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Lincoln ranks 28th in 'green driving'

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BY MICAH MERTES / Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008 - 11:31:51 am CDT

Men’s Health magazine has ranked 100 cities based on how “green” their drivers are and asked the question, “Where are our cars killing us?”

The answer: Just about everywhere to some degree or another.

Not surprisingly, California’s cars came out the most murderous, with West Coast cities spouting out more pollution than any other. The most gas-guzzling cities are Arlington, Texas, and Yonkers, N.Y. And the greenest drivers in the country live in Seattle, Wash.

Story Photo
O Street traffic takes the curve installed earlier this year to account for Antelope Valley construction. Men's Health magazine ranks Lincoln fairly well for "green driving." (File photo)

Related Link(s):


Men's Health's Metrogrades

How did Lincoln fare?

We did OK. When it comes to environmentally conscious drivers, we ranked 28th on the list.

Lincoln is the 12th-worst city at using public transportation. We’re the 23rd biggest gas-guzzler in the nation. And we drive  a lot of miles, so that counts against us.

However, we’ve got a few good things going for us. We don’t waste extra fuel because of stop-and-go traffic — we came in at No. 10 in that department. And we have a lot fewer “high ozone days” than most cities.

So while No. 28’s nothing to brag about, we did almost make the top quarter. And that deserves a pat on the collective back.

Reach Micah Mertes at 473-7395 and mmertes@journalstar.com.


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what wrote on July 22, 2008 12:17 pm:
" how does this "deserve a pat on the collective back"??? public transportation in this town is abysmal. if there were a way to get from one side of the city to the other without two transfers with a 45 minute wait in between, people might actually use it. we could do much, much better. "

 Obvious wrote on July 22, 2008 12:20 pm:
" In a city that grows outward and not upward, is it really a surpise that there are a lot of miles driven and less public transportation used? "

 terrible drivers wrote on July 22, 2008 1:28 pm:
" too bad people in lincoln don't know how to drive. i don't understand why people drive 5 UNDER the limit. only in lincoln can you be stopped at a green light. "

 Justin Moss wrote on July 22, 2008 1:30 pm:
" I think that we should save any self-congratulating exercises for when we have a better public transportation system. StarTran is barely adequate as it is. I still can't believe that the buses don't run after 7 P.M.. "

 Obvious is right.... wrote on July 22, 2008 1:37 pm:
" we expand outwards here so far that it takes 35min to get from one side of town to the other. That is pathetic. Our road planners seem as if they just passed 2nd grade and our city council does nothing to help with advancement in expressways. "

 Wow wrote on July 22, 2008 2:29 pm:
" Wow what a bunch of complainers. Don't just complain have the courage to make a change. I'm guessing it is going to take more time and energy than you want to put into it. "

 Ryan wrote on July 22, 2008 2:37 pm:
" Who said the cars we drive are killing us? There is no proof that carbon emmissions have anything to do with temp increase. Just because Al Gore says it does not make it true. "

 Hard to believe wrote on July 22, 2008 3:06 pm:
" Lincoln does not seem "green" at all to me. Judging the number of gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks I dodge every time I have to drive somewhere, I think they must have confused us with a city that gives a damn. "

 th in public transport wrote on July 22, 2008 3:09 pm:
" Mostly because Startran is a joke. Take the blinders off and get rid of the 50 passenger busses that carry 2 or 3 people, use those things for core routes and use something much much smaller (like a station wagon would be large enough) for the outer routes. Plus they're excuse for not having bike racks has always been the busses just barely fit in the building, swap a couple of those beasts out for smaller vans or something and you'd have plenty of room for bike racks. "

 Increase for PT wrote on July 22, 2008 3:49 pm:
" Increase the bus route options for this community. I would take the bus but it is currently a 10 minute drive or a 40 minute bus ride. I don't have that kind of time. "

 to Ryan.... wrote on July 22, 2008 4:02 pm:
" and just because Ryan says it isn't true doesn't make it not true. Ryan if you don't believe in global warming then fine, but maybe you should visit Alaska and take note of what is happening there. "

 Pat wrote on July 22, 2008 4:44 pm:
" StarTran is bad. Also, try catching a cab in Lincoln. They won't even pick up downtown at night. Lincoln really is a big small town. People also drive when they could probably walk. I'm glad my parents walk to run errands, so that's two less people always driving to destinations.

