This awesome interactive data visualization by Guardian, UK show how much the emissions profile has changed and shifted over the past few decades.. One shocking statistic I learned from this graph below is that the total CO2 emissions of Equitorial Guinea, small country in Western Africa, have increased by a whopping 3,390% Yep. !!!! Check out:
(via autobloggreen)
It is always an awesome sight to see how machines build another machine. As it happens, I can’t help but think if this venture succeeds, that would mark the first time Detroit really faced a serious challenge from Silicon Valley.. June 22nd, the announced delivery date for first batch of customers (other than the ones who got the Founder series) is just few days away and let’s see what is going to happen.. Hit or miss, you gotta love the boldness of Elon Musk to enter into this venture and fight the carmarking heavyweights of Detroit and other global auto industry powerhouses.
Here is a storify post by George Kelley about the recent fire on San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) that stranded commuters and the reactions on twitter.
(Source: Hop Stop)
An interesting infograph on Urban travel patterns.
HopStop, the leading provider of pedestrian navigation and mobile transit routing, has developed its first Urban Travel Patterns infographic to shed light on these activities. Based on more than 400 million HopStop routes and 2.25 billion miles traveled, the new data showcases major travel trends in several large cities, as well as how consumers are using HopStop’s online and mobileservices to get around town.
Image Courtesy: HopStop - HopStop Data Reveals Top Urban Travel Trends
Reports To: Chief Officer, Environmental Sustainability
Authority: TA/OA/MTA Bus
Location: 2 Broadway, Manhattan
Application Deadline: 12/12/11
SUMMARY:
Under general supervision and with significant latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, the incumbent will assist in the development, collection, analysis, organization and presentation of data and information related to Sustainability in all aspects of Bus Operations (including fuels, vehicles, facilities, training and recycling). In addition, the incumbent will support and manage projects and will assist in the development and implementation of an enterprise asset management system. Assignments will require the incumbent to work at all NYCT Department of Buses and MTA Bus Company facility locations throughout the five boroughs, and Yonkers.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Qualified candidates need to send or e-mail a cover letter and resume quoting Reference Number 11-31 to:
jobs@mtabusco.com
MTA Bus Company
3320 Hutchinson Avenue
Bronx, NY 10475
MTA Bus Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
(Source: Good)
An interesting graphic. Hopefully the share of Transit rises in the years ahead along with other non-car options. What is most appalling is that biking has only 0.99% share of the pie. LA needs to go a long way in moving its people away from cars.
Click image to enlarge
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NHTSA and EPA Issue NOI for Model Year 2017-2025 Vehicle Fuel Economy, GHG Emissions. In an August 9 Federal Register notice (html), NHTSA and EPA issued a supplemental notice of intent to develop fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for model year 2017-2025 light-duty vehicles, with an ultimate fuel economy standard of 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks by model year 2025.
FHWA and Volpe Center Release Guide on Incorporating Climate Change Considerations into Scenario Planning, Results of a Cape Cod Pilot Project. A Framework for Considering Climate Change in Transportation and Land Use Scenario Planning: Final Report is a product of the Interagency Transportation, Land Use, and Climate Change Cape Cod Pilot Project a multi-agency project that took place between early 2010 and mid-2011. The Pilot Project provided a transportation and land use development scenario for Cape Cod, Massachusetts, focused on reducing future greenhouse gas emissions and considering the potential impacts of sea-level rise on the region. This scenario was derived from a process of data collection, scenario development by a consultant and regional and local government during a workshop, and scenario assessment. The outcomes of this scenario planning process will inform and support the region’s long-range transportation planning and other related efforts, as well as the planning efforts of local, state, and federal agencies. The report/guidebook gives an overview of the process used and includes lessons learned that could inform future similar efforts. The pilot project was jointly funded by FHWA, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
First installment of Gulf Coast Study, Phase 2 completed. U.S. DOT recently posted the first of several interim deliverables for the project. Task 1: Assessing Infrastructure for Criticality in Mobile, AL examines transportation infrastructure to assess and identify the parts of the transportation system deemed most important to the Mobile area. Analyses were conducted to rank assets based on an analysis of operational, socio-economic and health and safety characteristics for each transportation mode. The information in this interim report and the next one on climate change projections (Task 2) will be used to assess the vulnerability of critical links and assets (Task 3).
