A U.S. Office of Technology Assessment report which includes costs PSRC did not, such as global warming, indicates that costs could range as high as 10 cents per mile. Vehicles are the top source of hazardous air pollution in Washington. That threatens the region with costly new restrictions on business, drivers, even lawn mowing. Atlanta, already over the line, has temporarily lost federal funding for 60 highway projects. By making people drive longer distances, sprawl is endangering everybody's health.
Children are especially vulnerable.
At least part of the rise is due to ozone. A shift to compact development patterns is a public health necessity. The greatest potential air pollution cost of sprawling, auto-centered development may be destabilization of the climate. Pickups, SUVs and vans pump out around twice as much. Transportation is the largest and fastest growing source of Washington State CO2 emissions.