Greenhouse gas issues in the North American trucking industry

Philippe Barla
From the issue entitled "Special Issue: Transport, energy and greenhouse gases: perspectives on demand limitation"
Guest Editors: Charles Raux & Martin E.H. Lee-Gosselin
Energy Efficiency, Volume 3, Number 2

In this paper, we examine some the issues associated with reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the North American trucking industry. We review some basic descriptive statistics to apprehend the basic conditions in the three countries of North America and describe the North American trucking industry and the changes in its GHG performance. We also present some of the policies that have been either implemented or are being considered to reduce trucking GHG emissions. We then discuss some of the issues involved in choosing instruments to reduce trucking emissions. Specifically, we discuss the following instruments: incentives and standard to improve truck fuel efficiency, a tax on CO2, and tradable permits systems.

Access the document

Understanding how ecodriving public education can result in reduced fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions

E. Martin, N. D. Chan, and S. A. Shaheen.
Innovative mobility
Submitted to TRB Annual Meeting 2012
November 2011

Ecodriving, the concept of changing driving behavior and vehicle maintenance to impact fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in existing vehicles, has gained recent prominence in North America. One ecodriving strategy involves public education through Internet-based information dissemination. This paper presents the results of a controlled stated-response study conducted with approximately 100 University of California, Berkeley faculty, staff, and students, assessing the effectiveness of static ecodriving web-based information. A comparison of the experimental and control groups found that exposure to ecodriving information influenced people's driving behavior and maintenance practices. The experimental group's distributional shift was statistically significant, particularly for key practices including: lower highway cruising speed, driving behavior adjustment, and proper tire inflation. Within the experimental group (N = 51), fewer respondents significantly changed their maintenance practices (16%) than the majority that altered some driving practices (71%); this suggests intentional altering of driving behavior is easier than planning better maintenance practices. A comparison of before- and after-surveys found that 57% of the experimental group improved their ecodriving behavior, while 43% made no change or worsened. Key characteristics of the drivers that improved include: being female, living in smaller households, and owning a newer car with higher fuel economy. While it was evident that not everyone modifies their behavior as a result of reviewing the website, even small shifts in behavior due to inexpensive information dissemination could be deemed cost effective in reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Bajar documento

Recapturing global leadership in Bus Rapid Transit: A survey of select U.S. cities

Annie Weinstock, Walter Hook, Michael Replogle, and Ramon Cruz
ITDP
May 2011

Bus Rapid Transit was first implemented in Curitiba, Brazil in 1974, and has become a global phenomenon in the twenty-first century. Major new BRT projects have opened since the turn of the century in Africa, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Turkey, several cities in Europe, and dozens of cities in Latin America.

BRT holds great promise for the United States. In 2008, transit ridership in the United States reached its highest level since the mid-1950s and ridership grew faster than population and vehicle miles travelled between 1995 and 2008 [APTA 2010 Fact Book]. The flexibility and cost effectiveness of Bus Rapid Transit make it an excellent choice for cities and transit agencies facing both increasing demand for transit and increasingly constrained budgets.

Bajar documento

Fact sheet

Press release

Dangerous by design: Solving the epidemic of preventable pedestrian deaths (and making great neighborhoods)

Surface Transportation Policy Partnership
Transportation for America

Dangerous by Design: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Death (and Making Great Neighborhoods) ranks metropolitan areas based on the relative danger of walking.

Nearly 5,000 Americans die preventable deaths each year on roads that fail to provide safe conditions for pedestrians. More than 43,000 Americans – including 3,906 children under 16 – have been killed this decade alone. More than 76,000 Americans have died in the last 15 years. This is the equivalent of a jumbo jet going down roughly every month, yet it receives nothing like that kind of attention

This report is a joint effort of the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership and Transportation for America. Written by Michelle Ernst and Lilly Shoup, it builds on the research and analysis of a number of national organizations and policy experts who are working at the intersection of transportation, public health and safety, social equity, and the environment.

Acceder al documento

Dangerous by design 2011 - PDF

Site

The most of our money: Taxpayer friendly solutions for the nation's transportation challenges

Reason Foundation
Transportation for America
Taxpayers for common sense
May 2011

Photo from the publication

In the 20th Century, the United States built some of the world’s preeminent transportation systems, including a interstate highway network that’s second to none. The challenge for the 21st century is to maintain this infrastructure while expanding our ability to efficiently
move people and goods.

