From Here to There: Local Transportation for Events

Exclusively sponsored by Honeycomb Strategies

Event planners arranging ground transportation for their attendees consider cost, convenience, and time efficiency, but they may not understand how much ground transportation factors into the carbon footprint of event planning. Let’s contemplate how adding sustainability into these considerations can actually save money while meeting or exceeding guests’ needs.

Sustainability of transportation comes down to:

1. Distance
2. How many people share a vehicle (passenger-miles or pm)
3. Power efficiency (emissions per passenger-mile). Emissions per passenger-mile decrease as occupancy increases. We’ll use this metric to talk about more or less sustainable options.

Let’s evaluate several common transportation modes and provide tips for implementing the system that works for you.

Public Transportation: Inner-City Rail 0.17 pounds CO₂ per passenger-mile; Inner-City Bus: 0.39 pounds CO₂ per passenger-mile

• Where available, public transportation is the most sustainable and cheapest mode of transit. Public transportation typically runs whether passengers use it or not, so use these methods of travel rather than adding emissions from a new mode with similar service.
• Bonus! In addition to being power-efficient, when rail or bus lines operate on separate tracks or lanes from commuter vehicles, they avoid traffic and save time.
• Partnerships with transit agencies can reduce costs and congestion at the venue and encourage ridership. For example, the SAP Center in San Jose contracted with CalTrain to do a “Billie Car” for Billie Eilish fans to get to and from the concert with fellow devotees. The Philadelphia Eagles partnered with SEPTA, wrapping buses in Eagles signage and blasting comms about schedules and routes. High-volume rides, like those chock-full of fans, will be the lowest-emitting rides (and most fun)!

Shuttles: 0.15 pounds CO₂ per passenger-mile

• Planners can use data to ensure shuttles remain cost effective, convenient, and sustainable. While shuttles burn a similar amount of fuel to drive between a convention center and hotel regardless of the number of riders, the more people ride, the more sustainable it is by avoiding emissions from car trips. By scheduling and promoting trips in coordination with an events calendar and common arrival and departure times to ensure high ridership, shuttles can be the most sustainable option.
• A great example of an effective shuttle system is the Hollywood Bowl Park and Ride in Los Angeles. Shuttles are significantly cheaper than onsite parking and avoid gridlock in parking lots.
• Bonus! Shuttles can also be a great way to network or amp up, so transit becomes part of the event itself.
• Go the extra mile! Partner with shuttle companies that offset their emissions or invest in electrified fleets.
• Beware! Adding a shuttle option where attendees might have walked or taken public transportation results in a net emissions increase from business-as-usual.

Car: 0.47 pounds of CO₂ per passenger-mile

• Personal vehicles and rentals generate more emissions on average than nearly any other ground transportation type. While they offer flexibility, cars incur costs for rental fees, insurance, gas, and parking. Plus, convenience can be compromised in an instant by traffic.
• Carpooling reduces emissions per passenger-mile. Organizers can create ridesharing forums in event apps for their attendees, or leverage zip codes from registration data to pinpoint and create local hubs for shared transportation to create a safe system for fan ridesharing.
• Venues and event planners (through temporary signage and rules) can incentivize carpooling by providing preferential parking for carpools and EVs.

Rideshare / Taxi: estimated more than 0.5 pounds of CO₂ per passenger mile

• While the convenience factor of taxis and “ridesharing” services like Uber and Lyft is alluring, we’ve got bad news about sustainability. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a rideshare may emit up to 69% more greenhouse gases than the single-passenger trip it replaces.
• Despite its name, rideshares are often single-passenger trips. Plus, they produce more emissions than personal vehicles because of deadheading (miles traveled without a rider) and tendency for drivers to idle for long periods.
• Sharing a cab or choosing pooled rides and EVs on rideshare apps will reduce emissions per passenger-mile.
• Event organizers and host venues can encourage other forms of transportation in their attendee communications or organize pick-up zones in out-of-sight (out-of-mind) areas.

Sustainability Manager of Honeycomb Strategies Eric Shaphran emphasizes why local transportation solutions are so vital: “Attendees are the lifeblood of the events industry. Given the impact that each person can have via their travel, integrating solutions to make their journey more sustainable can pay huge dividends for the carbon footprint of an event.”

It’s not just about individual choice; there is much that event organizers and venues can do to set changes in motion for their audiences. Be inspired to set up a new partnership or develop a new transportation system for your event. And if you need help putting any of that in place,  Honeycomb Strategies is here.

Honeycomb Strategies specializes in impactful solutions for sustainable events, sports, and venues. hcsustainability.com / hello@hcsustainability.com