NEVADA COUNTY
CLIMATE ACTION NOW
Transportation
Bicycles
The California Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (CSBPP) will be completed in 2017 and will plan for safe and integrated bicycle and pedestrian projects for enhanced connectivity with all modes of transportation.
The current Regional Transportation Plan for Nevada County focuses on funds for pavement improvements. Issues of safety are a key concern for bike riders. Signing pavement and reducing auto speed on primary bicycle corridors would both encourage and increase safety of riders.
Solutions - reduce multimodal corridor speeds, squeeze auto lane width, paint signs on the roadway, maintain existing markings, etc. These are low cost solutions.
Electric cars
Since the first electric vehicle (EV) prototype was built in 1828, the central challenge has been making good on a lightweight, durable battery with adequate range. In its absence, internal combustion engines have dominated the automotive landscape since the 1920s, and the atmosphere has paid the price.
Luckily, there are now more than 1 million EVs on the road, and the difference in impact is remarkable. Compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, emissions drop by 50 percent if an EV’s power comes off the conventional grid. If powered by solar energy, carbon dioxide emissions fall by 95 percent. The “fuel” for electric cars is cheaper too. EVs will disrupt auto and oil business models because they are simpler to make, have fewer moving parts, and require little maintenance and no fossil fuels.
Electric Bikes
Electric bikes are the most environmentally sound means of motorized transport in the world today. They come in many shapes and forms and are accompanied by a small battery-powered motor that can make hills manageable, journeys swifter, and longer trips more viable. As they grow more effective and affordable, e-bikes are increasingly drawing people out of more polluting modes of transportation, such as driving solo.
E-bikes are all the rage in China, where millions of people use them to commute and e-bike owners outnumber car owners by a factor of two. The trend dates to the mid-1990s, when China’s booming cities put strict antipollution rules in place. These pedal-motor hybrids are on the rise in many parts of the world, as urban dwellers seek convenient, healthy, and affordable ways to move around congested cities.
An e-bike’s battery gets its charge from the nearest outlet, tapping into whatever electricity is on hand—from coal-based to solar-powered. E-bikes have higher emissions than a regular bicycle or simply walking, but they still outperform cars, including electric ones.