Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Volume 2 savings, perhaps with economic instruments or public subsidies that motivate additional mode shifts. Because of the variety of implementation mechanisms and the uncertainty over mode shift impacts there are no fully reliable estimates of cost-effectiveness. However, some rough estimates have been developed. Estimates based on implementation costs alone developed in the Moving Cooler study range from $370 to $450 per metric tonne of CO 2e reduced, with a net cost of -$50 to +$70 per tonne once operating cost savings are included. Other studies that incorporated operating cost savings have developed estimates ranging from $80 to $104 per metric tonne CO 2 (EPA 1999, Arkansas GCCW 2008), to $35 per metric tonne for the Michigan Climate Action Council’s analyses (MCAC, 2009), which incorporated fuel savings directly. The analysis time horizon affects the costeffectiveness estimates since costs are incurred up-front, but benefits are anticipated to grow over time; using a 20- or 30-year timeframe rather than the approximate 2020 timeframe of the State climate action plans usually would increase the estimated costeffectiveness. Under current practices, the costs of rail and intermodal improvements are borne primarily by the private railroads and by port authorities (which are generally financed through user fees). To create modal shifts beyond those expected from current levels of private investment, public funding or tax or financial incentives would be required. It is possible that some of the public capital investment or incentives could be recouped over time through user fees, as shippers benefit from the improved conditions. Cobenefits Any shipper or business that voluntarily shifts modes is assumed to realize a net benefit from reduced shipping costs, which would more than offset the value of any fees paid for the service as well as any increases in other logistics costs. The magnitude of the cost savings would depend greatly upon the specific improvements made and characteristics of the modal alternatives available to a given shipper. Rail infrastructure improvements are expected to provide air quality benefits. One study of truck, rail, and marine alternatives along the East Coast suggests that – for all pollutants – rail vehicles emit less pollution per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU)-mile than trucks, with reductions of about 60 percent for VOC and NO x and 40 percent for PM 10, as shown in Table 4.4. 29 However, these estimates do not consider the emissions from truck drayage at one or both ends of the journey. The health impacts of these emissions will depend upon their potential exposure to human populations. Rail chokepoint relief projects that involve major construction (such as adding trackage or reconfiguring rail yards) could result in re-accessing inactive easements, new property 29 A TEU, or twenty-foot equivalent unit, is a common defined container unit for shipping cargo. At its standard, it is 20-feet long, 8’6”-feet high and 8-feet wide. 4-59
Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Volume 2 takings, or other community and environmental impacts. Closing at-grade crossings may hurt local mobility (unless overpasses are provided) but will improve safety by reducing exposure at train crossings. Table 4.4 Emission Factors (grams per TEU-mile), Modeled East Coast Shipping Alternatives Mode VOC CO NO x PM 10 SO x Truck 0.34 1.64 6.86 0.12 0.22 Rail 0.14 0.39 2.81 0.07 0.03 Ship 0.30 1.37 7.93 0.23 3.91 Source: Corbett et al. 2007. Feasibility To date most of the easier rail capacity improvement projects have been built, leaving primarily the more difficult and expensive projects. In addition to being expensive, many of the remaining critical needs are set in urban environments where there are substantial constraints on right-of-way as well as added costs for mitigation of impacts. The railroads spent, on average, $1.5 billion annually for capacity expansion between 2005 and 2007. Assuming that today’s freight mode shares continue in the future, the Class I railroads will need to fund about $4.8 billion in improvements per year just to implement capacity improvements and chokepoint relief and keep up with growing freight demand. Productivity improvements and increased revenue from higher traffic volumes will generate $3.4 billion per year for infrastructure improvement leaving the balance, an additional $1.4 billion, to be funded from public or other sources (AAR, 2007). There are several State and Federal programs that will fund rail improvement to help bridge the gap between investment needs and the availability of private capital. The Federal-aid highway funding program also allows some flexibility in using funds for nonhighway freight transportation projects. However, neither the railroads nor the States will fund chokepoint improvement projects unless there is sufficient evidence that there will be an appropriate return on the investment. For example, Virginia will generally not fund rail projects unless they can measure an appropriately high (public) benefit/cost ratio. Resistance to the use of public funds may be overcome, as in Chicago’s CREATE project, with extensive analysis showing the public benefits of responsible public investment. 4-60
Page 7:
Transportation's Role in Reducing U
Page 11:
Page 15:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25:
Page 26 and 27:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 146:
Printed on paper containing recycle
Page 149 and 150:
Transportation’s Role in Reducing
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
Page 161 and 162:
Page 163 and 164:
Page 165 and 166:
Page 167 and 168:
Page 169 and 170:
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
Page 187 and 188:
Page 189 and 190:
Page 191 and 192:
Page 193 and 194:
Page 195 and 196:
Page 197 and 198:
Page 199 and 200:
Page 201 and 202:
Page 203 and 204:
Page 205 and 206:
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211 and 212:
Page 213 and 214:
Page 215 and 216:
Page 217 and 218:
Page 219 and 220:
Page 221 and 222:
Page 223 and 224:
Page 225 and 226:
Page 227 and 228:
Page 229 and 230:
Page 231 and 232:
Page 233 and 234:
Page 235 and 236:
Page 237 and 238:
Page 239 and 240:
Page 241 and 242:
Transportations Role in Reducing U.