And Wow, get off your soapbox. Maybe you should take your own advice. I'm sure you'll come back and trumpet all the activism you take part in. "

 Pat wrote on July 22, 2008 4:47 pm:
" San Francisco is probably fairly green, even though it is in California, where this report said the least green drivers are located. People in that city utilize public transportation...they take cabs, which are readily available, and they use the buses, which are emission free. They also bike all over the place. "

 Not again wrote on July 22, 2008 5:03 pm:
" Oh, how I love the 'But, but Al Gore...' crowd. No, something isn't true just because Al Gore says it. But the fact that the huge majority of climatologists agree may point to the fact that car emissions are doing some damage. Props for the great straw man, though. "

 Enjoyer of life wrote on July 22, 2008 5:28 pm:
" I'm sad Lincoln was so highly rated. I hope it was by pure accident. Let Californians worry about being green; I'm not sacrificing my quality of life for the mislead global-warming theory. "

 Overpasses wrote on July 22, 2008 6:37 pm:
" as a native of Dallas,Texas all I can say is this town needs overpasses! sure it'll cost a pretty penny and it'll take quite a few years but it would be well worth it. And there kinda fun to ride on as well. "

 Al wrote on July 22, 2008 10:18 pm:
" If Lincoln really wanted to be a progressive city, they would enact laws to restrict or ban fossil fuels entirely. Fossil fuels cause much more harm to the world than tobacco, yet we ban tobacco and allow public use of fossil fuels. Think of how wondferfult higns would be and how much positive attention the city would get if the leaders and citizens of Lincoln swore of fossil fuels? What a wonder gift to Mother Earth this would be!! "

 Visiting Alaska wrote on July 23, 2008 5:23 am:
" Someone here suggests that Ryan should visit Alaska to see what's happening there. How would Ryan get there? He'd have emit more carbon emissions! Get a life, These emissions aren't melting anything, or making anything hotter. "

 Gunfighter wrote on July 23, 2008 6:35 am:
" Ban fossil fuels Al?
I would kind of like to heat my house and take a hot shower, might be a good idea to have my truck in order to get to work. I need my vehicle as I use it for work.
How does LES get around to fix all your windmills and solar panels?
I don't think they have an electric powered boom truck.
We would get alot of attention if we did all this, we would be on the evening news showing the world how our city failed and died. "

 Pat wrote on July 23, 2008 8:18 am:
" Enjoyer of Life, you just won today's prize for the most ignorant comment. I'm glad that your "quality of life" includes driving around Lincoln (probably slowly like all others on the road) all the times instead of walking when possible. Your California comment is pretty typical of a Lincoln resident. Keep the outside world out and we'll do our own thing in Lincoln, despite the positives you miss out on. And maybe the current global-warming theory is far from accurate/perfect, but you can't say for sure that global warming isn't happening. Even if it's not, cars still pollute the atmosphere. That's your "quality of life" in action. "

 RE Pat wrote on July 23, 2008 9:19 am:
" How does taking a cab make for greener driving? A cab is a car, right? I think the only "public transportation" that makes for greener driving is taking the bus... "

 Pat wrote on July 23, 2008 9:38 am:
" RE Pat, I should have been more clear. People take cabs when they actually need a ride because they don't own cars or they seldom use the ones they do own. By not owning a car, they take cabs only when absolutely necessary. Sorry that one walked right by you, but thanks for asking your "clever" question about a cab being a car. Very astute of you. "

