Healing Appalachia: Sustainable Living through Appropriate Technology

24. Simple Modes of Transportation

In 1997 Matt Green and I stripped a Dodge Colt of its dirty and complex gasoline system, comprised of engine, radiator, carburetor, and exhaust components. In its place, we installed a surprisingly simple, quiet and clean electric propulsion system comprised of an electric motor, motor adaptor, motor controller , and recyclable batteries. Later, and with help, I installed a solar charging station on our office building for the vehicle, which today on average delivers enough energy to propel the vehicle 40 miles per day. Alternatively, for days when the car is not being driven, solar electric production from the charging station is used to offset the electric consumption of our office. It is a true joy to hear the sound of birds at stoplights. The convenience of not having to stop for gas at “convenience” stores is especially rewarding. Understanding all the costs associated with conventional sources of energy may lead to a wider acceptance of harnessing solar energy in the mountains. Joshua Bills, solar energy consultant and engineer, Berea, Kentucky Transportation is the most difficult Appalachian appropriate technology area to treat. Older transportation modes and networks (footpaths and rural roads) are not appropriate for modern needs; modern road conditions are unsafe for biking and walking; and cars and trucks use too many resources. Any choice we make seems to compromise our growing sense of appropriateness . We realize that improvements in the transportation systems in this region—the return of passenger trains, the creCHAPTER 24 Simple Modes of Transportation ation of bike and pedestrian lanes—will demand coordinated policy efforts and not simply attempts by single individuals. GENERAL TRAVEL MODES Appalachian residents have always moved about, using different modes of travel at different times. Before the coming of Europeans, Native Americans traveled along an integrated network of footpaths and river systems throughout Appalachia, visiting distant tribes and exchanging lightweight goods like shells and craft objects. Many trails became the routes of mountain roads, while others lapsed into disuse. Foot travel is slow but burns no fossil fuel and requires little equipment beyond sturdy footwear. It is generally less stressful and more enjoyable in areas without motor vehicles. However, attempting to walk in congested urban areas or on rural roadways with no sidewalks can be dangerous, especially on narrow, heavily traveled rural Appalachian roads. At the same time, the region is showing a renewed interest in developing an integrated hiking trail system to attract tourists and capitalize on the popularity of hiking. Currently most transportation funds go toward building, maintaining, and improving modern roads, but there is little provision for footpaths or pedestrian lanes. Mule- and ox-drawn wagons and horse-drawn buggies were the principal mode of travel in Appalachia in the nineteenth century , and they were used well into the twentieth century. Travel was rather slow and somewhat uncomfortable in rainy or snowy weather, though a driver could nap on the return home on a familiar route. Horses require hay and grain for sustenance, not distant and expensive nonrenewable fossil fuel. But traveling by horse-drawn buggies on roads with fast-moving vehicles, as the Amish do, is risky. In modern America, horse travel is not appropriate from a safety standpoint. As in the case of foot travel, horses and horse trails should be regarded as a viable form of tourist recreation. Simple Modes of Transportation ❖ 297 For several years in Washington, D.C., I commuted by bicycle 3 miles from a residence on Capitol Hill to midtown, but spills and narrow misses by a commuter bus told me to stop stretching my luck. Bikes are good for sunny weather, light congestion, and leisurely exercise, but they offer even less protection than the more visible buggy. Towns designed like Davis, California, give us hope that many urban places can promote safe biking. Americans experience culture shock when visiting Amsterdam during commuter hours; there are no automobile fumes, only the low swish of passing bikes; life seems so much more ordered and less stressful. However, it seems unlikely that the congested, narrow roads of Appalachia will be made safe for biking given all the interests competing for the transportation dollar. Bike trails are a better option than biking on the average Appalachian roadway, which often have no shoulders. ASPI staff member Russell Parms was killed in 1999 while riding a bike as his ordinary means of travel. Given current conditions in Appalachia, cycling is only appropriate...