Page 243 and 244:
Page 245 and 246:
Page 247 and 248:
Page 249 and 250:
Page 251 and 252:
Page 253 and 254:
Page 255 and 256:
Page 257 and 258:
Page 259 and 260:
Page 261 and 262:
Page 263 and 264:
Page 265 and 266:
Page 267 and 268:
Page 269 and 270:
Page 271 and 272:
Page 273 and 274:
Page 275 and 276:
Page 277 and 278:
Page 279 and 280:
Page 281 and 282:
Page 283 and 284:
Page 285 and 286:
Page 287 and 288:
Page 289 and 290:
Page 291 and 292:
Page 293 and 294:
Page 295 and 296:
Page 297 and 298:
Page 299 and 300:
Page 301 and 302:
Page 303 and 304:
Page 305 and 306:
Page 307 and 308:
Page 309 and 310:
Page 311 and 312:
Page 313 and 314:
Page 315 and 316:
Page 317 and 318:
Page 319 and 320:
Page 321 and 322:
Page 323 and 324:
Page 325 and 326:
Page 327 and 328:
Page 329 and 330:
Page 331 and 332:
Page 333 and 334:
Page 335 and 336:
Page 337 and 338:
Page 339 and 340:
Page 341 and 342:
Page 343 and 344:
Page 345 and 346:
Page 347 and 348:
Page 349 and 350:
Page 351 and 352:
Page 353 and 354:
Page 355 and 356:
Page 357 and 358:
Page 359 and 360:
Page 361 and 362:
Page 363 and 364:
Page 365 and 366:
Page 367 and 368:
Page 369 and 370:
Page 371 and 372:
Page 373 and 374:
Page 375 and 376:
Page 377 and 378:
Page 379 and 380:
Page 381 and 382:
Page 383 and 384:
Page 385 and 386:
Page 387 and 388: Transportation’s Role in Reducing
Page 437: Transportation’s Role in Reducing
Page 489 and 490:
Page 491 and 492:
Page 493 and 494:
Page 495 and 496:
Page 497 and 498:
Page 499 and 500:
Page 501 and 502:
Page 503 and 504:
Page 505 and 506:
Page 507 and 508:
Page 509 and 510:
Page 511 and 512:
Page 513 and 514:
Page 515 and 516:
Page 517 and 518:
Page 519 and 520:
Page 521 and 522:
Page 523 and 524:
Page 525 and 526:
Page 527 and 528:
Page 529 and 530:
Page 531 and 532:
Page 533 and 534:
Page 535 and 536:
Page 537 and 538:
Page 539 and 540:
Page 541 and 542:
Page 543 and 544:
Page 545 and 546:
Page 547 and 548:
Page 549 and 550:
Page 551 and 552:
Page 553 and 554:
Page 555 and 556:
Page 557 and 558:
Page 559 and 560:
Page 561 and 562:
Page 563 and 564:
Page 565 and 566:
Page 567 and 568:
Page 569 and 570:
Page 571 and 572:
Page 573 and 574:
Page 575 and 576:
Page 577 and 578:
Page 579 and 580:
Page 581 and 582:
Page 583 and 584:
Page 585 and 586:
Page 587 and 588:
Page 589 and 590:
Page 591 and 592:
Page 593 and 594:
Page 595 and 596:
Page 597 and 598:
Page 599 and 600:
Page 601 and 602:
Page 603 and 604:
Page 605:
show all

Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?