Practitioners Guide to Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions into the Collaborative Decision-Making Process (2012)

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Practitioners Guide to Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emmissions into the Collaborative Decision-Making Process S2-C09-RW-2

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2012 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE* OFFICERS Chair: Sandra Rosenbloom, Director, Innovation in Infrastructure, The Urban Institute, Washington, D.C. Vice Chair: Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Norfolk, Virginia Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board MEMBERS Victoria A. Arroyo, Executive Director, Georgetown Climate Center, and Visiting Professor, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C. J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, Kentucky William A. V. Clark, Professor of Geography (emeritus) and Professor of Statistics (emeritus), Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles Eugene A. Conti, Jr., Secretary of Transportation, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh James M. Crites, Executive Vice President of Operations, Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, Texas Paula J. C. Hammond, Secretary, Washington State Department of Transportation, Olympia Michael W. Hancock, Secretary, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Frankfort Chris T. Hendrickson, Duquesne Light Professor of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Adib K. Kanafani, Professor of the Graduate School, University of California, Berkeley (Past Chair, 2009) Gary P. LaGrange, President and CEO, Port of New Orleans, Louisiana Michael P. Lewis, Director, Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Providence Susan Martinovich, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation, Carson City Joan McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Arlington (Past Chair, 2010) Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Mandeville, Louisiana Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri Beverly A. Scott, General Manager and CEO, Rail and Transit Division, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Boston David Seltzer, Principal, Mercator Advisors LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Kumares C. Sinha, Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana Thomas K. Sorel, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul Daniel Sperling, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy; Director, Institute of Transportation Studies; and Acting Director, Energy Efficiency Center, University of California, Davis Kirk T. Steudle, Director, Michigan Department of Transportation, Lansing Douglas W. Stotlar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Con-Way, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin (Past Chair, 1991) EX OFFICIO MEMBERS Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, Georgia Anne S. Ferro, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior John T. Gray II, Senior Vice President, Policy and Economics, Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C. John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C. Michael P. Huerta, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation David T. Matsuda, Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Michael P. Melaniphy, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, D.C. Victor M. Mendez, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Tara O’Toole, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Robert J. Papp (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cynthia L. Quarterman, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Peter M. Rogoff, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation David L. Strickland, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Joseph C. Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S. Department of Transportation Robert L. Van Antwerp (Lt. General, U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C. Barry R. Wallerstein, Executive Officer, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, California Gregory D. Winfree, Acting Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation * Membership as of December 2012.

THE SECOND STRATEGIC HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM PB Americas, Inc. Cambridge Systematics, Inc. E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc. EuQuant, Inc. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD Washington, D.C. 2013 www.TRB.org Practitioners Guide to Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions into the Collaborative Decision- Making Process SHRP 2 Report S2-C09-RW-2

SUBSCRIBER CATEGORIES Energy Environment Highways Planning and Forecasting

THE SECOND STRATEGIC HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM America’s highway system is critical to meeting the mobility and economic needs of local communities, regions, and the nation. Developments in research and technology—such as advanced materials, communications technology, new data collection technologies, and human factors science—offer a new opportunity to improve the safety and reliability of this important national resource. Breakthrough resolution of significant transportation problems, however, requires concentrated resources over a short time frame. Reflecting this need, the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) has an intense, large-scale focus, integrates mul- tiple fields of research and technology, and is fundamentally different from the broad, mission-oriented, discipline-based research programs that have been the mainstay of the high- way research industry for half a century. The need for SHRP 2 was identified in TRB Special Report 260: Strategic Highway Research: Saving Lives, Reducing Congestion, Improving Quality of Life, pub- lished in 2001 and based on a study sponsored by Congress through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Cen- tury (TEA-21). SHRP 2, modeled after the first Strategic Highway Research Program, is a focused, time-constrained, management-driven program designed to complement existing highway research programs. SHRP 2 focuses on applied research in four areas: Safety, to prevent or reduce the severity of highway crashes by understanding driver behavior; Renewal, to address the aging infrastruc- ture through rapid design and construction methods that cause minimal disruptions and produce lasting facilities; Reliability, to reduce congestion through incident reduc- tion, management, response, and mitigation; and Capacity, to integrate mobility, economic, environmental, and com- munity needs in the planning and designing of new trans- portation capacity. SHRP 2 was authorized in August 2005 as part of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The program is managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) on behalf of the National Research Council (NRC). SHRP 2 is conducted under a memorandum of understanding among the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the National Academy of Sci- ences, parent organization of TRB and NRC. The program provides for competitive, merit-based selection of research contractors; independent research project oversight; and dissemination of research results. SHRP 2 Report S2-C09-RW-2 ISBN: 978-0-309-12931-2 © 2013 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from pub- lishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. The second Strategic Highway Research Program grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, or FHWA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing material in this document for educa- tional and not-for-profit purposes will give appropriate ac- knowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from SHRP 2. Note: SHRP 2 report numbers convey the program, focus area, project number, and publication format. Report num- bers ending in “w” are published as web documents only. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the second Strategic Highway Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The members of the technical committee selected to moni- tor this project and to review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. The report was reviewed by the technical commit- tee and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the re- search and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the pro- gram sponsors. The Transportation Research Board of the National Acad- emies, the National Research Council, and the sponsors of the second Strategic Highway Research Program do not en- dorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufac turers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essen tial to the object of the report. SHRP 2 REPORTS Available by subscription and through the TRB online bookstore: www.TRB.org/bookstore Contact the TRB Business Office: 202.334.3213 More information about SHRP 2: www.TRB.org/SHRP 2

