Estimated VMT and GHG Emission Reductions Associated with the Going to the River Project

The “Going to the River” (Going) roadway project is an initiative in Portland, Oregon to provide improvements that will connect the existing bicycle/pedestrian network to a large nearby employment area. The project includes sidewalk infill, multiuse paths and neighborhood greenways improvements. In this study, a methodology is proposed to estimate the potential vehicle miles of travel (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts from the Going project. Three analysis modules were applied to estimate the VMT and GHG reductions: defining traffic patterns, estimating potential modal shift, and calculating VMT and GHG reduction. A mode shift lookup table was also developed to establish an evaluation base for all projects that cross the city. All the analyses used data from the City of Portland’s regional transportation plan 2005//2035 transportation demand model. This method provides a way to quantitatively define and calculate the environmental impacts of a multimodal project at the sketch planning stage. The method is supported by the empirical data, is sensitive to small-scale projects, and uses readily available modeling data. In the case study provided, the analysis indicated that the Going project decreases daily automobile vehicle trips by 4.5% and reduces daily VMT/GHG by 1.8% in the project’s impact area.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/614107147
• Authors:
  • Zhou, Ningsheng
  • Smith, Paul B
• Publication Date: 2012-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 42-47
• Serial:
  • ITE Journal
  • Volume: 82
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
  • ISSN: 0162-8178
  • Serial URL: https://www.ite.org/publications/ite-journal/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycle facilities; Case studies; Environmental impacts; Greenhouse gases; Methodology; Modal shift; Pedestrian areas; Vehicle miles of travel
• Geographic Terms: Portland (Oregon)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01380370
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 21 2012 8:54AM