Transportation
Montclair is moving toward a more sustainable future, and there are many ways you can help us lead in lowering our emissions and preventing further climate change. Take action below, and find out about how you can make a difference. Click through our action items to discover that sustainability often has other benefits: learn how going green can save you money, from electric vehicle subsidies to New Jersey’s community solar pilot program.
Transportation in the United States
Transportation is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, at 29% of our total. This isn’t the norm in other countries. Internationally, only 14% of emissions come from transportation, less than half of the US total. There are many reasons for this difference. The US has a high GDP, making gas-powered cars affordable for many. We have underinvested in Amtrak, commuter rail, and local mass transit, making cars the only practical option for many. Finally, the spread-out, suburban nature of much of the United States means that public transit must often span longer distances to be useful, which adds time and expense.
Living farther apart makes active transportation, such as walking and biking, less practical as well. Nevertheless, as of 2017, more than 20% of vehicle trips in the United States lasted less than a mile, a distance that many could comfortably walk or bike. Whenever they’re practical, these modes have close to zero direct emissions, making them the most sustainable ways to travel.
Transportation in Montclair
Unlike some other emissions sectors, you can control your own transportation emissions, which means there are many ways for individuals to make a real difference by changing their daily habits. Take the train to work, walk to school, or ride the bus to the grocery store. Click below to learn about ways to reduce your transportation emissions, help save the planet, and possibly save yourself some money.
Electric Vehicles
Drive an Electric Car
Electric vehicles (EVs) have existed since the 1880s. When they first invented, they were even more popular than early internal combustion vehicles! In the past few years, new technologies and advances have made EVs a great option again, both for the environment and your wallet. Charging stations are becoming more common, with many in and around Montclair. Make sure to check an online map to find one near you.
Electric Cars have come a long way
Electric vehicles can now travel longer distances without charging, enabling road trips and longer journeys. EVs are even becoming more affordable; while they typically still have a greater sticker price, you save on fuel costs, which add up over the car’s life for a lower overall cost. What more, here in New Jersey, the state government incentivizes electric vehicle ownership with a $5000 rebate for most new electric cars through the Charge Up New Jersey program. Use the calculator linked below to see how much you could save by making your next car purchase electric.
Ways to go
However, electric vehicles aren’t a perfect solution to climate change. While their lifetime emissions are far lower than gasoline-powered cars, the production of EVs emits greenhouse gasses. Also, because much of our electricity still comes from fossil fuels, charging an EV will still have associated emissions in most places until renewables are widespread. Because of these factors, EVs aren’t as sustainable as active transportation, and in most cases, public transportation.
Nevertheless, if you’re shopping for a new car, buying electric is a considerably more sustainable option than gas-powered car. EVs are a great opportunity to cut your carbon footprint, and given enough time, save money while you’re at it.
Public Transit
Take a train or bus
Electric vehicles (EVs) have existed since the 1880s. When they first invented, they were even more popular than early internal combustion vehicles! In the past few years, new technologies and advances have made EVs a great option again, both for the environment and your wallet. Charging stations are becoming more common, with many in and around Montclair. Make sure to check an online map to find one near you.
The Montclair-Boonton NJ Transit rail line
The Montclair-Boonton NJ Transit rail line has seven stops in town, with many Montclair residents within walking distance of a station. It even stops at one station, at Bay Street, on weekends! Trains run throughout the day, providing an affordable way to travel to Manhattan (Penn Station) in under 45 minutes. The line also stops at Hoboken and many other towns in New Jersey, and connects to other lines. You can check up-to-date timetables on the NJ Transit website, use their trip planner, or download their app on any mobile device.
NJ Transit
NJ Transit also operates many bus lines through Montclair, providing a cheap and frequent way to get around the region. Some of these routes are useful for New York-bound commutes, some are local, and others go to other New Jersey towns and cities. Input your origin and destination at NJ Transit’s Bus Point-to-Point to find the best way to travel. Or, check the bus schedules for the routes through Montclair: routes #11, #28, #29, #34, #97, #191 and #705.
Boxcar Bus Lines
Boxcar is an integrated commuting company, focused on taking the stress out of your daily commute.Parking: On demand parking that is reservable in advance and guaranteed. You’ll never have to worry about where to park again!Transportation: Luxury Motor Coach service from select town centers to midtown Manhattan. Our buses are top of the line, have WiFi & power outlets, and make stops on both the East and West Sides of NYC. Check out the website for more info.
Whether for your daily commute, a quick trip to the grocery store, or anywhere else you need to go, the public transit options in and around Montclair are a great way to bring sustainability into your everyday life.
Active Transportation
Take a train or bus
Walking and biking are two great ways to get around town while minimizing your emissions as much as possible. Montclair benefits from a dense street grid and abundant sidewalks, putting shopping and dining within walking distance for many in our township. Still, car crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists are far too common in Montclair, which prevents people from taking advantage of these low-carbon alternatives.
Luckily, help is on the way. In December 2020, the Montclair Planning Board voted to approve the addition of the SAFE (Streets Are for Everyone) Complete Streets Plan into the township’s Master Plan. Promoted by Bike&Walk Montclair, a great advocacy group for cyclists and pedestrians in town, this document provides recommendations for active transportation corridors around Montclair. It also suggests street designs for increasing bike and pedestrian safety in these areas, such as with bike lanes and improved crosswalks.
Going forward, planners will consult the SAFE plan when reconstructing streets around the township. Its recommendations will make our roads safer and open up active transportation as an option for more people. Every trip that you choose to walk or bike, rather than drive, helps to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions and to save the planet from climate change.
