Environment

New transportation options may reduce our reliance on personal vehicles and single occupancy vehicle trips, but these new options also bring their own challenges. The variety of transportation options available also impacts where we live and how we choose to get to work, shop, and recreate, all of which can either promote sustainability or worsen existing environmental issues. Additionally, questions remain about whether or not e-commerce is reducing the overall number of trips made, with potentially positive impacts on emissions, or if trips are increasing as a result of the ease of e-commerce coupled with fast and low-cost delivery options.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

Emerging technologies have the potential to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the extent to which they do relies on a number of important factors, including how these technologies impact travel behavior, and how they are powered. If the presence of new shared-use mobility options encourages mode shifts and reduces single occupancy vehicle trips, GHGs could decrease. There is some evidence to suggest that e-scooters, for instance, have contributed to a reduction of vehicle trips. However, research findings indicate that transportation network companies (TNCs) are increasing the total amount of vehicle miles traveled in urban areas and are contributing to ridership reductions on more efficient modes of transportation such as public transit, which has negative implications for GHGs. If new transportation options continue to run on fossil fuels, we could see an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and particulate pollution as these modes are used more heavily. However, if newer modes of transportation run on electricity, including automated vehicles, trucks, and transit, rather than gasoline and diesel, emissions could decrease. One study found that AVs with electric power-trains have lifetime greenhouse gas emissions that are 40% lower than vehicles powered by internal-combustion engines. 

Reduction of Impermeable Surface Lots

If demand for parking drops with the rise of AVs and new mobility options, many surface parking lots could be repurposed into other uses. Surface parking lots contribute to water pollution due to contaminants being picked up by stormwater runoff, and their asphalt surfaces retain heat which contributes to the urban heat island effect. Parking lots have many potential reuse options, including becoming parks and open spaces.

Potential for Increased Energy Consumption

If new transportation choices like AVs and the ease of ordering goods online make it easier for people to live further away from established cities and suburbs, we may see an increase in the number of people wanting to live in more rural areas. This could result in the development of current agricultural and natural lands and an increase in sprawl. Expanded metropolitan footprints and low-density development not only require increased amounts of energy for transportation, they also required increased energy use compared to more compact development.

Environmental Impacts of E-commerce

The increased ease of online ordering and associated growth of low-cost delivery options may be contributing to trip replacement, wherein people have goods delivered rather than making a trip to a store. However, it is also possible that trips are increasing overall as people to choose to take other trips instead, or may be ordering more for delivery then they would otherwise. The relationship between e-commerce and trip generation patterns are not yet well understood, but there is some evidence to suggest that the increased in urban freight is likely contributing to increased congestion. It is possible that increased routing efficiencies associated with goods delivery could have positive environmental impacts, but more research is needed. Additionally, there are important questions about the environmental impacts of packaging to consider as well.