URBAN TRANSPORTATION AND ENERGY: THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS OF DIFFERENT MODES

Transportation in cities consumes about 10 percent of all the nation's fuel. Potential savings through shifts in urban transportation policies have generated interest in Congress and elsewhere. This paper describes the energy requirements of alternative urban transport technologies and assesses the effects on urban transport fuel consumption of various programs Congress might consider in order to save fuel. This analysis presents several measures of energy use, ranging from a narrow index of propulsion needs to a broad index of program energy savings. Attempts are made to consider energy needed to build and maintain roads and tracks, vehicles, stations and other facilities. Considered are vanpool, carpool, bus, automobile, rapid transit, light-rail transit and commuter railroad. The authors conclude that rapid transit offers little to aid the nation's efforts to save fuel. This is based on such assumptions as the use of automobiles to reach the rapid transit station by most riders, and circuitous routings of fixed-guideway systems.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • A study prepared by the Congressional Budget Office for the Committee on Environment and Public Works U.S. Senate.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Congressional Budget Office

    United States Congress
    Washington, DC  United States 
  • Publication Date: 1977-9

Media Info

  • Features: Appendices; Tables;
  • Pagination: 81 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00168020
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jan 13 1981 12:00AM