Transportation Program Responses to GHG Reduction Initiatives and Energy Reduction Programs

The objectives of NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 45 are to: 1) review the strategies and actions undertaken by state departments of transportation (DOTs) to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use associated with transportation; and 2) estimate ongoing GHG reductions achieved by state DOTs as well as the potential magnitude of GHG reductions of key strategies if implemented by DOTs nationwide. Political and public interest in climate change issues is growing rapidly and pressure is being exerted at local, regional, and state levels to develop comprehensive strategies to reduce GHG emissions and energy consumption. In response, many states developed, or are in the process of developing, statewide Climate Change Action Plans (CCAPs). These plans involve a number of reduction strategies and encompass a wide range of emissions sources, including transportation. The transportation sector is responsible for nearly 30 percent of total nationwide greenhouse gas emissions – up to 50 percent in some states – and is widely viewed as an important sector in which significant reductions may be made. Several states also have established aggressive GHG reduction targets – as much as an 80 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050. DOTs and other transportation agencies are identified as key partners in these efforts and are increasingly being asked by governments to respond with plans, policies, and programs to address climate change. DOT emission reduction strategies include responses to recommendations in statewide CCAPs that explicitly target climate change and energy use, as well as existing efforts undertaken to reduce congestion, improve system performance, and reduce vehicle travel. This research will assist the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in identifying effective transportation emission reduction and energy conservation strategies currently implemented or planned by state DOTs, and estimating the benefits of these strategies.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP25-25(45)_FR.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1663
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, and was conducted in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, which is administered by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.
• Corporate Authors:

  Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated

  100 Cambridge Park Drive, Suite 400
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02140
• Authors:
  • Porter, Christopher
  • Enarson-Hering, Evan
  • Suhrbier, John
• Publication Date: 2009-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 107p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate change; Energy conservation; Energy consumption; Greenhouse gases; State departments of transportation; Strategic planning
• Identifier Terms: Climate Change Action Plans
• Uncontrolled Terms: Emissions reduction
• Subject Areas: Environment; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01672219
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 45
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 18 2018 12:26PM