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Public Transportation’s Role in a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy

Kevin DesmondKing County Metro Transit Division

Seattle, WAOn behalf of the

American Public Transportation AssociationWashington, DC

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APTA - Who Are We?

• Trade association which represents and supports more than 1,500 members worldwide

• from offices located in Washington, D.C.

• with roots beginning in 1882 – the era of horse-drawn street railway cars

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Snapshot of the Industry

• More than 6,000 transit systems in U.S.A.

• 10.1 billion trips taken in 2006

• 34 million times a day, people board public transportation

• Top 30 systems provide 70% of boardings

• 90% of transit riders travel on APTA member systems

• Approximately 366,000 operating employees, and 13,000 capital employees

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Transit Use Growing Faster ThanHighway Use (1995 – 2006)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

U.S.A. Population Highway VMT Transit

(12%) (24%) (30%)

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Transit Shifting to AlternativeFueled Vehicles in U.S.A.• Heavy rail cars 100% alternative fueled

• Light rail cars 98% alternative fueled

• Self-propelled commuter rail cars 98% alternative fueled, locomotives 11% alternative fueled

• Buses currently 19% alternative fueled, increased from only 2% in 1992

• Buses on order on January 1, 2007 will be 37% alternative fueled

• Projected orders for buses will be 45% alternative fueledSource: 2007 Transit Vehicle Database, American Public Transportation Association, April 2007

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Transportation is A Major Source of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

• Transportation creates 33% of U.S.A. GHG emissions

• GHG from mobile sources increased 29% from 1990 to 2004

• From 1982 to 2005 vehicle miles of travel increased 3.6% per year

• From 1982 to 2005 congested hours of travel for commuters increased 7.5% per yearSource: Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction, SAIC, September 2007

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Value of Transit in a Climate Change Strategy

• Household action immediate

• Supports efficient land use patterns reduction in travel

• Provides a “choice” for households desiring personal action

• Reduces congestion and improves fuel economy

• Preserves mobility in a climate of rising fuel prices

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Connecting Transportation, Energy, and Environmental Policy

• Expansion of service coverage and frequency

• Any cap & trade, offsets program, etc. should recognize transit’s net benefit

• Climate change should be a consideration in transportation planning and prioritization

• Recognize the effect of small decisions – developer incentives, federal building location, transit pass fare structures

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New Reports Quantify Transit Reduction of Fuel Use and GHG

• ICF International report finds that transit reduces petroleum use in U.S.A by 1.4 billion gallons annually

• SAIC report finds that transit reduces CO2 emissions by 6.9 million tonnes per year

• APTA projects research in progress will find that land use impact of transit reduces petroleum use up to an additional 4.3 billion gallons and cuts CO2 emissions up to an additional 38 million tonnes per year

• Urban Land Institute report finds that compact development dramatically reduces GHG emissions

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Public Transportation and Petroleum Savings

• Completed by ICF International in January, 2007

• Objective: Understand public transportation’s role in reducing petroleum use and understand effect on household expenditures in U.S.A.

• Aggregate analysis based on national PMT data, transit fuel use and average vehicle fuel efficiencies

• Includes fuel savings from reduced congestion resulting from transitSource: Public Transportation and Petroleum Savings in the U.S.: Reducing Dependence on Oil, ICF International, January 2007

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Shift From Auto to Transit Lowers Dependence on Foreign Fuel

Saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline annually -- or

4 million gallons of gasoline per day

OilConsumption

Drops

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Research Findings

• Reduces U.S.A. gasoline consumption 1.4 billion gallons each year – equivalent to 33.5 million barrels of oil, equal to:

• 300,000 autos filling up every day• 140,000 fewer tanker truck deliveries to

service stations per year

• Significant household benefits for those who chose transit – two-adult household savings of $6,251

• Household using transit average 29 VMT per day versus 45 VMT for other householdsSource: Public Transportation and Petroleum Savings in the U.S.: Reducing Dependence on Oil, ICF International, January 2007

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Public Transportation’s Contribution to Reducing Greenhouse Gases

• Completed by SAIC in September 2007

• Objective - assess transit’s net contribution to greenhouse gases – emphasis on CO2

• Aggregate assessment - summary of all transit services throughout U.S.A.

Source: Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction, SAIC, September 2007

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Public Transportation is a Net Carbon Reducer

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Public transportation helps avoid CO2 from reduced vehicle travel

Additional CO2 savings from reduced congestion

CO2 produced from public transportation

___________________________

Total COTotal CO2 2 savings savings from public from public transportationtransportation

+16.2 Million Tonnes

+3.0 Million Tonnes

-12.3 Million Tonnes

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+6.9 Million +6.9 Million TonnesTonnes

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The Effect of Household Action

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Replacing old refrigeratorReplacing light bulbs

2,800 Adjusting

thermostat and weatherizing your

home

4,800 Taking transit

to work (saves 20

pound per day)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

Po

un

ds

of

CO

2 s

av

ed

pe

r y

ea

r

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Efficient Land Use Can Magnify Transit Impacts

• Transit availability influences street arrangement, building design, zoning; including:

Compact developmentMixed land useConnective street designComplete streets

• Savings in fuel use and emissions greatly increased by these secondary impacts

• More efficient development allows shorter trips for auto and transit, more non-motorized trips

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Research In ProgressIndicates That:

• Transit associated land use impact increases petroleum savings in U.S.A. an additional 4.3 billion gallons beyond direct impact

• Transit associated land use impact increases CO2 savings up to an additional 38 million tonnes beyond direct impact Source: APTA Estimate

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Compact Development Dramatically Cuts Emissions• Growing Cooler: The Evidence of Urban

Development and Climate Change By Urban Land Institute and others

• Compact development helps reduce need to drive

• Transit an important part of compact development

• If 60% of new growth were in compact patterns 85 million tonnes of CO2 would be saved annually by 2030 in U.S.A.

• These savings equal a 28% increase in federal vehicle efficiency standardsSource: Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, Urban Land Institute and other organizations, October 2007

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Transit and Carbon Markets

• Transit currently viewed as a source of emissions

• Transit now at the table as carbon markets emerge (e.g., Chicago Climate Exchange) or are being contemplated (e.g. federal legislation)

• New protocols should measure net effect of transit emissions and resulting auto emissions reduction

• An effort to quantify the value of transit offsets is currently underway through APTA’s standards development process

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Core Messages

• Transit use results in direct reductions of green house gases. we need more

• Recognize transit as a carbon offset

• Transit oriented communities bring about much additional saving

• Use of transit is a high return choice for individuals at the household level

• The transit industry seeks to be at the cutting edge of sustainable business practices

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References

• Public Transportation and Petroleum Savings in the U.S.: Reducing Dependence on Oil, ICF International, January 2007 at http://www.apta.com/research/info/online/documents/apta_public_transportation_fuel_savings_final_010807.pdf

• Public Transportation’s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction, SAIC, September 2007 at http://www.apta.com/research/info/online/climate_change.cfm

• Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, Urban Land Institute and other organizations, October 2007 at http://sgusa.convio.net/site/DocServer/GrowingCooler9-18-07small.pdf?docID=4061

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