Working in Alternative Transportation

The environmental movement is starting to pay a lot of attention to what's known as "Alternative Transportation." That used to mean buying a bicycle or walking more. If you owned a bicycle shop or sold walking shoes that was great. In the last ten years the term "alternative transportation" has grown to mean a whole lot more. As a result the jobs available that are associated with "alternative transportation" have also grown.

Just what is "alternative transportation"? The purist would say that it is any mode of transportation which does not require the use of large amounts of fossil based fuels. That definition does not include buying a car that gets 60 miles per gallon. That's just a traditional engine that runs more efficiently. Owners of hybrid vehicles will disagree with that statement. But, the fact of the matter is the hybrids still uses gasoline. The new rechargeable electric vehicles still require energy derived from fossil fuels. However, another school of thought holds that any form of transportation that reduces the use of fossil fuels is "alternative."

In the case of mass transit we are also talking about reinvention of some older methods of transportation. An old man once complained that Pittsburgh had an environmentally friendly transportation system back in the 1900's. It was mostly scrapped and replaced with gas powered vehicles. That was a real smart move in a city known for its air pollution. The old man was talking about Pittsburgh's electric street car system. Environmentally friendly vehicles proved mass transit for travelers as far out as 30 miles from downtown. Today, many cities, such as Houston, TX, are once again building electric powered light rail for mass transit. Could we see a return of Pittsburgh's once beloved streetcars?

Employment in the field of alternative transportation can be broken down into: research, design, production, sales and aftermarket service. What we are talking about here are whole new classes of vehicles. The same support structure that services traditional gasoline or diesel powered vehicles must be created to service alternative transportation. Since there are many different types of alternative vehicles; this means that, the jobs are growing proportionately.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to find employment in "alternative transportation." New skills will have to be learned if you are in the field of research or design. Traditional skills are just fine if your career path involves production or sales. Retraining will be needed for those workers who provide aftermarket services such as repairs. Those type workers generally have to retrain every year when the new models come out anyway.

In the case of mass-transit systems the term "production" can have a much wider meaning. "Production" can also involve "construction". Subways do not dig their own tunnels. Nor does light rail create its own tracks. Workers will be needed to build new types of roads and service new means of providing power.

The bottom line is that the field of "Alternative Transportation" is now a growth industry. Employment possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

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