In a new report, Transportation Alternatives calculates the carbon footprint of New York commutes. Rolling Carbon: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Commuting in New York City, not only measures the citywide impact of daily commutes, but breaks emissions down to the individual. A new Carbon Calculator at RollingCarbon.org measures greenhouse gases based specifically on New York City traffic as well as our high subway and bus ridership, giving a precision never before achieved with national counters based on more suburban standards.

The average commuter in New York City emits about seven pounds of carbon dioxide per round-trip commute for a total of 1,750 pounds of CO2 each year—making us some of the greenest commuters in the country. However, each individual's commuting emissions can be dramatically higher or lower, depending on transportation choice choice. Rolling Carbon finds:

• While NYC drivers comprise just 31% of all commuting trips, they account for 60% of transportation-related CO2
• Driving alone causes the emission of about five times the amount of CO2 (over 4000 pounds per year) as is caused by taking the subway (about 820 pounds per year)
• If just 5% of all people commuting by private car or taxi switched to transit, walking or cycling, the result would be a decrease of 150 million pounds of CO2 emissions per year—the equivalent of planting trees on an area 1.3 times the size of Manhattan

Mayor Bloomberg has set a target to reduce transportation sector emissions 45% by 2030, and because commuting is repeated twice a day, 250 days a year, even a small change in habits can yield big changes over time. Growing biking, walking and transit ridership is critical to this effort.

"New Yorkers need more than high gas prices to make the switch to transit, biking and walking in large numbers," says Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "If we're going to meet the emissions targets set out by the City, we need to put money and roadspace into making these modes faster, safer and more convenient."

The complete report and Carbon Calculator are available at rollingcarbon.org.

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