Electric Vehicles Study Underway, Interim Products Released. FHWA, AASHTO and the Pew Center for Climate Change have undertaken a research project to accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles by defining an action plan for integrating these vehicles with the U.S. electrical grid nationwide. Three white papers will be developed as a result of the project including:
More information on the project can be found on the Pew PEV Website.
FTA Releases Report on Climate Change Impacts to Transit. Flooded Bus Barns and Buckled Rails: Public Transportation and Climate Change Adaptation is an excellent report that includes a discussion of anticipated climate change impacts on U.S. transit; synthesizes existing vulnerability assessment, risk management and adaptation planning tools with application to public transit agencies; describes strategies for adapting transit assets and operations to climate change impacts; and links adaptation strategies to transit agency organizational structures and activities. Detailed case studies focus on climate adaptation activities by the New York State MTA; the Los Angeles County MTA; Mobile, Alabama’s Wave Transit (part of US DOT’s Gulf Coast Study); and Transport for London.
GAO Releases Report on Federal Climate Change Funding. The GAO’s new report – Climate Change: Improvements Needed to Clarify National Priorities and Better Align Them with Federal Funding Decisions – provides information on climate change funding levels and how climate change activities are organized across the Federal government. The report concludes that two key factors complicate efforts to align climate change related expenditures with climate change strategic priorities: 1) a lack of a shared understanding of these priorities, in part due to inconsistent messaging across policy forums and documents, and 2) the existing mechanisms for aligning priorities and funding are non-binding, and at times conflict with agency responsibilities and priorities. The GAO recommends the establishment of clear federal climate change priorities, including relevant agency roles and responsibilities, and a reassessment of the current practices for defining and reporting federal climate change funding.
TRB Releases E-Circular on Adapting Transportation Infrastructure for Climate Change. Adapting Transportation to the Impacts of Climate Change: State of the Practice 2011, includes ten articles on climate change adaptation issues and activities in the transportation sector.
Report Details Recommendations and Methods for Inventorying GHG Emissions from State DOT Operations. While much focus on State DOT GHG emissions has been on tailpipe emissions from vehicles operating on state roads and highways, this NCHRP 25-25 Task 65 Report, Synthesis of Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory Methodologies for State Transportation Departments, focuses on the emissions resulting from state DOTs’ own operations.
DOT Headquarters Building Achieves LEED Gold Standard.DOT’s headquarters building has achieved a gold designation for the category “Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Certification.” The building is owned by The JBG Companies. Several highlights of the project are:
The highlights above are some of the 37 separate credits addressed across all LEED subject areas.
New Initiative Promotes “Smart” Transportation at State DOTs. The State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) is a new working group of state DOT executives interested in transportation reform, for better economic, social and environmental outcomes. SSTI member states also work to improve management and governance of transportation agencies. SSTI disseminates accounts of state-level reform for use by the general transportation community. For example, SSTI has just published reviews of the sea change at Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as well as Washington State Department of Transportation’s Sustainability Efforts. For these documents, or to subscribe to SSTI news, event announcements, and reports, please go www.ssti.us.
Caltrans Issues Sea Level Rise Guidance.Caltrans has developed Guidance on Incorporating Sea Level Rise for use in planning and development of Project Initiation Documents. The guidance includes a two step process to determine whether to include adaptation measures in the project programming and design: (1) determine whether the project will potentially be impacted by seal level rise, and (2) conduct a risk assessment to determine whether the potential impacts warrant spending the resources to incorporate adaptation measures into project design. The guidance includes discussion of ten factors to consider when determining whether to incorporate sea level rise into project programming and design. The guidance also includes a standard set of sea level rise projections to be used statewide.
