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Transportation and Climate Change Clearinghouse

Integration into Transportation Decision Making

Resources

A Blueprint for Legislative Action: Consensus Recommendations for U.S. Climate Protection Legislation (2009) (PDF 970kb)
United States Climate Action Partnership
This paper is intended as a guide for the development of environmental protection legislation in the 111th Congress that can become law. It specifically targets greenhouse gas emissions.
An Ambit-Based Activity Model for Evaluating Green House Gas Emission Reduction Policies (PDF 1.08mb)
Mineta Transportation Institute
This report examines greenhouse gas emission reduction policies that are being considered in the transportation sector in the wake of more stringent emission reduction targets envisaged in a post-Kyoto international climate treaty.
Assessing State Long Range Transportation Planning Initiatives in the Northeast for Climate and Energy Benefits (2005) (PDF 704kb)
U.S. Department of Transportation, Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting
This study identifies long range transportation planning (LRTP) best practices for climate protection and energy efficiency outcomes, which were selected based on interviews with LRTP professionals, a literature search, and a review of state LRTPs in the 29 states with Climate Action Plans, or gubernatorial initiatives directing state agencies to coordinate planning for climate and energy efficiency outcomes. Fifteen state transportation plans were selected to further analyze planning processes that contain a specific intention to integrate climate and energy outcomes into long range transportation planning and identify best practices for integration by state Department of Transportations (DOTs).
California Climate Change Policy and Programs
California Climate Change Portal
This portal provides information about California's climate change programs and activities, including current information about Executive Orders and California Legislation on climate change. Legislation includes transportation-related mandates to reduce mobile emissions.
Climate Change: Mobile Air Conditioners (Dec. 2008)
Legislation passed in Minnesota in 2007 requires that automobile manufacturers report the average amount of HFC-134a that leaks from motor vehicle air conditioners. The website provides specific information on high global warming potential (HGWP) GHG emissions from mobile air conditioners, as required by the legislature, including mobile air conditioner leakage rate data.
Climate Change: Think Globally, Assess Regionally, Act Locally (2009)
Kennel, Charles F. Issues in Science and Technology, Vol. 25 No. 2
The author argues that regional climate change assessments must be developed that will be essential to local policymakers charged with critical decision making in response to them.
Efforts on Climate Change (2008) (PDF 338kb)
Oregon Department of Transportation
Summary Report: MPO Peer Workshop on Planning for Climate Change.
 
Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria (PDF 318kb)
RAND Corporation
This paper develops a framework for evaluating GHG mitigation policy in the United States that balances several criteria. It draws on conceptual analysis and examples from U.S. energy policy to motivate an evaluative framework that incorporates a range of views of what constitutes “good” policy. It should be of interest to stakeholders in the GHG policymaking process and especially to those responsible for crafting U.S. climate policy.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Through State and Local Transportation Planning (2003) (PDF 1.1mb)
U.S. Department of Transportation, Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting
This report evaluates how states and local areas might contribute to GHG emission reduction through transportation planning. Seven case studies focus on the broad transportation planning process, strategies and other actions selected, and GHG emission reductions accomplished or projected. The study considers both transportation planning and energy, environmental, or land use planning by other state and local agencies that relates to climate change integration into transportation policies, investments, and strategies.
Integrating Transportation, Energy Efficiency, and GHG Reduction Policies: A Guidebook for State and Local Policy Makers (2007)
(Login required)
Center for Clean Air Policy
This guidebook evaluates the emission impacts of transportation policy strategies and is intended to serve as a resource for state DOTs and MPOs in establishing greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and deciding among various mitigation strategies. The project complements EPA's focus on demand-side measures, including an additional section on quantification and evaluation of vehicle technologies and fuel policies. Research was conducted by the Center for Clean Air Policy.
Integration of Climate Change Considerations in Statewide and Regional Transportation Planning Processes (2009)
U.S. Department of Transportation/ Volpe Center
Case Studies and Proceedings from Panels at the Transportation Research Board and Association of Metropolitan Planning Organization Conferences
Iowa Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience Report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a report that highlights the results of a project in which the EPA, U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, and state and local leaders in Iowa worked together to integrate the latest science on changing weather patterns into local and state planning efforts to adapt to and mitigate damage from future natural disasters.
Low Carbon Fuel Standards (2009)
Sperling, Daniel and Yeh, Sonia. Issues in Science and Technology, Vol. 25 No. 2
The transportation sector creates almost one quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and the demand for one half of the oil used in the world, and about one third of the greenhouse gas emissions and the demand for two thirds of the oil used in the United States. The authors discuss using the low carbon fuel standard approach that California is currently implementing as a national policy model with possibly significant near-term effects in regard to petroleum use and carbon emissions.
New York State DOT Strategies for Climate Change (2008)
New York State Department of Transportation
This PowerPoint presentation provides information on how the NYSDOT is working to reduce emissions and gives examples of some actions the agency has taken.
Summary Report: MPO Peer Workshop on Planning for Climate Change (2008) (PDF 1.1mb)
U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration
This report summarizes the proceedings of the March 6-7, 2008 workshop on planning for climate change. Representatives from 13 MPOs shared their experiences and challenges in the area in an effort to allow each to teach others and learn from others.
Transportation Planning, Climate Change, and Decision Making Under Uncertainty (PDF 138kb)
Transportation Research Board
This paper summarizes the major characteristics of travel forecasting procedures and their limited treatment of uncertainty, then presents several methods by which forecasting has been done outside the field of transportation that include explicit consideration of uncertainty.
Understanding the Size of the Energy Efficiency Resource: Ten Policy Recommendations to Accelerate More Productive Investments (March 2009)
John A. “Skip” Laitner, Policy and Society, Volume 27, Issue 4
With a focus on transportation systems, this article recommends 10 near-term policy actions that might be undertaken to immediately provide that signal, and more critically, to change the direction of energy usage through increased energy efficiency..
VTrans Climate Change Action Plan (2008) (PDF 387kb)
Vermont Agency of Transportation
This document outlines the VTrans Climate Action Plans, which focuses on 1) reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector, 2) protecting Vermont's transportation infrastructure from the effects of climate changes, and 3) reducing VTrans' operation impacts on climate change.
WSDOT Climate Change
Washington State Department of Transportation
The WSDOT Climate Change website provides information on how the agency is working to improve air quality and also provides tools for the public to use.

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