Browsing by Author "Boies, Adam"

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    Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Transportation Sources in Minnesota
    (University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2008-06) Boies, Adam; Kittelson, David B.; Watts, Winthrop J.; Lucke, Jan; McGinnis, Laurie; Marshall, Julian; Patterson, Tyler; Nussbaum, Peter; Wilson, Elizabeth
    The 2007 Minnesota Next Generation Energy Act established goals for reducing statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% by 2015, 30% by 2025, and 80% by 2050, relative to 2005 levels. This report investigates strategies for meeting those reductions in Minnesota?s transportation sector, which produces approximately 24% of total state GHG emissions. The study focuses on three types of emission-reduction strategies: those that improve vehicle fuel economy, those that reduce the number of vehicle-miles traveled, and others that decrease the carbon content of fuel. The researchers used a quantitative model to test the effectiveness of specific strategies for GHG emission reduction from transportation in Minnesota. Modeled scenario outcomes depend strongly on input assumptions, and lead us to the following three main conclusions. 1. Meeting state goals will require all three types of policies. For example, Minnesota could adopt a GHG emissions standard, a low-carbon fuel standard, and comprehensive transit and Smart Growth policies. 2. Technologies are available today to substantially improve fuel economy and vehicle GHG emissions. Requiring these technologies could save Minnesota consumers money and better insulate them from oil price volatility. 3. Changes in vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) have a strong impact on whether the goals can be met, and increases in VMT can offset GHG reductions. Overall, the research indicates that the goals can be met, but achieving them requires consistent and concerted action beginning immediately.
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    A Smaller Carbon Footprint: Research Suggests Combining Strategies to Meet Legislative Goals in the Transportation Sector
    (University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2008-06) Boies, Adam; Kittelson, David B.; Watts, Winthrop J.; Lucke, Jan; McGinnis, Laurie; Marshall, Julian; Nussbaum, Peter; Wilson, Elizabeth
    The 2007 Minnesota Next Generation Energy Act established goals for reducing statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% by 2015, 30% by 2025, and 80% by 2050, relative to 2005 levels. This document summarizes a longer report which investigates strategies for meeting those reductions in Minnesota's transportation sector, which produces approximately 24% of total state GHG emissions.
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    The Transportation Futures Project: Planning for Technology Change
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2016-01) Levinson, David; Boies, Adam; Cao, Jason; Fan, Yingling
    After a long period of system deployment of the auto-highway system, and several decades of maturity of that system, the surface transportation sector is facing a large number of technological shifts that could change whether and how people travel. While nascent, their prospects are potentially significant. This research proposed to explore these technologies - ascertain their potential market, consider their interactions, understand what that might do to travel demands, and address how planning and forecasting should respond. This research developed a series of white papers: high-level policy briefs based on our analysis of each technology, its direction, and its implications for Minnesota. This work extends and complements the MnDOT 50 year vision expressed in Minnesota GO. It also builds on the ideas developed in the NCHRP 750 project: Strategic Issues Facing Transportation. The timeframe on these technologies varies, and the authors looked at deployment paths over time rather than simple snapshots in time.