In a world where the propensity to move is always growing, where people move every day to work and for leisure, where the goods and products of all kinds cover massive distances, creating a new and more sustainable mobility is increasingly necessary. Here's how each of us can contribute.

1. Creating awareness

The first goal is to create awareness. That is, to have people understand what sustainable transport is about and understand why it is being proposed. A population or audience that is not aware of sustainable transport will not change their views, policies, investments or behaviour – or, if they do so, it will not be for a long time or with decisive changes.

2. Sharing more vehicles, services

Drivers can be persuaded to share their own vehicle with other people (generally called carpooling), which is made easier by company-led initiatives and aided by mobile (or web-based) applications within a company. Another option is to promote services dependant on privately owned vehicles but rather on businesses that provide a service of car mobility to users on demand and paid by time segments. This applies to automobiles (the typical car sharing services) but can also mean shared (public) bicycles.

3. Using cars for less trips

In general, using motorized private transport should be reduced to those trips that really need to be made in those modes. If a trip is very far, no alternative exists to travel there, and/or it includes carrying very large packages, an automobile could be the best choice (though cargo bicycles can also be useful if available). However, those trips are made seldom, except for places where densities are very low and land uses are not mixed.

4. Using more public transport

As with other sustainable transport modes, public transport is usually not seen as an option but rather as an obligation for people of lower income and those who depend on it for having no other alternative. Breaking this perception is difficult, but it is possible to promote public transport as a viable option for many trips. This is easier when adequate services are available (high frequencies, low crowding inside vehicles, large network, exclusive right-of-way, good quality of service, etc.).

5. Using more bicycles

Bicycles are one of the most efficient modes of transport for trips shorter than 10 kilometres. Interestingly, there is a very large share of trips in many cities (except for many cities in the United States and other countries with low urban densities) that are shorter than seven or even five kilometres. Cycling is known to generate greater wellbeing and is positively associated to good experiences, though research on this topic has been generally done in countries with relatively good cycling infrastructure.
Another useful goal of increasing public transport mode share is to get people who are doing trips that are too long to do on a bicycle or walking, and provide facilities for bicycle parking to do an integrated trip (or provide space in or in front of vehicles). Integration of cycling with public transport can reduce the lack of flexibility while increasing the distance of trips begun by cycling.

6. Walking more

Walking is the most sustainable mode of transport for short trips (up to 3 kilometres). Similar to what happens with bicycles, there is a considerable share of trips that are within those distances and currently made in many cities, but for some reason people prefer to do these trips by car. There is great potential in mode shift to walking, especially in cities where congestion is very high, the quality of cycling infrastructure is inadequate and public transport is of low quality. In any city that is dense and with mixed land use, there is great potential for modal shift towards walking.