Emissions down; benefits up

One person travelling by car in more populated areas such as cities and urban areas uses a lot of fuel to move from one place to another.  This same vehicle, stuck idling in a traffic jam, also generates enough pollution to cause us serious concern. 

So, add together pollution concerns, escalating fuel prices and daily traffic jams and it stand to reason that people start looking for alternate modes of transportation.  This is where motorcycles and scooters come in as cost effective solutions. And as numbers indicate, this year more people did just that – they took up two-wheel riding and by doing so, they saved money on fuel and became an integral part of the solution to free-flowing and greener towns and cities. 

Not only do scooters and motorcycles cost less than other motor vehicles, but enthusiasts say they are more convenient and more fun. When you think about it, a scooter consumes about one-third the gas of an average car and takes up one quarter of the parking spaces. Plus in cities like Toronto riders can save money since the city provides free parking spots to motorcycle and scooter riders and for safety reasons, single riders on motorcycles and scooters are allowed to travel in Toronto’s High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. 

Bikes have changed over the years. Through ongoing research and development, motorcycles and scooters are cleaner and more fuel-efficient. Today’s models are more capable than older versions and are becoming fashionable for commuting as city drivers recognize the benefits of a small, agile, fuel-efficient two-wheelers. 

In 2006 , industry– working with government – implemented more stringent emissions standards for on-road motorcycles that align them with the EPA standards of the United States. In fact, since 1988, Canada has been aligning its national vehicle emissions requirements with the EPA. This has been accomplished through a combination of regulations and memoranda of understanding with vehicle and engine manufacturers. And since Canadian/US automotive manufacturing is highly integrated, harmonized vehicle emissions standards have provided Canadians with major improvements in emissions control at a low additional cost. 

Even better, with the implementation of new emissions standards for 2006 and later year motorcycles, Environment Canada has calculated that the allowable levels of smog-forming emissions on a per-vehicle basis will be reduced by 80 percent, relative to previous limits.

And according to its rule-making documents, the EPA also indicated that the technological improvements associated with meeting the more stringent standards provides the additional benefits of improving the performance and reliability of motorcycles, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption and associated carbon dioxide emissions linked to climate change.

The point is, with technology changing, improved emission standards and the steady increase in the number of people choosing two-wheel transportation in Canada, motorcycles and scooters are part of the solution and need to be considered in all aspects of transportation planning. 

In Europe, the European Commission’s Green Paper “Towards a new culture for urban mobility” on urban transport opened a debate on the key issues of smarter urban mobility that includes two-wheel vehicles as an effective solution to problems caused by urban congestion.

Canada’s provinces and cities need to recognize that motorcycles and scooters can be part of an integrated approach to urban mobility planning. From a legislation point of view, motorcycles and scooters must be considered in all roadway planning, design, construction and maintenance.

Being proactive and leading the way with safe and accommodating new laws that allow motorcycles and scooters to reach their full potential is a step in the right direction to creating more efficient and environmentally-friendly cities across Canada. n

Jo-Anne Farquhar is the manager of communications for the Motorcycle & Moped Industry Council (MMIC) and the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV) and can be reached toll-free at 877.470.2288, 416.491.4449, <jfarquhar@cohv.ca> or <jfarquhar@mmic.ca>.