By Andrea Buffa
Every day, we are confronted with the impacts of climate change: Fires, flooding, heat waves, poor air quality; threats to the health of human beings and the planet. It all can feel so overwhelming when considering what actions you can take that will actually make a big difference for Earth Day. But one of the easiest and most convenient ways that you can make Earth Day every day is to make more of your trips by Muni, walking or bicycling.
Making these efforts now truly will make a difference: Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in San Francisco—almost half of all GHG emissions. A whopping three-quarters of those emissions come from driving personal vehicles. While climate emissions from other sectors have declined significantly over the last 30 years (commercial building emissions declined 67% and residential building emissions by 57%), transportation emissions have been stubbornly hard to bring down. They’ve dropped only 16% since 1990. By taking on transportation emissions, we can make a meaningful difference and meet the challenge of the climate emergency. A shift in how you get around San Francisco makes an impact.
And, there’s never been a better time to try a “low-carbon” way of getting around our beautiful city nor a more rewarding way to fight the climate crisis. If you haven’t taken Muni in a while, you are in for a treat. The service has never been more dependable. Despite the setbacks Muni has faced during the pandemic—and there have been a lot—our main lines have never been faster, more reliable or more frequent. Traffic is back, but the buses aren’t stuck in it, thanks to the nearly 10 miles of new or upgraded transit lanes across the city. How about a ride down the new Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit corridor? You can get from Market Street to Fort Mason in less than 20 minutes while gazing out the window as you whiz past traffic.
Fighting climate change is a priority for the SFMTA. Our city and agency are climate action pioneers, and the Muni fleet is one of the greenest in North America. Our city needs to be bold and courageous to meet its goal of net zero emissions city by 2040. By the year 2030, at least 80% of all San Francisco trips should be low-carbon trips—trips by transit, walking or biking. When anyone decides to take a trip by walking, biking, or transit rather than by car, it benefits everyone. So, what are you waiting for? Doing something small can have a big impact: Hop on Muni with us and make Earth Day every day so that together we can meet San Francisco’s climate action goals.
Published April 21, 2022 at 11:00PM
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