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advis- ing the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initia- tive, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sci- ences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdis- ciplinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transpor- tation departments, federal agencies, including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

SHRP 2 STAFF Ann M. Brach, Director Stephen J. Andrle, Deputy Director Neil J. Pedersen, Deputy Director, Implementation and Communications James Bryant, Senior Program Officer, Renewal Kenneth Campbell, Chief Program Officer, Safety JoAnn Coleman, Senior Program Assistant, Capacity and Reliability Eduardo Cusicanqui, Financial Officer Walter Diewald, Senior Program Officer, Safety Jerry DiMaggio, Implementation Coordinator Shantia Douglas, Senior Financial Assistant Charles Fay, Senior Program Officer, Safety Carol Ford, Senior Program Assistant, Renewal and Safety Elizabeth Forney, Assistant Editor Jo Allen Gause, Senior Program Officer, Capacity Rosalind Gomes, Accounting/Financial Assistant Abdelmename Hedhli, Visiting Professional James Hedlund, Special Consultant, Safety Coordination Alyssa Hernandez, Reports Coordinator Ralph Hessian, Special Consultant, Capacity and Reliability Andy Horosko, Special Consultant, Safety Field Data Collection William Hyman, Senior Program Officer, Reliability Michael Marazzi, Senior Editorial Assistant Linda Mason, Communications Officer Reena Mathews, Senior Program Officer, Capacity and Reliability Matthew Miller, Program Officer, Capacity and Reliability Michael Miller, Senior Program Assistant, Capacity and Reliability David Plazak, Senior Program Officer, Capacity Monica Starnes, Senior Program Officer, Renewal Charles Taylor, Special Consultant, Renewal Onno Tool, Visiting Professional Dean Trackman, Managing Editor Connie Woldu, Administrative Coordinator

vi This work was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration in cooperation with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Offi cials. It was con- ducted in the second Strategic Highway Research Program, which is administered by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. The project was man- aged by Stephen J. Andrle, Deputy Director for SHRP 2. The research reported in this guide was performed by PB Americas, Inc., sup- ported by Cambridge Systematics, Inc., E.H. Pechan & Associates, Inc., and EuQuant, Inc. Dr. Michael Meyer was the Principal Investigator. Other contributors were Cindy Burbank and Lisa Zeimer of PB Americas; Chris Porter and Joanne Potter of Cambridge Systematics, Inc.; and Jim Wilson of E.H. Pechan & Associates. The research team acknowledges the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Minnesota Department of Trans- portation, and the Washington State Department of Transportation, who sponsored one-day workshops that assessed the information provided in the Practitioners Guide. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

vii FOREWORD Scientifi c evidence is mounting that the release of greenhouse gases into the atmo- sphere is contributing to noticeable changes in the earth’s climate. While this asser- tion is controversial, many public agencies, including transportation agencies, have begun to investigate how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is a new topic for most, and analytical procedures are not well established. This Practitioners Guide and the associated report provide a framework and methods for assessing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation projects or programs. The framework is linked to decision points in the larger transportation planning and environmental review pro- cess. The report and Practitioners Guide will be of interest to transportation profes- sionals charged with analyzing strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. The report will be particularly useful for areas that are not using complex transportation planning and air quality models at the present time. The fi ndings are also available on a SHRP 2 website Transportation for Communities – Advancing Projects through Partnerships (TCAPP.) It is generally accepted that the transportation sector of the economy contributes about 28% of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions, making transportation a signifi cant target of opportunity for mitigating strategies. Carbon dioxide is the major transportation-generated greenhouse gas, constituting 80% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions are directly linked to the amount of fuel con- sumed and its carbon intensity. Therefore, carbon emission reductions can be achieved by increasing the use of low-carbon fuels, improving fuel economy, reducing vehicle miles of travel, or reducing congestion. The job of a transportation analyst is to deter- mine the cost-effectiveness of various strategies at their disposal. The Practitioners Guide identifi es steps in the transportation planning and envi- ronmental review process where greenhouse gas emissions could be considered and at what scale. The Practitioners Guide uses the decision points in the transportation Stephen J. Andrle SHRP 2 Deputy Director

viii planning and environmental review process from TCAPP to structure the informa- tion and link the scale of greenhouse gas analysis to stages in planning and environ- mental review. Finally the appendices to the Practitioners Guide contain data useful for conducting greenhouse gas emissions analysis, a compendium of tools, references to carbon calculators, life cycle fuel and emissions estimates, and other resources. This report provides background information to aid in understanding the issues, a summary of the state of the practice, a framework for conducting greenhouse gas analysis, a description of tools and data requirements, and an overview of the cost- effectiveness of various strategies. Eight short case studies are included to demonstrate the state of the practice by state departments of transportation, metropolitan plan- ning organizations, and other units of government. Workshops were conducted in four states to vet the framework and the methods. The report and Practitioners Guide provide a structure to aid transportation pro- fessionals in coping with the greenhouse gas emissions issue, clarify the types of miti- gating actions available to a transportation agency, and provide methods and data for analysts.