Estimating Greenhouse Gas Reductions from Prospective Bikeway Projects

Bikeway projects can play an important role in reducing transportation-sector Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. However, forecasting GHG emissions reductions for transportation projects requires consideration and forecasts of future travel behavior. As such, many estimates of GHG from proposed and historical bikeway projects use standard assumptions and consider a very limited scope of consequential activities. An approach was sought to accurately and validly model emissions-generating and activities, including changes in traveler behavior and thus GHG emissions in the wake of bikeway projects. The study created a consequential life-cycle assessment model for GHG emissions resulting from bikeway construction and use by those who formerly used cars, used transit, cycled on other routes, walked, or did not make trips. Intercept surveys were conducted at 20 new bikeway facilities across Los Angeles County to understand the changes in travel induced by the bikeway. Though far less GHG emissions are attributable to cycling than driving, not all prospective bikeways reduce life-cycle GHG emissions, but many do. This paper specifies the conditions under which a bikeway is more likely to reduce GHG emissions. This paper also makes recommendations to adjust an existing method used to estimate reductions in GHG emissions from bikeway projects. This research can play a key role to support future decisions to use revenues tied to GHG reductions for expenditures on bicycling infrastructure and programs.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANF20 Standing Committee on Bicycle Transportation.
• Authors:
  • Matute, Juan
  • Lederman, Jaimee
  • Huff, Herbie
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2018-1-7 to 2018-1-11
• Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bikeways; Construction; Environmental impacts; Greenhouse gases; Life cycle analysis
• Geographic Terms: Los Angeles County (California)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Pedestrians and Bicyclists;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01656954
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 18-01242
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 22 2018 10:54AM