Assessments of available models and analytical tools can be used to compare greenhouse gas measurement methods and analytical approaches. This section provides resources that describe analytical approaches and research assessing the limitations in current analytical tools and data.
Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Analysis Techniques for Transportation Projects (2006) (PDF 724kb)
Transportation Research Board
Research is focused on determining what methods are available for transportation agencies to accurately estimate greenhouse gas emissions from transportation activities and identifies 17 tools or methods that can be used to analyze the GHG implications of transportation projects. The purpose of this study is to help transportation practitioners understand the strengths, limitations, and applicability of available GHG analysis techniques for transportation, and identify gaps in existing methodologies.
- Emissions Analysis of Freight Transport Comparing Land-Side and Water-Side Short-Sea Routes: Development and Demonstration of a Freight Routing and Emissions Analysis Tool (FREAT) (2007)(PDF 292kb)
U.S. DOT Center for Climate Change and Environmental Forecasting
This study includes a methodology and tools to effectively compare emissions from land-side and water-side freight transport alternatives. The research team will develop and demonstrate a model that analyzes total fuel-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) and other emissions associated with transporting freight along land-side and water-side routes. The project also evaluates tradeoffs among pollutants, costs, and travel time for moving freight between two points and will identify optimal modal combinations within a network of travel paths that lead to minimizing emissions, costs, and/or travel time.
Improving Transportation Data for Mobile Source Emissions (2000)
Transportation Research Board
This paper examines the benefits and challenges related to mobile source emissions modeling in a GIS framework and identifies future GIS mobile emissions modeling research needs. Also discusses the GIS-based modeling approach: Mobile Emission Assessment System for Urban and Regional Evaluation (MEASURE).
Measuring the Greenhouse Gas Intensity of the Transportation Sector
U.S. Department of Transportation, Center for Climate Change
This project will explore two measurement approaches for GHG emissions from transportation: (1) transportation emissions per unit of GDP or transportation GDP and (2) intensity per passenger-mile or ton-mile. In both cases, the project considers transportation as a sector, by mode, and by its passenger and freight components.