Transportation problems in urban areas are intrinsically linked to air quality and energy. The increased demand for travel by individuals and businesses alike has become the largest contributor to poor air quality in most U.S. cities. Even in the Houston region, where point source emissions from manufacturing play a major role, transportation sources challenge air quality and transportation planners to develop effective responses. Transportation emissions will become increasingly important as point source emissions are more readily identified and reduced over the next decade.
Sustainable Transportation considers the systems and components that move people and goods in ways that minimize environmental, energy, and societal impacts; affordable, equitable, and considerate of future generations. It includes transportation behaviors, decisions, and policies, incorporating energy use efficiency as well as efficiency in the way land is used. Sustainable transportation systems and components should provide sufficient access and help achieve aspirations at all levels of society, from neighborhoods to national and international levels.
Urban transportation
ranges from the simple act of walking to the engineering and science of today's engines, fuels and vehicles. HARC's involvement in sustainable transportation includes alternative fuels and vehicles, assessment of new transportation technologies, transportation policies and strategies, air quality research management, and urban planning.
HARC developed a unique strategy for considering air quality issues of transportation through a place-based decision process. The Sustainable Transportation Program was created to help provide a focal point within HARC for transportation, air quality, energy and technology projects that involve the skills and experience of HARC's research staff and skills.
Transportation/Air Quality Projects
Transportation projects at HARC include mobile and nonroad air quality projects, hybrid electric trucks, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, alternative and low carbon fuels, hydrogen and fuel cells initiatives, sustainable development of urban corridors, and testing of emission treatment technologies. These projects often involve partnerships with other research organizations, universities, governmental agencies and private companies.
Ford Escape Hybrid |
Houston, TX Light Rail System |
For additional information, contact David Hitchcock, Director, Sustainable Transportation Programs (dhitchcock@harc.edu)
Transportation & Air Quality Forum/Texas Joint Center for Air Quality
Air Quality Policies and Plans
Many transportation options that could improve air quality never become part of regional strategies, partially due to the air quality planning process and regulations. The regional decision processes may lack the needed continuity from project identification through the selection of control measures because of intervening regional issues, crises, and focused resources. The Transportation & Air Quality Forum (TAQF) examined how transportation options could be applied more effectively to address regional air quality concerns. HARC staff participated with regional air quality planning process to identify ways to design, test, evaluate, and deploy a more comprehensive approach for deciding and implementing transportation measures to improve air quality and achieve other regional development goals. The process called “regional translation” had the following objectives:
- To provide policymakers with information on the impact that surface transportation policies have on air quality in urban areas.
- To demonstrate that alternative transportation practices and new technologies can positively affect air quality.
- To model and quantify the possible impact of alternative practices and new technologies and make these findings available to other urban areas with significant air quality challenges.
- To test promising alternative practices and new technologies with pilot and demonstration projects, and communicate findings to stakeholders.
- To bring credible scientific information related to urban transportation alternatives to the regulatory and policy debate surrounding urban air quality.
- To develop a new level of understanding about and methods for studying the links between the social, economic, and cultural factors, including transportation preferences that impede or promote progress toward clean air.