Wilmington Area Planning Council Publishes Sea Level Rise Transportation Vulnerability Assessment.WILMAPCO’s Transportation Vulnerability Assessment identifies existing and planned transportation infrastructure at risk under Maryland and Delaware-specific inundation and surge scenarios. The assessment profiles both regional and neighborhood-level impacts. A steering committee comprised of local transportation and environmental planners, sea-level rise experts and interested members of the public guided the project. Additional information can be found on WILMAPCO’s sea level rise homepage.
CTOD to Hold Webinar on Climate Change and Transit Oriented Development, December 20, from 2:00-3:00 EST. This webinar is one in a monthly series conducted by the Center for Transit Oriented Development and sponsored by FTA. Registration opens two weeks prior to the webinar.
FHWA Holding Series of Webinars on Congestion Pricing. The FHWA Offices of Operations and Innovative Program Delivery have launched a new webinar series, entitled “Overcoming the Challenges of Congestion Pricing.” These webinars are aimed at state and local agencies that are currently in the process of implementing or would like to implement congestion pricing; decision-makers/political leaders who want to better understand the benefits of congestion pricing; MPOs that may be interested in incorporating pricing into their planning activities; and others who just want to learn more about congestion pricing strategies. Congestion pricing strategies can often have a co-benefit of reducing GHG emissions. Registration is free and open to everyone who is interested.
Future Webinar Schedule – October through December 2011 (dates are tentative and subject to change)
If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future issues of Transportation and Climate Change News, or if someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like to receive it directly in the future, please send your suggestions or request to Becky Lupes at Rebecca.Lupes@dot.gov or Heather.Holsinger@dot.gov.
(Source: via Betacity)
According to this infographic from Denver bikes, four of five dollars you spend on your car leave your local economy. To keep 130k transportation dollars in your local economy your city would need to reduce car ownership by 15k cars. Which could mean 15k more bike owners, and bike money stays 100 percent local which makes good business sense.
Update Courtesy: ITS America
As the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee continues to work on finalizing its six-year surface transportation reauthorization bill in anticipation of an early July introduction, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has announced plans to introduce the Senate version of the bill during the week of July 11, hold hearings the week of July 18, and is expected to proceed with a Committee mark-up on July 27. The Senate bill, which is rumored to be a two-year bill instead of six, is expected to face a $12 billion funding shortfall which would require the Senate Finance Committee to come up with additional revenues before the legislation could be passed. Committee staff continues to craft the bill in a bipartisan fashion with their most recent work focusing on a freight section. ITS America is working closely with Senate staff to include provisions that would promote greater deployment of ITS.
On the House side, T&I Committee majority staff continues to work on their bill but have provided limited details as to what specific policies and programs will be included. Speculation continues about the time frame for moving a surface transportation bill through the House, with Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA/7) taking heat for not including the reauthorization bill in a June 10 memo to House Republicans outlining key pieces of legislation that will be debated on the House floor this summer. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association obtained the memo and has posted the document on its website here.
Meanwhile Congressman Richard Hanna (R-NY/24), Vice-Chair of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, joined ITS America’s Congressional Roundtable members for breakfast to discuss ITS and the transportation reauthorization bill. As a businessman who spent nearly three decades in the construction industry before being elected to Congress, Rep. Hanna stressed the need for technology solutions that can help public agencies do ‘more with less’. The Congressman made note of Portland, Oregon as an example of a city that is investing in ITS to help create a more efficient, user-friendly transportation network, while acknowledging the pressure many agencies face to roll out more visible ‘bricks and mortar’ projects. He also said the “argument is building daily” for investing in transportation as a means to create jobs and bring down the nation’s high unemployment rate. Read more about the Congressional Roundtable in the AASHTO Journal.
(Source: U.S. Energy Administration Information)
Shown below is a copy of the recently released Annual Energy Outlook 2011. The projections in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2011 (AEO2011) focus on the factors that shape the U.S. energy system over the long term. Under the assumption that current laws and regulations remain unchanged throughout the projections, theAEO2011 Reference case provides the basis for examination and discussion of energy production, consumption, technology, and market trends and the direction they may take in the future. It also serves as a starting point for analysis of potential changes in energy policies. But AEO2011 is not limited to the Reference case. It also includes 57 sensitivity cases which explore important areas of uncertainty for markets, technologies, and policies in the U.S. energy economy.
