartments, corner stores, generic environmental impact statement for mixed used space, streamlined permits for downtown; evaluate existing successes and failures, and communicate broadly
Ensure bioregional coordination of transportation plans
Municipal planning organizations; International Joint Commission with academic support; state/provincial and federal transportation departments; Council of Great Lakes Governors
Concern for who takes the first step; concern for insufficient resources; concern for how to institutionalize; information and planning gaps (e.g. no pedestrian plans)
Promote information exchanges through regional conferences and meetings; assign responsibility for bioregional coordination to regional planning bodies; send letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation and their Canadian counterpart asking them to initiate bioregional coordination of transportation plans through Council of Great Lakes Governors, International Joint Commission, or other institutional structure
Achieve greater multi-modal balance within bioregions
Municipal planning organizations and local governments; state, provincial, and federal transportation departments; transit authorities; transportation activists, including the private sector
Low priority for balance among transportation modes; liability perception; institutional biases of those who control money
Establish track record with "early" wins (bike rental shops, cops on bikes, bike signs, inter-city express lanes for buses; remove legal barriers for jitneys; establish more downtown crosswalks and transit stations for pedestrians; make greater use of existing rail and shipping modes); use Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act resources to overcome institutional barriers and develop flexible solutions; document and disseminate benefits
Ensuring democratic planning processes with ecosystem educational component (e.g. Toronto, Ontario)
All levels of government; regional planning organizations; professional societies; academia
Perceived narrow mandates; limited cross-training of planners; institutional barriers in governmental transportation and environmental agencies
Explicitly address ecosystem - transportation interface in order to achieve ecosystem integrity
All levels of government; regional planning organizations
Lack of community vision and goals; ecosystem - transportation interface not recognized as a problem; transportation centered around automobile
Ensure inclusive, democratic planning process; establish broad ecosystem vision for sustainable communities and translate into policy and local actions; ensure harmonized economic, environmental, and societal goals; promote broad-based education and integrated thinking/solutions; encourage sustainable community design as opposed to automobile centered design
Utilize economic and market incentives to ensure full cost accounting on transportation - environment issues
All levels of government; transportation and environment agencies
Lack of mandate; institutional inertia (we have always done it this way); perception of economic loss for environmental gain
Implement a gas tax based on full cost accounting; implement congestion pricing; implement full cost parking; implement transportation demand management (e.g. employer sanctioned telecommuting, transit passes, car pools, cash out parking subsidies)