We face multiple challenges. Money is tight, as the gasoline tax we rely on to build and maintain our transportation network loses its earning power due to improved fuel efficiency and rising costs. Meanwhile, the nation’s transportation needs are increasing, as many of our roads, bridges, and railways fall deeper into a state of disrepair. All of this is occuring in the
context of trillion-dollar annual budget deficits and a $14 trillion national debt. There has never been a more critical time to do more with less.

This paper will introduce seven transportation tools – some big, some small – that can help improve our nation’s transportation system at taxpayer-friendly costs.

This paper offers some of the latest ideas and innovations that can inform the process as Congress writes the next six-year transportation bill. We hope members of Congress will be inspired to encourage, promote, and develop these and other cost-effective transportation measures.

Content:

1. Transportation Scenario Planning: Finding Ways to Get the Biggest Bang for the Buck
2. High Occupancy Toll Lanes (HOT Lanes): Increasing Capacity with Roadway Pricing
3. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): A Cost-Effective Rapid Transit Option
4. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS): Using Technology to Increase Capacity
5. Intercity Buses: Connecting Communities with Taxpayer-Friendly Transportation
6. Teleworking: Reducing Commuter Impacts on Congested Transportation Systems
7. Local Street Connectivity: Protecting Investments in Major Corridors with Increased Local Connectivity

Press release

Bajar documento

Statistics of Road Traffic Accidents in Europe and North America - provisional edition

UNECE
July 2011

This publication provides comparable data on causes, types and results of accidents in Europe, Canada and the United States. Data are organized by nature of accident and surroundings; accidents while under the influence of alcohol; and the number of persons killed or injured, by category or road user and age group. As background data, figures on the number of road vehicles in use and vehicle-kilometers run by road vehicles are also provided along with estimates of population and distribution by age group. This publication contains important statistical information for those involved in transportation planning and road safety issues. This is a trilingual publication in English, French and Russian.


Bajar documento

Integrating U.S. Climate, Energy, and Transportation Policies: Proceedings of Three Workshops

Rand
March 2009

In June 2008, RAND convened three workshops for private and public sector representatives to discuss their competing views on climate change mitigation. The conference allowed them to find commonality on such issues as technological innovation; potential legislative and regulatory solutions; international cooperation; and public engagement.

Acceder al documento

Un solo destino: La sustentabilidad. Reducción de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero generadas por el transporte de carga en América del Norte

Comisión para la Cooperación Ambiental
Marzo 2011

El más reciente informe del Secretariado de la CCA conforme al artículo 13 del Acuerdo de Cooperación Ambiental de América del Norte (ACAAN) presenta una serie de hallazgos y recomendaciones sobre la sustentabilidad del transporte de carga en América del Norte.

Con base en los conocimientos, experiencia y perspectivas de más de 60 expertos en transporte, funcionarios gubernamentales, operadores y otros grupos interesados clave, el informe recomienda acciones que consideramos servirán de mucho para la sustentabilidad ambiental del sistema de transporte de América del Norte.

El informe concluye que las políticas, regulación e incentivos necesarios para lograr un transporte de mercancías ambientalmente sustentable —a escala regional— también permitirán que nuestro sistema de transporte de carga sea más eficiente, competitivo y seguro en términos de consumo de energía.

Bajar documento

Bajar documento en inglés: Destination sustainability: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from freight transportation in North America

Video: Onpoint - CEC's Lloyd discusses North American policy for cleaner freight transport

High-Speed Rail in America

America 2050
Jan 2011

A new study released today by America 2050 identifies the high-speed rail corridors with the greatest potential to attract ridership in each of the nation's megaregions. Corridors connecting populous regions with large job centers, rail transit networks, and existing air markets scored best. The study also recommends that the federal government adopt a quantitative approach to evaluating future investment in high-speed rail.

The 56-page study, entitled, "High-Speed Rail in America," cites ridership potential as the number one factor in determining if a corridor is suitable for investment, identifies the specific conditions that generate ridership demand, and scores each corridor according to strength in those areas. The top performing corridors in each region determined to have the greatest potential demand for high-speed rail ridership include corridors such as: New York-Washington, DC; Chicago-Milwaukee; Los Angeles-San Diego; Tampa (via Orlando) to Miami; Dallas-Houston; Atlanta-Birmingham; Portland-Seattle; and Denver-Pueblo.

Ir al documento

Tomorrow's Transport

Wall Street Journal special report
May 2011

Move It!
Not only are we spending too little on transportation right now, but we're not spending it wisely. Here's the case for a new approach that puts transportation squarely in the service of the American economy.

