Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

transportation

Transportation and Climate Change

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How are you getting to where you need to go? In Park City, transportation is a commonly debated subject, and a great opportunity to be more sustainable. During the winter, thousands of skiers flock to the mountain resorts and, as locals know, this causes major inconveniences such as traffic and parking space. Ski transportation is not only a logistical problem, but also a catalyst in contributing to global warming.

Transportation is the largest contributor to carbon emissions compared to any other emitter in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Transportation says, “The average passenger car in the United States produces just under one pound of carbon dioxide per mile traveled.” Meanwhile, similar statistics show that per passenger mile, bus transit produces 33% less greenhouse gas emissions. It may be a slight inconvenience to drive to a Park-n-Ride, or to take Park City transit, but overall it can be a more convenient option, especially when the parking lots are all full within a mile radius of the ski resorts. Having a more open mindset about public transportation can make getting to the mountain a less stressful process and can decrease your carbon footprint. Carpooling is also an excellent option!

Additionally, mountain biking culture here in Park City offers wonderful opportunities to reduce your carbon footprint. Shoutout to all bikers (competitive or just recreational), who choose to bike to their destinations. Although it may not be as fast, biking is a great way to get exercise while getting to your destination. Depending on where you live in Park City, it can be an even quicker form of transportation while avoiding all the car traffic. 

So overall what can you do to travel more sustainably?

  • Carpool!
  • Use public transportation.
  • Bike or walk.
  • If you’re considering purchasing a new vehicle, try getting a low-emission one. Visit epa.gov/greenvehicles.

By Grayson Rae, Sophomore at Park City High School

Join the Crowd of Local Free-Fare Transit Travelers

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Transit travelers are decreasing their carbon footprint by approximately 4 pounds of CO2 for each hour of drive time. (EPA). Since its launch in July 2021, Summit County’s High Valley Transit (HVT) ridership has grown to almost 1.5 million. People are taking 1000 daily rides on Micro-transit; they have made 14,000 bus trips between Park City and Heber City since November 2022.

To make transit convenient, learn how to use the HVT and MyStop (Park City) apps or use Google Maps. Click on trip planning and set your pick-up location and destination. In real-time, you’ll see different pick-up times at the nearest stop, the time it will take you to get there; the specific bus or buses you can take; and your arrival time.

Get a comprehensive Ride Guide, go to the bus schedules tab in the HVT app or the Park City Transit website (schedule and routes) to check out the different bus numbers and colors, and their scheduled arrival times at different stops. Understand that these are the times you can expect a bus to arrive at a stop under “normal” weather and traffic conditions, full employment, and a fully operational fleet.

Remember, peak traffic and inclement weather affect vehicle and transit travel alike. And because buses can legally travel in the breakdown lanes on routes 224 and 248, your actual bus travel time could be faster than driving during heavy traffic conditions.

Taking the bus may be comparable in time to driving your vehicle when you consider parking and walking to where you want to be. Try asking someone your transit questions. They just might tell you the information you need to take a ride.

Air Travel

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Last weekend while judging a local high school debate tournament, the affirmative team promoted enhancing communication amongst NATO allies to prevent wars and other global conflicts. They suggested ZOOM calls and other forms of virtual communication rather than traveling for in-person meetings. It got me think about air travel.

Air travel is expensive. If you were to compare Park City, Utah to Garden City, Kansas, the ratio of air trips per person would be significantly higher for Park City simply due to affluency. Many Park City folks travel regularly, sometimes monthly because they can. The beach, retreats, visiting friends and family, other ski resorts, and the list goes on…

When my friends from New Zealand visited me years ago, they had a hard time leaving Utah’s canyons and landscapes. Do we not realize and appreciate what we have in our own backyard? Not to mention the culture and natural gems that can be found in our neighboring states. The car, especially a fuel-efficient or electric one, will always trump the carbon footprint of a commercial plane seat.

Many now accept climate change and even claim to be eco-minded, but how many of our actions reflect our acceptance and desire to change? We may recycle and compost, reduce our energy and water usage, adapt our diet to eat less meat, buy more organic food and local products to reduce our footprint, but what about carbon-intensive “elephant in the room” air travel? Perhaps it’s time to alter our travel desires to local destinations and nix some business trips for the Zoom room. If NATO can do it, surely we can. 

By Mary Closser