Transcript Greenhouse gas reduction strategies from the transportation sector

Moving Washington Forward
WSDOT’s Contribution to Sustainable Transportation and
Reducing GHGs
Paula J. Hammond, P.E.
David L. Dye, P.E.
Steve Reinmuth
Secretary
Deputy Secretary
Chief of Staff
Brian Smith
Brian Lagerberg
Director of Strategic Planning
Acting Director of Public Transportation
SSTI Community of Practice
February 25, 2011
WSDOT profile
WSDOT owns, manages, and maintains:
Highways
Transit support
• 20,000 state highway lane miles (carries 86
• Commute programs support more than 810,000
commuters statewide (61.5 million vehicle miles
million vehicle miles/day)
• 225 lane miles of a planned 320-mile HOV
freeway system
• More than 3,600 bridges and structures
Ferries
traveled reduced 2007 to 2009)
• Vanpool program includes more than 2,400 vans
(Washington has the largest public vanpool fleet in the nation)
Aviation
• 22 ferry vessels, 20 terminals, and 500 daily
sailings (carries 23 million passengers/year)
• 17 WSDOT managed airports
• 138 public use airports
Passenger rail
Funding
• Partner in Amtrak Cascades state passenger
rail (carries over 700,000 passengers/year)
Freight rail
• Grain Train (runs 89 grain cars)
• 492 miles of public owned short-line rail
(including the WSDOT owned Palouse River and
Coulee City Rail System)
(includes 2010 supplemental budget)
$1.4 billion 2009-2011 operating program budget
$5.3 billion 2009-2011 capital program budget
• State dollars - $3.4 billion
• Federal dollars (non ARRA) - $1.0 billion
• ARRA dollars (highways and rail) - $0.9 billion
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RCW 47.04.280 – Transportation system policy goals:
• Economic Vitality
- Promote and develop transportation systems that stimulate, support, and enhance the
movement of people and goods to ensure a prosperous economy;
• Preservation
- Maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation
systems and services;
• Safety
- Provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the
transportation system;
• Mobility
- Improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington State.
• Environment
- Enhance Washington’s quality of life through transportation investments that promote
energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment; and
• Stewardship
- Continuously improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the transportation
system.
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Our transportation vision:
An integrated transportation system that is …
Reliable
 Improved travel times for drivers
 Better reliability and choices for commuters and increased intercity service
 More efficient freight movement across state and in and out of our ports
Responsible
 Safer roads, and fewer fatalities and serious injuries
 Cost effective asset maintenance and preservation
 Highways, transit and ferries provide users integrated travel options
 Increased special needs transportation to provide access for jobs and
lifeline services
Sustainable
 Cleaner air and water
 Strategic and balanced approach to climate change
 Predictable funding and affordable improvements and operations
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Moving Washington – We manage and operate a
sustainable transportation system to complement the future
we want.
Operating Roadways
Efficiently
Managing Demand
Moving Washington
improves the system’s
performance and generates
revenue through variable
pricing and other traffic
management tools
Providing more travel
choices and options for
people and freight helps
improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of our
transportation system
Adding Capacity
Strategically
Adding new capacity to
our currently over-stressed
transportation system is a
critical component of
Moving Washington
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Transportation accounts for 47%
of greenhouse gases in
Washington
Climate Change Legislation
Legislation in 2008 and 2009 specify sustainable transportation, GHG
emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) requirements of WSDOT:
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directs WSDOT to report energy usage to assess the need for energy audits
(RCW 19.27A.190).
requires WSDOT to install outlets for electric vehicle charging in our state’s
fleet parking and maintenance facilities (RCW 43.16.648 (4)).
instructs the department to participate in the development of a statewide
integrated climate change response strategy (RCW 43.21M.010).
establishes VMT reduction benchmarks and assigns specific
implementation, monitoring, economic assessment and analysis tasks to
WSDOT (RCW 47.01.440).
establishes GHG emissions reduction goals for the state (RCW
70.235.020).
directs WSDOT to quantify and reduce our GHG emissions to achieve state
agency’s mandatory targets (RCW 70.235.050).