The report’s section on Transportation offers quite a bit of information and I felt the readers would benefit quite a bit.. Take a look.
Growth in transportation energy use slower than historical trend
From 2009 to 2035, transportation sector energy consumption grows at an average annual rate of 0.6 percent (from 27.2 quadrillion Btu to 31.8 quadrillion Btu), slower than the 1.2 percent average rate from 1975 to 2009. The slower growth is a result of changing demographics, increased LDV fuel economy, and saturation of personal travel demand.
figure dataEnergy demand for LDVs increases by 10 percent, or 1.7 quadrillion Btu (1.3 million barrels per day), from 2009 to 2035 (Figure 71). Moderate growth in fuel prices compared with recent history and rising real disposable income combine to increase annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT), although personal travel demand increases at a slower rate than historically. Growth in delivered energy consumption by LDVs is tempered by more stringent standards for vehicle GHG emissions through model year (MY) 2016 and fuel economy through MY 2020. Energy demand for heavy-duty vehicles (including primarily freight trucks but also buses) increases by 48 percent, or 2.2 quadrillion Btu (1.0 million barrels per day), as a result of increased freight travel demand as industrial output grows and the fuel economy of heavy-duty vehicles shows only marginal improvement.
Energy demand for air travel increases by 16 percent, or 0.4 quadrillion Btu (0.2 million barrels per day). Growth in air travel is driven by increases in income and moderate growth in fuel costs, tempered by gains in aircraft fuel efficiency, while growth in air freight movement (caused by export growth) also increases fuel use by aircraft. Energy consumption for marine and rail travel increases as industrial output rises and demand for coal transport grows. Energy use for pipelines stays flat as increasing volumes of natural gas are produced closer to end-use markets.
After the introduction of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in 1978, the fuel economy for all LDVs increased from 19.9 miles per gallon (mpg) in 1978 to 26.2 in 1987. Despite continued technological improvement, fuel economy fell to between 24 and 26 mpg over the next two decades, with sales of light trucks increasing from about 20 percent of new LDV sales in 1980 to 55 percent in 2004 [88]. From 2004 to 2008, fuel prices increased, sales of light trucks slowed, and tighter fuel economy standards for light-duty trucks were introduced. As a result, average fuel economy for LDVs rose to 28.0 mpg in 2008.
figure dataThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) introduced new attribute-based CAFE standards for MY 2011 LDVs in 2009, and in 2010 NHTSA and The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jointly announced CAFE and GHG emissions standards for MY 2012 to MY 2016. EISA2007 also requires that LDVs reach an average fuel economy of 35 mpg by MY 2020 [89]. In the Reference case, the average fuel economy of new LDVs (including credits for alternative fueled vehicles and banked credits) rises to 29.8 mpg in 2011, 33.3 mpg in 2016, and 35.8 mpg in 2020 (Figure 72). After 2020, CAFE standards for LDVs remain constant in the Reference case, and LDV fuel economy increases only moderately, to 37.8 mpg in 2035.
In the Reference case, cars represent 65 percent of LDV sales in 2035, compared with 69 percent in the High Oil Price case and 55 percent in the Low Oil Price case. The economics of fuel-saving technologies improve in the High Technology and High Oil Price cases, but the effects on average fuel economy relative to the Reference case are tempered by the fact that CAFE standards already require significant improvement in fuel economy performance and the penetration of advanced technologies.