 Nina wrote on July 23, 2008 11:49 am:
" Ah, yes, it does help our 'green' ranking when so many in Lincoln turn on red lights instead of stopping, ride the vehicle ahead's bumper to avoid having to use the brake, and fail to use signals, which surely must use a lot of fuel to operate?! But we add so much ozone to the air to manufacture and paint all those replacement directional signs in the medians that people keep running over! "

 I love this City wrote on July 23, 2008 12:53 pm:
" It always cracks me up to read these. Both sides of the fence firing off logical one-liners. Al Gore... Is he right? Who knows. Go watch the footage of Greenland. Or the polar ice caps. Look at the polar bears trying to figure what is going on. Is cars doing it? Don't know. It does not take a scientist to realize something is happening.
How courteous people drive have ZERO to do with being a green city. Rolling through a stop sign is probably a more economic decision. Are we going to free ourselves from fossil fuels; no.
What can we do? Step back and look at where things are going. Can you make a difference in the health of the planet? Not because of Al. Because of the kids and their kids. So work on the planet and quit trying to figure it out. "

 Nina wrote on July 23, 2008 2:07 pm:
" Love This City, it's not courteous driving - it's smart, defensive driving we should be doing. (As well as smart, defensive methods of preserving the environment.) And relating driving foibles to this article is satire, in case you didn't recognize that. "

 Ry Ry wrote on July 23, 2008 2:10 pm:
" Even your friend Dubya is concerned with climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. In April of this year he called for halting the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and said Congress should take the lead role in grappling with global warming.
Perhaps you should consider doing a little research instead of being spoon fed opinion by the axis of right wing bias, also known as Limbaugh / Hannity / O'Reily. "

 Green cab wrote on July 23, 2008 2:28 pm:
" Pat, thanks for clarifying what you meant about cabs being green. However, I don’t think I buy it.
Just because someone owns a car doesn’t mean they will drive it more than “absolutely necessary”, although granted some will. But some will also take a cab when it isn’t strictly necessary. Also, a cab is typically out driving and burning gas constantly, regardless of having a fare or not. In my experience they also tend to drive fast and aggressively, burning more fuel, presumably to get the next fare ASAP. "

 I love all the........ wrote on July 23, 2008 2:33 pm:
" typical Nebraska comments about how global warming is a lie. All of you need to step outside of your bubble and get a clue on what is happening around the world. "

 Pat wrote on July 23, 2008 3:11 pm:
" Green cab, you don't think you buy it? You don't know for sure? I know lots of people who have gone without driving their own car and switch to either walking or taking a cab. They'll keep their cars just for emergencies. You can set out to make the change. Most of the time, they'll use the cab only when they have to, like when it's too far to walk. I also know people who have gotten rid of cars completely and they've said that they took their cars (when the owned them) when they could have walked, meaning they were using car when it wasn't necessary. It took them not having a car to come to that realization. As a whole, people drive way too much when they don't need to...instead, if people would try weening themselves off of cars except when necessary, they could just take a cab. Sure, those cars will be on the roads, but if cabs are being used and people who don't need to drive their own cars around, that's even more automobiles on the road polluting. "

 Laurie wrote on July 23, 2008 9:34 pm:
" Pat, I guess I don't know the lots of people you know (I suspect they don't live HERE), but I find it hard to believe a person would take a cab across Lincoln if they are able to drive their own car. People I know only take cabs when there is no other option, because the wait to be picked up is long and the cabfare is astronomical. Lincoln is a small town with tame traffic and easy parking, no need to "only use the car for emergencies", unless you either really hate driving or have money to burn. "

 Pat wrote on July 23, 2008 10:47 pm:
" Thanks, Laurie. You've missed every point. I'm not saying that everyone should take a cab. I never did. Try reading the posts again. "

 JB wrote on July 23, 2008 10:54 pm:
" Sounds like a lot of people have never been to a "large" city and put up with the "real" driving problems they have. The average travel time is fifteen minutes and thirty at the most in Lincoln. There is lots of parking downtown, but just not right infront of where you are going. Lincoln would have a better bus system if the population was inclined to use it. Lincoln has clean air and water. "

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