GHG/VMT Reduction Goals
• 2007 Senate Bill 6001 (RCW 70.235.020)
– Target reduction of Washington’s greenhouse gas
emissions to:
• 1990 levels by 2020
• 25% below 1990 levels by 2035
• 50% below 1990 levels by 2050
State’s baseline = 94.6 million metric tons CO2 equivalent
• 2008 House Bill 2815 (RCW 47.01.440)
– State to reduce per person VMT
(for vehicles under 10,000 lbs)
– 18% by 2020
– 30% by 2035
– 50% by 2050
What We Do Now –
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies
Four Legs of the Stool Plus Land Use
• Improve fuel
- Lowering the carbon content of fuels
• Advance Vehicle Technology
- Support improved vehicle technology
Vehicles
vehicle miles
traveled Fuels
System Efficiency
& Travel Options
• System Efficiency
- Operate our transportation system to maximize efficiency and improve traffic flow
• Increase Options and reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled
- Support efficient transportation options like carpooling; working from home; riding
a bus, train or bicycle; walking; or telecommuting.
PLUS
• Land Use
- Leveraging transportation investments to encourage land uses that are accessible
to alternative travel options
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Sustainable Transportation:
Sustainable transportation is a system that preserves the environment,
is durable and takes into account how we build it and the materials we use.
We manage and operate a sustainable transportation system to complement
the future we want.
• Economic Vitality and Stewardship
• Preservation and Maintenance
• Safety
• Mobility and Traffic Operations
• Environment and Adaptation
• Community Partnerships
• Fuels and Energy
• Design and Construction
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What We Do Now –
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies
• Improve fuel
- Leading development of the West Coast Green Highway Initiative from Canada to
Mexico (the nation’s first trans-national interstate for electric and alternative-fuel
vehicles)
- Supporting market development for alternative fuels to help power state-owned
ferries, trucks and cars with ultra-low-sulfur and biodiesel blends.
• Advance Vehicle Technology
- Encouraging advancements in alternative vehicle technologies and increased fuelefficiencies
- Upgrading the WSDOT fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles
• System Efficiency
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Electronic variable speed limit signs;
Real time traffic information;
Synchronizing traffic signals;
Tolling electronically to eliminate toll booths;
Responding quickly to help clear traffic incidents;
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What We Do Now –
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies
• Increase Options and Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
- Support efficient transportation options like carpooling; working from home; riding a
bus, train or bicycle; walking; or telecommuting.
- Vehicle Miles Traveled Measurement Analysis (Executive Order 09-05)
• High level summary of potential vehicle miles traveled reductions from strategies.
• Focused primarily on findings from several major studies;
• Intended to:
o Highlight the types of strategies for reducing vehicle miles traveled, and possible ranges of reductions.
o Provide a high level indication of potential greenhouse gas reductions that may be needed from other
strategies beyond vehicle miles traveled reduction to meet state greenhouse gas reduction goal.
• Land Use
- Leveraging transportation investments to encourage land use that is complementary
to alternative travel options
- Growth and Transportation Efficiency Center (GTEC)
• Successfully influencing Land Use changes (Spokane GTEC)
• Focused investments achieve objectives shared with our partners: Drive alone
commuting in GTECs dropped 11% statewide and 16% in King County between
2007-2009.
- Seattle Center City Parking (Construction Mitigation)
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Executive Order 09-05
What is required?
(a) In consultation with the Departments of Ecology and Commerce, and in collaboration
with local governments, business, and environmental representatives,
• Estimate current and future state-wide levels of vehicle miles traveled,
• Evaluate potential changes to the vehicle miles traveled benchmarks established in RCW
47.01.440 as appropriate to address low- or no-emission vehicles, and
• Develop additional strategies to reduce emissions from the transportation sector.
• Report findings and recommendations to the Governor by December 31, 2010; and,
(b) Work with the Puget Sound Regional Council, Spokane Regional Transportation Council,
Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council and Thurston Regional Planning
Council to cooperatively develop and adopt regional transportation plans that will:
• Provide people with additional transportation alternatives and choices,
• Reduce greenhouse gases and
• Achieve the statutory benchmarks to reduce annual per capita vehicle miles traveled
• In those counties with populations greater than 245,000.