Personal vehicle travel demand, measured as VMT per licensed driver, grew at an average annual rate of 1.1 percent between 1970 to 2007, driven by rising income, a decline in the cost of driving per mile (determined by both fuel economy and fuel price), and demographic changes (such as women fully entering the workforce). Since 2007, VMT per licensed driver has declined slightly because of the sudden spike in the cost of driving per mile followed by the economic downturn. However, VMT per licensed driver begins to grow again in the Reference case, but at a more moderate average annual rate of 0.6 percent, reaching over 15,280 miles in 2035 (Figure 73).
figure dataThe projected growth in VMT per licensed driver results from a return to rising real disposable personal income, which increases by 90 percent between 2009 and 2035. While motor gasoline prices rise by 60 percent over the period, faster income growth ensures that the impact on travel demand is blunted by a reduction in the percentage of income spent on fuel. In addition, the effect of rising fuel costs is moderated by a 30-percent improvement in new vehicle fuel economy following the implementation of more stringent GHG and CAFE standards for LDVs.
Several demographic forces also play a role in moderating the growth in VMT per licensed driver despite the rise in real disposable income. Although LDV sales increase through 2035, the number of vehicles per licensed driver remains relatively constant (at just over 1). In addition, unemployment remains above pre-recession levels in the Reference case until late in the projection period, further tempering the increase in personal travel demand.
The market adoption of advanced technologies in conventional vehicles facilitates the improvement in fuel economy that is necessary to meet more stringent CAFE standards through MY 2020 and reduce fuel costs thereafter. In the AEO2011 Reference case, the CAFE compliance of new LDVs rises from 29.1 mpg in 2009 to 35.8 mpg in 2020 and 37.8 mpg in 2035, due in part to greater penetration of unconventionally fueled vehicles and in part to the addition of individual technologies in conventional vehicles (Figure 74).
figure dataIn 2035, advanced drag reduction, which provides fuel economy improvements by reducing vehicle air resistance at higher speeds, is implemented in 98 percent of new LDVs. In addition, with the adoption of light-weight materials through material substitution, the average weights of new cars and light trucks decline by 4.9 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, from 2009 to 2035, providing additional improvements in fuel economy.
Advanced transmission technologies also improve fuel economy by improving the efficiency of vehicle drive trains. Aggressive shift logic is used in 73 percent of new LDVs in 2035; and other advanced technologies, such as continuously variable, automated manual, and six-speed transmissions, are installed in 56 percent of new conventional vehicles.
Engine technologies that reduce fuel consumption also penetrate the market for new vehicles. Cylinder deactivation and turbocharging reach penetrations of 31 and 14 percent, respectively, in 2035. Electrification of accessories such as pumps and power steering, which also increases fuel economy, is implemented in 19 percent of new LDVs in 2035.
Unconventional vehicles (those that use diesel, alternative fuels, and/or hybrid electric systems) play a significant role in meeting more stringent fuel economy standards and offering fuel savings in the face of relatively higher fuel prices, growing from 15 percent of new vehicle sales in 2009 to 42 percent by 2035 in the AEO2011 Reference case.
figure dataFlex-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can use blends of ethanol up to 85 percent, represent the largest share of unconventional LDV sales in 2035, at 19 percent of total new vehicle sales and 47 percent of unconventional vehicle sales (Figure 75). Manufacturers selling FFVs currently receive incentives in the form of fuel economy credits earned for CAFE compliance through MY 2016. FFVs also play a critical role in meeting the RFS for biofuels.
Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles that use stored electric energy grow considerably in the Reference case. Micro hybrids, which use start/stop technology to manage engine operation while at idle, account for 8 percent of all conventional gasoline vehicle sales by 2035, the largest share for vehicles that use electric storage. Gasoline-electric and diesel-electric hybrid vehicles account for 5 percent of total LDV sales and 13 percent of unconventional vehicle sales in 2035, and plug-in and all-electric hybrid vehicles account for 3 percent of LDV sales and 8 percent of unconventional vehicle sales. Sales of diesel vehicles also increase, to 5 percent of total LDV sales and 13 percent of unconventional vehicle sales in 2035. Light duty natural gas vehicles account for less than 0.1 percent of new vehicle sales throughout the projection due to their high incremental cost and limited fuel infrastructure.
Click here to read the Executive Summary and the rest of the details
