Reducing VMT with Walkable, Affordable and Healthy Communities

When it comes to the climate crisis, the single worst contributor in the commonwealth that has the largest impact per ton of emissions are light-duty passenger vehicles. The easiest way to reduce vehicles miles is to get Virginians out of their cars. This means making public transit more affordable and accessible, as well as creating bikeable and walkable communities. 

But currently, many communities have little to no access to public transportation. In 2018, riders of Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) had to deal with 18,653 scheduled buses that never showed up. And two of our state’s biggest bus systems—HRT and the Greater Richmond Transit Company—were ranked two of the three worst-funded public transit systems in the country per capita.

 The mobility options available for Virginians are heavily shaped by regional bodies and municipal boards. However, not many residents know how to engage in these processes. As advocates, we demystify the decision-making processes and provide clear ways for residents to make their voices heard. We’re currently working with coalition partners to:

• Push for Mobility for All in NoVA. County supervisors and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority heavily influence where highways are built and where affordable housing is located throughout Northern Virginia. However, these decisions are often made years in advance with minimal public input. We connect residents to their decision makers and push for policies that will reduce carbon emissions while prioritizing affordable housing, connected communities and free public transit.  

• Establish a Rider’s Council for Richmond. We believe that the only way to push for effective and equitable public transportation is by privileging the voices of its most frequent users. That’s why we, through the Virginia Walkability Action Institute, are teaming up with RVA Rapid Transit, the only mass transit advocacy group in the Commonwealth, to set a foundation for a Rider’s Council. By building up a local base and supplying structure and resources, CCAN hopes to ensure a democratic participation in our decision making around how we get around Richmond.

Clean Vehicles for All

To support transitioning to clean vehicles, CCAN has already taken important legislative steps. In 2021, Virginia adopted Clean Car standards, which sets out clean standards for new vehicles and joins Virginia to the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program to increase the number of EVs sold in Virginia. Despite clear consumer demand for electric vehicles, many dealerships in the Commonwealth simply don’t carry them. This means that in previous years Virginians have either had to settle for gas powered cars or travel across state borders to purchase EVs — resulting in lost revenue for Virginia businesses. This will soon change.

But we have more to do. Many communities still don’t have accessibility or funds to purchase electric vehicles. 

Currently, we are building on this success to broaden the amount and scope of who has access to an electric vehicle. We continue to advocate for policies and programs that expand purchasing options for used electric vehicles. We also support policies that will compel state fleet managers to consider total lifecycle costs of their vehicles, rather than simply upfront costs. This will make electric vehicles — which tend to be cheaper overall, with less maintenance and gas required — more attractive. An overwhelming majority of the time, evaluating on the lifetime cost of the vehicle means that an EV will be cheaper!