Jesse Kanson-Benanav, Executive Director of Abundant Housing Massachusetts, will speak at the April 8 Transportation Working Group meeting on housing and transportation. He will cover how housing can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation. 

Transportation is and has been the largest GHG producer in Massachusetts since 1990,  responsible for roughly 38% of all GHG emissions. Despite the increase of electric and hybrid vehicles, gasoline consumption and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) have gone up every year since a COVID 2020 drop. 

Lower VMT has been achieved through COVID, recessions, increased gas prices (though not lately!), and denser development. Density plays “a significant role in reducing VMT and GHG emissions.”  Living in a mixed-use community with business, schools, shops, and other types of activity centers within three miles dramatically reduces personal miles traveled.

The California Air Pollution Officers’ Association compared 32 ways to reduce GHG and VMT. The options ranged from bike shares to low-cost transit to EVs to affordable housing. The option they found to lower GHG the most was “projects built in compact, walkable areas that have easy access to public transit, ideally in a location with a mix of uses, including housing, retail offices, and community facilities.”

Join the 350 Mass Transportation Working Group on April 8 at 7:30 p.m. to learn how Abundant Housing can help reduce GHG transportation emissions in Massachusetts. Jesse Kanson-Benanav’s talk will be followed by a public Q&A session. Contact Lucia at [email protected] for a Zoom link.