How can we alter our carbon footprint? Estimating GHG emissions based on travel survey information

The City of Montreal has taken recent initiatives to significantly reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector, and is making large investments in alternative transportation. In particular, the City has called upon the participation of all businesses and institutions to further these goals. In light of these recent plans, this study identifies with two objectives: first, to generate a clear methodology for estimating total GHG emissions generated by commuters to McGill University’s downtown campus, and secondly, to better understand who, how, and when each commuter to McGill generates travel-related GHG. Mode split, distances, age, gender and status were uncovered by a 2011 travel survey that was conducted across the University, from which daily individual GHG emissions are estimated. Details about these trips not only reveal who the largest polluters are and where they are coming from, but also the seasonality of their emissions. These associations are then used to narrate alternatives to the structure of individuals’ commutes by examining the outcomes of selected shifts in travel behavior on total GHG emissions.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADB10 Traveler Behavior and Values
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Mathez, Anais
  • Manaugh, Kevin
  • Chakour, Vincent
  • El-Geneidy, Ahmed
  • Hatzopoulou, Marianne
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2012-1-22 to 2012-1-26
• Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 19p
• Monograph Title: TRB 91st Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Commuters; Environmental impacts; Greenhouse gases; Mobile sources; Modal shift; Mode choice; Travel behavior; Travel surveys; Universities and colleges
• Geographic Terms: Montreal (Canada)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01368022
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-3136
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 18 2012 9:02AM