By December 1, 2011, the Department will report to the Governor on which regional
transportation planning organizations have developed, or are developing, plans with
greenhouse gas strategies, which strategies appear to have the greatest potential to
achieve the benchmarks, and what policy or funding issues need to be resolved to ensure
implementation.
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Executive Order 09-05 – Study Approach
• Established a Executive Order Working Group
• Studies/Analysis Included
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Washington Climate Action Team transportation policy options analysis
(December, 2007);
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Transportation Role in Reducing U.S. GHG Emissions: Report To Congress
(April, 2010)
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Moving Cooler (July, 2009)
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Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Study, Analysis of Policies To Reduce Oil Consumption and Greenhouse-Gas
Emissions from the US Transportation Sector (February, 2010)
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EPA Analysis of the Transportation Sector Greenhouse Gas and Oil
Reduction Scenarios (February, 2010)
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U.C. Berkeley Study: Review of Modeling Analysis of Transit, Land Use, and
Auto Pricing Strategies to Reduce VMT and GHG Emissions, C. Rodier, for
CARB and Caltrans (October, 2009)
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PSRC T-2040 Modeling Analysis
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Executive Order 09-05 – Findings and
Recommendations- 1
• Current Vehicle Miles Traveled
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HPMS is an appropriate tool to monitor VMT statewide.
HPMS may also be an appropriate tool for monitoring VMT at the local and regional levels.
• Estimating Future Vehicle Miles Traveled
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The statutory VMT benchmarks in RCW 47.01.440 used a baseline of 75 billion VMT for
2020.
This baseline for 2020 was established by the February 2008 VMT forecast and serves as
the basis for the VMT per capita reductions benchmarks in 2020, 2035, and 2050.
Based on a new methodology developed specifically for forecasting VMT, the June 2010
forecast projects total statewide VMT in 2020 to be 66 billion. WSDOT will update the VMT
forecast annually each June.
Recommendation
WSDOT recommends that the legislature use historical, measured VMT (e.g., 2000, 2005,or 2010
levels), rather than forecasted VMT, to set the VMT baseline.
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Executive Order 09-05 – Findings and
Recommendations- 2
Do the VMT benchmarks need to be changed to address low or no-emission
vehicles?
• Ecology’s research showed that projected vehicle technology and fuel
changes will occur relatively slowly.
• The rate at which significant vehicle and fuel technology advances and
regulatory changes are likely to happen over the next 40 years is highly
uncertain.
Recommendation
WSDOT recommends that the VMT benchmarks should not be changed at this
time to address low- or no-emission vehicles.
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Executive Order 09-05 – Findings and
Recommendations- 3
Greenhouse gas reduction strategies from the transportation sector fit into four broad
categories:
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Operating the system more efficiently
Advancing vehicle technology
Improving fuels
Reducing VMT
There is no silver bullet
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Major contributions from each of the strategies are needed to reduce GHGs
Many transportation sector strategies would require changes in policy,funding, and authority
The state cannot significantly reduce emissions from the transportation sector without collaborative and
comprehensive actions by private citizens, businesses, and regional and local governments.
Implementing combinations of aggressive transportation emission reduction strategies can achieve
roughly a ten percent reduction in total statewide GHG emissions compared to the 2050 baseline.
Did not assess the political or financial feasibility of implementing the strategies
Recommendation
WSDOT recommends that the state consider the most viable ways to reduce statewide GHG emissions across all
sectors. In 2011, WSDOT will continue to work with the four largest RTPOs identified in the Executive Order as part
of the Section 2(b) work, which would further inform practical approaches for reducing GHG emissions at the
regional level.
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Partnerships and Technical
Excellence
• ETC and ETC, ETC (Cabinet and Senior staff
Ecology/Transportation/Commerce--Energy/Transportation/Climate Change)
• National Governor’s Association Policy Academy on Shaping
a New Approach to Transportation and Land Use Planning–
SWRTC (Vancouver, WA) Jan-November 2010
• FHWA Climate Change and Scenario Planning workshop Fall
2010
• SHRP 2 Climate Change/Collaborative Decision-Making
Framework workshop Fall 2010
• WSDOT/FHWA/MPOs “Growing Wealthier” workshop—
Center for Clean Air Policy Jan 2011
• Scenario Planning workshop Volpe/FHWA with SWRTC
Spring 2011