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

Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Volume 1
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GHG reduction performance criteria. These options—which could address
several strategies (e.g., system efficiency, travel behavior, climate-focused
planning)—merit consideration during development of legislative proposals for
authorization.
The key legislation mechanism for this policy option is the surface transportation
authorization bill.
Speed Limit Reductions
Setting lower speed limits could have an immediate and significant impact on
GHG reductions as well as yield substantial safety and air quality co-benefits.
National reduction in highway travel speeds could stimulate research in
alternatives for cost-effective high-speed freight and passenger transport for
long-distance travel.
However, there are both political and practical hurdles to implementing this
strategy. Public resistance is likely to be high, and an aggressive education
program and strong political leadership would be required to gain broad
support. Delay costs could be incurred in goods movement and passenger
travel. Motor carriers also may be reluctant to accept lower speed limits if the
speed limits significantly reduce driver productivity, although they would also
benefit from reduced fuel costs (as evidenced by the fact that many long-haul
trucks already are governed to keep highway speed down and improve fuel
efficiency). In addition, this strategy would require enhanced enforcement and
could impose considerable costs on States to pay for increased traffic monitoring
and enforcement.
Programs to Reduce the Demand for Carbon-Intensive Travel
These policies reduce the demand for carbon-intensive travel by facilitating the
use of alternative modes such as public transportation, carpooling, walking,
biking, and by reducing the need for long trips by integrating land use and
transportation planning. These strategies—implemented through a combination
of pricing, funding, and policy incentives—can have modest near-term impacts
in reducing GHGs. Over the longer-term (to 2050 and beyond), shifts in land use
that promote more compact development, combined with significant
investments in transit and rail capacity, have the potential to achieve significant
and cost-effective GHG reductions. Examples of strategies to reduce travel
activity are:
• Federal regulations, technical assistance, and funding to support integrated
transportation and land use planning;
• Investment in low carbon modes such as public transportation, walking, and
biking;
• Federal guidance and support to local and regional governments in
promoting worksite trip reduction through tax credits and incentives to