Incorporating sustainability assessment in transportation planning: an urban transportation vehicle-based approach

Environmental assessments are on the critical path for the development of land, infrastructure and transportation systems. These assessments are based on planning methods which, in turn, are subject to continuous enhancement. The substantial impacts of transportation on environment, society and economy strongly urge the incorporation of sustainability into transportation planning. Two major developments that enhance transportation sustainability are new fuels and vehicle power systems. Traditional planning ignores technology including the large differences among conventional, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles and buses. The introduction of alternative fuel vehicles is likely to change the traditional transportation planning process because different characteristics need to be taken into account. In this study a sustainability framework is developed that enables assessment of transportation vehicle characteristics. Identified indicators are grouped in five sustainability dimensions (Environment, Technology, Energy, Economy and Users). The authors' methodology joins life cycle impacts and a set of quantified indicators to assess the sustainability performance of seven popular light-duty vehicles and two types of transit buses. Bus Rapid Transit receives the highest sustainability index and the pickup truck the lowest. Hybrid electric vehicles are found to have the highest sustainability index among all other passenger vehicles. A sensitivity analysis shows the proposed sustainability dimensions produce robust sustainability assessment for several weighting scenarios. The results are both technology and policy sensitive, thus useful for both short- and long-term planning.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1080/03081060.2016.1174363
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1767712
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Taylor & Francis.
• Authors:
  • Mitropoulos, Lambros K
  • Prevedouros, Panos D
• Publication Date: 2016-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Pagination: pp 439-463
• Serial:
  • Transportation Planning and Technology
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISSN: 0308-1060
  • Serial URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/gtpt20/current

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternate fuels; Bus rapid transit; Evaluation and assessment; Hybrid vehicles; Life cycle analysis; Sustainable development; Urban transportation
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01602033
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 20 2016 10:13AM