Transportation

The transportation choices we make every day affect the environment and our health. Vehicle emissions are the number one source of air pollution in Washington and the leading contributor of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is contributing to global climate change. Vehicles leak oil, gas, brake fluid, windshield fluid, engine coolant and worn metal particles onto streets and parking lots, which in turn act as conduits that direct these pollutants into lakes and streams, often without treatment or filtration. School buses are one of the largest mass transit programs in the United States.

Currently the vast majority of school buses are powered by heavy-duty diesel engines that emit a wide variety of unhealthy gases, including carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the highly toxic dioxin which accumulates in our food chain. Many school districts are taking action by running school buses on biodiesel blends, creating safe walking and biking routes to school, organizing “walking school buses”, offering bicycle safety workshops for students, and by participating in diesel bus retrofit programs. 

The purpose of the Transportation Assessment (pdf) is to identify ways that transportation to and from the school is negatively affecting air quality, and to begin thinking about ways to reduce, eliminate, or find alternatives for these modes of transportation. Use the results to choose a long lasting environmental change.

This Transportation Assessment Guide (pdf) provides helpful hints and background information about many of the Assessment questions.

The Transportation Action List (pdf) allows you to choose a number of actions in effort to reduce the use of toxic substances at your school.  Points are earned for each action item.  The goal is to pick actions that address identified problems at your school.

This Transportation Educator's Guide (pdf) includes vocabulary terms, discussion questions, and other supporting resources to help teachers integrate these issues into their curriculum.