Skip to main content

New US study examines contribution of transport to emissions

The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has published a new report, Transportation emissions in the context of emissions from other economic sectors: 1990-2014, which examines long-term trends in the contribution of transportation to total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, in the context of the other sources of emissions (industry, commercial, residential, and agriculture). Also of interest in this study are the relative contributions of various transportation modes, bo
July 11, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The 5647 University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has published a new report, Transportation emissions in the context of emissions from other economic sectors: 1990-2014, which examines long-term trends in the contribution of transportation to total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, in the context of the other sources of emissions (industry, commercial, residential, and agriculture).

Also of interest in this study are the relative contributions of various transportation modes, both to transportation emissions and to total emissions. The period examined was from 1990 through 2014. The raw data came from the US 1999 Environmental Protection Agency.

Main findings of the study include the relative contribution to total emissions of the largest emitter, industry, decreased  during the period examined, while those of the transportation, commercial, residential, and agricultural sectors increased. In addition, the relative contribution of emissions from medium- and heavy-duty trucks to total emissions from all sources increased substantially, while those from passenger cars and light-duty trucks increased only slightly, and those from commercial aircraft stayed about the same.

According to the researchers, Michael Sivak and  Brandon Scvhoettle, there are two main implications of this study. First, because of the major progress in reducing emissions from industry during the period examined, we can expect an increased emphasis on reducing emissions from the other economic sectors, including transportation. Second, because of the large increase in the contribution of medium- and heavy-duty trucks to total emissions, we can expect an increased emphasis on reducing emissions from these classes of vehicles.

Related Content

  • Reducing detection costs benefits intersection management
    February 3, 2012
    The continuing, favourable performance-versus-cost situation concerning detection and monitoring technologies is driving the proliferation of intelligence across road networks. The effective and safe management of intersections is a focus for network operators and systems manufacturers alike. The most complicated of road environments, and statistically among the least safe, intersections enjoy particular emphasis in longer-term work on cooperative infrastructure solutions. However there are current developm
  • Technology solution needed to counter mobile phone menace
    March 29, 2017
    With the UK set to increase the penalties for using mobile phones while driving, the RAC Foundation’s Steve Gooding considers what else can be done to combat this deadly distraction. The first mobile phone call was made in 1973, by an engineer working for Motorola. Today 4.7 billion people across the globe subscribe to a mobile service.
  • USDoT looks at the costs and potential benefits of connected vehicles
    October 26, 2017
    David Crawford looks at latest lessons learned from the trials of connected vehicles in the US. The progress of connected vehicle (CV) technologies takes centre stage among the hot topics highlighted in the September 2017 edition – the first since 2014 – of the ‘ITS Benefits, Costs and Lessons Learned’ survey from the US ITS Joint Program Office (JPO). The organisation is an arm of the US Department of Transportation (USDoT).
  • Considering accessibility costs little and pays dividends for all travellers
    August 8, 2017
    Catering for those with disabilities can be cost-effective and improve services for all travellers, as David Crawford discovers. Clearer understanding of the economic value of accessible transport is essential if we are to speed up the current slow deployment levels, according to the Paris-based International Transport Forum (ITF), which staged a 2016 round table on the ‘Benefits and Costs of Inclusion in Transport’. It wants to see greater availability of data on levels of actual and unmet demand for acces