Riding HSR to a Sustainable Future

Riding HSR to a Sustainable Future

HSR & Community Benefit Changing how we live Providing efficient, civilized transportation Sustainability outcomes Catalyst for planning

Scale

Changing How We Live The Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) has changed the psychological distance between places. For the French, mobility has created a feeling of belonging to a common or interconnected city. Alain L'Hostis, Geographer, Universite Paris-Est

Smaller Urban Footprint Legacy of Cheap Gas & Land: Low density, big acreage cities US density/acre pre-wwii: 6,472/sq. mile US density/acre today: 3,802/sq. mile Density Supports: Public Transportation Mixed use development Non-automobile dependent life style HSR Thrives Where It Connects Dense Urban Centers Madrid 5,200/sq. km Barcelona 4,800 Tokyo 4,750 Paris 3,550 Los Angeles 2,750 New York 2,050 Chicago 1,500

A More Civilized Public Transportation Alternative

Another sustainability tool UIC: High Speed Rail: Fast track to sustainable mobility Himbergen, UIC presentation 2008

HSR Sustainability Benefits Environmental Benefits Healing on our World Adding value to communities Beyond Gridlock Transportation System How We Get Around HSR uses 1/3 the space of highway

GHG Emissions Benefit 1/12 th of Auto Emissions

Catalyst For Community Building Transit & Pedestrian Oriented Development Create Communities Helps create critical mass of activity/people to support mixed-use development Station as the focal point for the community A catalyst for connecting communities Reduces dependence on the automobile

California Planning Activities EPA-HUD-DOT Livability partnership CaHSR Authority Planning Grants SB 375

California 100% Renewable Energy Sustainability Partnerships Land Use Planning

California High Speed Rail Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment

The California High Speed Rail project will run from Sacramento and San Francisco to Los Angeles and San Diego. Trains will operate at speeds of up to 220 mph; the express travel time from downtown San Francisco to Los Angeles will be just under 2½ hours. Intercity travelers (trips between metropolitan regions) and longer-distance commuters will enjoy the benefits of a system designed to connect with existing rail, air and highway networks.

California s High Speed Rail Project will affect: o The number of intercity airplane trips o Roadway Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) o Power generation for the High Speed Train

In order to determine the GHG emissions of the project: o A baseline had to be established, and o Each of the affected modes had to be quantified.

Baseline numbers were established from inventories compiled by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA).

It was very difficult to establish the baseline CO 2 emission budget for intrastate airplane trips. To determine the project s impact on airplane CO 2 emissions, a future No Build CO 2 plane emission budget was established based on: o The number of potentially affected air trips o The length of the average trip o An average CO 2 emission as calculated by a CO 2 emission factor calculator

The project s impact was calculated based on the number of flights removed due to the project.

CO 2 emissions from roadway vehicles were calculated based on their energy use. The energy use, expressed in Btus, takes into account: o Average travel speed o Vehicle mix o Average vehicle fuel efficiency

Based on the CO 2 emission factors per Btu, CO 2 emission burdens were established for the No Build and Build scenarios for roadway vehicles.

CO 2 Burden (Autos)

At the time of the initial analysis, it was not clear which facilities would be supplying power to the HSR system. Because of this, all emission changes from power generation, including CO 2, could only be predicted on a statewide level for the full HSR system.

CO 2 Burden (Rail)

Summing all affected elements quantifies the project s impact on GHG emissions. The project has a beneficial effect on emissions Statewide.

For more information, visit the California High Speed Rail document library, Bay Area to Central Valley Revised Final Program EIR at: http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/ba_cv_program_eir.aspx