The Little Engine Really Could
At last, technology is on the verge of transforming freight rail. The likely outcome: a digital network carrying greater volumes at faster speeds and lower costs.

The Future of Freight Railroads
Freight railroads have made a strong comeback in recent years. Can they stay on track? Four experts with long involvement in the rail industry offer their opinions.

Buses Catch On
Bus rapid transit, which combines the flexibility of buses with the speed, comfort and reliability of rail, is the hottest trend in urban mass transit in the developing world.

Don't Count Hydrogen Fuel Cells Out
Battery-powered electric cars have stolen the thunder of this once ballyhooed technology, but a growing number of auto executives still think it's the ultimate alternative fuel.

Charging Stations Could Use Subscriptions
As electric cars proliferate, the business of recharging them may look less like the filling-station model and more like the way consumers pay for cellphone service.
Map: Electric-Vehicle Charging Stations

Car Talk and Talk and...
Vehicles that constantly communicate with each other and with an information grid could save a lot of lives by preventing crashes—if drivers don't resist the technology because of privacy concerns.

Has the Monorail's Future Arrived?
Monorails are getting a fresh look as São Paulo and a handful of other big cities in emerging economies embrace the technology as a way to meet surging demand for mass transit.

Airlines Promise: It Will Get Better
They say passengers can expect smoother check-ins and more comfortable flights. We'll have to see.

Air Travel's New Era of Self-Control
The FAA is pushing for a $20 billion overhaul of the nation's air-traffic-control system that would let pilots choose their routes, saving fuel, cutting emissions and reducing congestion.
Past Tomorrow's Transport Reports

Fossil Fuelled
Examining the various threats to the global motor industry and highlighting the steps that car makers are taking to overcome them.

Questions on Future of Air Travel Smolder
The closure of airspace amid a cloud of volcanic ash offered a painful reminder of the truths about jet travel: Modern society can't function without it, and the whole system is easily thrown into chaos.

The Roads Not Taken
People have imagined the future of transportation at least since Leonardo da Vinci sketched a flying machine. Here are some past ideas of future travel that never quite came to pass.

Ir al especial

Making sustainable transport politically and publicly acceptable: Lessons from the EU, USA and Canada

David Banister, John Pucher and Martin Lee-Gosselin
University College London, Rutgers University, New Jersey, and Laval University, Quebec City
in: Institutions and Sustainable Transport: Regulatory Reform in Advanced Economies. Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2007, pp. 17-50

In recent years much of the literature has supported the need to achieve greater sustainability in the transport system. Even though there still remains some uncertainty about the effectiveness of alternative policies, many promising measures have been implemented in an increasing number of cities and countries throughout the world. The next steps must be to encourage a more widespread adoption of best practice in the implementation of sustainable transport policies. Thus, the most pressing problem is how to make sustainable transport policies more acceptable, both among the general public and their elected politicians. In this chapter, we investigate ways to increase the acceptability of such policies, using case study material from the USA, Canada and the EU.

Bajar documento

A guide to transportation funding options: Phase 2 - Final report

University Transportation Center for Mobility
October 2009

This project is a continuation of a project that provided a one-stop shop website, A Guide to Transportation Funding Options (http://utcm.tamu.edu/tfo), detailing transportation funding options and their applicability in an easy-to-use format. The first phase of this project compiled information on transportation funding options for highway funding.

This subsequent phase provided similar information for other modes of transportation including transit, rail, aviation, and ports. The information is presented in a format that is user friendly and easily accessible via the Internet for anyone interested in project financing methods

Access the document

Go to the website

A Track Record of Success: High-Speed Rail Around the World and Its Promise for America

U.S. PIRG Education Fund
November 2010

As America moves toward construction of new high-speed rail networks in regions throughout the country, we have much to learn from experiences abroad. High-speed rail lines have operated for more than 45 years in Japan and for three decades in Europe, providing a wealth of information about what the United States can expect from high-speed rail and how we can receive the greatest possible benefits from our investment.

Indeed, the experience of high-speed rail lines abroad, as well as America’s limited experience with high-speed rail on the East Coast, suggests that the United States can expect great benefits from investing in a high-speed passenger rail system, particularly if it makes steady commitments and designs the system wisely.

