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

6.0 Conclusion
Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Volume 1
The ingenuity of transportation planners and engineers has produced a vast
network of transportation infrastructure and services to support the mobility and
economic vitally of the Nation. However, our historic approach to transportation
and land use development has created an energy-intensive system dependent on
carbon-based fuels and individual vehicles.
Our national talents and resources must now focus on shaping a transportation
system that that serves the Nation’s goals, including meeting the climate change
challenge. This will require aligning funding programs and incentives so that
national investments are targeted to achieve GHG reductions, while continuing
to meet mobility and accessibility objectives for both passenger and freight travel
across all modes. We must also spur the development and deployment of low
carbon vehicle and fuel technologies with supportive policies to harness the
power of American ingenuity and market forces.
Confronting climate change is a top priority for the Obama Administration. The
U.S. Department of Transportation is committed to action that will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, diminish our dependence on foreign oil, create clean
energy jobs, build livable communities, and protect us all from dangerous
climate change.
The DOT is already taking action through the Department’s livability initiative
and the Sustainable Communities Partnership with EPA and HUD. The
initiative supports low carbon transportation options such as public
transportation, walking, and biking; promotes development of housing in close
proximity to transit; and promotes mixed-use development that enables
residents to easily access goods and services. These actions improve quality of
life, lower household transportation budgets, and as shown by this study, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. The Department’s high speed rail initiative will also
provide a low carbon travel alternative.
Further, in April 2010, the Department and EPA announced national greenhouse
gas and fuel economy program for cars and light-duty trucks. Analysis indicates
cumulative industry greenhouse gas reductions of approximately 900 million
metric tons CO2e and fuel savings of approximately 1.8 billion barrels of oil. The
DOT is also implementing new statutory authority to issue fuel economy
standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. In aviation, DOT has put energy
and environmental concerns at the heart of the effort to modernize the U.S. air
traffic system, called NextGen. Likewise, the Maritime Administration is focused
on the potential of new technologies to reduce the harmful emissions from
marine diesel engines through cooperative efforts with the EPA and the maritime
industry.
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