Sustainable Transport Safety (SMARTer Growth Systems Planning): Tools to Proactively Move Toward Zero Deaths & Zero Emissions Transport

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As designers, builders, and managers of community land use and transportation infrastructure systems, engineers are legally and ethically bound to hold paramount the protection of our environment, and safety of our public. In 2018, over 1,900 people were killed in traffic crashes on Canadians roads and another 140,000 injured; and, economic impacts of health care, lost productivity, and insurance claims total over 2% of GDP. Compounding this, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) confirms that climate change has been costing Canadians over $300 million in damages per year, and 2% of GDP since 2010. Conversely, Dutch researchers have shown that using a systems-based, SMARTer Growth infrastructure investment approach yields an over 4:1 return in terms of fewer pedestrian/cyclist (AT) deaths, and property damage over 10 years. This builds on 2001 UK research by Stern that forecast a 2:1 return on investments to combat climate change. The IBC analysis suggests an even greater yield is possible if Canadian policy and infrastructure investment efforts are successful in improving road safety and reducing GHG emissions.  The link to both safer Canadian roads and reduced GHG emissions lies in reducing how much we drive in Canada, where transport has been linked to 30% of our GHG emissions, and, where driver error has been associated with 96% of crashes.  Shifting how people travel away from driving and toward walking, biking, and busing is a complex problem, and links to our development patterns as well as our investments in transport choices, demanding that a system-based approach be taken. Recognizing that a system-based approach is needed to entice mode shift, I train my HQP in multi-scale research methods to address several knowledge gaps in safety and GHG emissions, an area of research I term SMARTer Growth (SG) systems planning.  Although progress has been made, empirical tools still lack enough sensitivity to provide reliable estimates at each scale of system planning, which handicaps informed decision-making and paralyzes progress. My long-term vision is to increase Canada's evidence-based understanding of the transport-related road safety and GHG impacts of infrastructure investment and policy decisions, in order to promote SG systems planning in support of Canadian targets and UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Progress towards this long-term vision builds on my recent research, and will be reached through three short-term goals:  Goal 1. Neighborhood Scale - Reliable 24 hour AT estimates linked to neighborhood traits. Goal 2. Intersection Scale -Road crossing traits linked with reliable estimates of user preferences Goal 3. Regional Scale - Improved rail monitoring & data analytics to reliably estimate how regional zero-emission (ZE) passenger rail (hydrail) impacts mode choice, safety, and GHG emissions. My proposed 2022-2026 Short Term Goals & Work Plan sets out 14 knowledge gaps that will be tackled by 20 new HQP.