Saturday
March 7, 2009

By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down, and there we wept
when we remembered Zion
On the willows there we hung up our harps.
For there our captors asked us for songs,
And our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’
How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
-Psalm 137:1-4

For the Hebrew people living in exile in Egypt, their homeland of Israel was impossibly distant.  These days many of us think little of traveling equivalent distances to visit family or friends.  We travel many miles, too, in our commute to work, driving our children to their play dates and activities, running errands and getting to church, school and the gym.

Consider this:  when pioneers traveled the Oregon trail from Missouri to Oregon in the mid-1800s, they spent five to six months in covered wagons traveling a 2,170 mile course.  Traveling the same route today in a car can take just a couple of days.  Catch a flight, and you’ll arrive in Oregon in just under 4 hours.
 
Modern transportation has smoothed the way for us to get from one place to another fairly quickly and easily.  Our network of highways allows us to build homes and businesses in places fairly distant from urban core areas.  As distances between neighborhoods and amenities increase, so do the number of cars on our roads and the smog they produce.

"Smart growth transportation" coordinates the transportation needs of growing communities with care for the environment. It consists of three concepts that reduce emissions and make transportation less intensive:
1. Public transportation connects to the center of town so people have access to trains and buses not only where they live, but where they shop and play.
2. Communities are designed so walking is comfortable and easy. Essential services are located in areas that are walking accessible.
3. Bike lanes help residents reduce dependence on cars and fossil fuels.

• Learn more about smarter transportation options at Smart Growth America's transportation Web site.
• The Environmental Protection Agency has an even more comprehensive guide, "Improving Air Quality Through Land Use Activities" (PDF).