Contents:
Executive Summary 1
Introduction 6
High-Speed Rail:
Experiences from Around the World 8
High-Speed Rail Replaces Short-Haul Air Travel 8
High-Speed Rail Replaces Car Travel 17
High-Speed Rail Saves Energy and Protects the Environment 19
High-Speed Rail Is Safe and Reliable 23
High-Speed Rail Boosts the Economy 26
High-Speed Rail Is Often Economically Self Sufficient 33
High-Speed Rail, Transit and Land Use 34
Conclusion and Recommendations 39
Notes 43

Press Release

Access the document

Preliminary National Rail Plan: The Groundwork for Developing Policies to Improve the United States Transportation System

Federal Railroad Administration
October 2009

This Preliminary Plan sets forth the FRA’s proposed approach to developing the long-range National Rail Plan, including our goals and objectives for the greater inclusion of rail in the national transportation system. Although this Preliminary Plan does not generally offer specific recommendations, it identifies a number of issues that this agency believes should be considered in formulating the National Rail Plan.

In short, it is designed to create a springboard for further discussion. The FRA especially looks forward to input from the States, and freight railroads, who are expected to provide valuable information and perspectives. The end focus is on the shippers and riders who use the rail system. We welcome the participation of all transportation stakeholders on these issues as well as others that may be presented, as we develop the long-range National plan. Outreach efforts such as the Rail Safety Advisory Committee and the high-speed rail development efforts have been very successful. These and other activities have given FRA a reputation for strong and extensive outreach; the development of a National Rail Plan will be in line with this model.

Access the plan

Futurama 2.0: Mobilizing America s Transportation Revolution

Proposed by
David Muyres and Geoff Wardle
OnGoingTransportation
August 2009

Assembling a visionary team to create innovative, sustainable and viable solutions for all future transportation in the United States

Acceder al documento

Smart Solutions: 50 Ways America Just Got Better

AASHTO

2009

Launched by AASHTO, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America's Transportation Awards competition has not only identified top transportation projects from around the country, it also has demonstrated the ways in which transportation investment is improving our economy, our environment and our quality of life. All 50 projects included here were delivered on-time or ahead of schedule, on-budget, or using innovative management. This report also explores what makes a good transportation project great. Take a look."

Website

Access the full report

Efforts to Address Highway Congestion through Real-Time Traffic Information Systems Are Expanding but Face Implementation Challenges

Government Accountability Office - GAO

November 2009

Growing congestion on our nation’s roads results in wasted time and fuel, which adversely affects the economy and the environment. State and local government agencies and private companies disseminate real-time traffic information to help travelers decide whether to use alternative, less congested routes. Legislation enacted in 2005 required the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish the Real-Time System Management Information Program, in order to provide states the capability to monitor traffic and travel conditions on major highways and share that information. As requested, this GAO report addresses, among other things, (1) how the public and private sectors disseminate real-time traffic information to the public, (2) actions DOT has taken to establish the Real-Time System Management Information Program, and (3) experts’ views on the need for a nationwide real-time traffic information system and its potential characteristics.

To conduct this study, GAO visited sites in California and Florida, which have well-developed traffic information systems; reviewed and analyzed DOT reports and data; and interviewed transportation officials, experts, and other stakeholders. GAO is not making any recommendations at this time because DOT has not finalized the proposed rule it issued in January 2009, and there was no consensus from the experts GAO interviewed as to whether an increased federal role in this area is appropriate or what this role might be.

Access the document

Persuading for Pedestrian Zones

The city fix
October 2009



The flows of both traffic and history move in sometimes mysterious ways. At the turn of the 21st century, cities, such as DC clamored to integrate the amazing new technology of automobiles. As most urban ...

Parte I

Parte II

Roads less traveled

by Lisa Caruso
National Journal posted in CCAP News
September 12th 2009

Environmentalists want Congress to require the transportation sector to cut
greenhouse-gas emissions by reducing the need for driving.

On July 28, the Urban Land Institute released a controversial report on strategies for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from transportation sources. Titled "Moving Cooler," the report was produced in conjunction with several environmental groups, federal agencies, foundations, public-transit and transportation-technology advocates, and Shell Oil. Their study examined an array of measures to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions by reducing the number of miles that Americans drive and improving the efficiency of the surface transportation network.

Although the report looked at numerous strategies, what drew the most attention -- and quick condemnation -- from transportation advocacy groups were the proposals to
encourage denser land-use patterns to reduce the need for driving and to promote
greater use of nonmotorized transportation alternatives. Critics from organizations
representing road builders, contractors, and highway users called "Moving Cooler"
unrealistic and characterized it as an attack on Americans' freedom to travel.

Acceder al documento

State Highway Safety Laws

GHSA
August 2009

View highway safety laws by state or by topic.

Acceder al documento