In this project, researchers from the University of California, Davis reviewed key, rapidly implementable strategies to mitigate emissions from cement and concrete used in state funded infrastructure projects. The research included performing a series of analyses to determine emissions reduction pathways throughout the cement life cycle, highlighting the potential to reduce emissions by designing new infrastructure for increased material efficiency. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides policy implications.
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Access to affordable and reliable transportation options is a significant issue in low-income, rural, and otherwise underserved communities across the United States. Carsharing is one promising option for households that are unable to afford a personal vehicle or have unreliable or insufficient access to a personal vehicle. California has developed multiple grant programs funding shared mobility start-ups (such as carsharing) in underserved communities. This funding is particularly beneficial in areas where private, for-profit carshare companies won’t or can’t operate.
E-commerce has become a fundamental part of the shopping experience. It has transformed how consumers shop and, in many cases, it has improved accessibility to goods and services. Another benefit is the substitution of personal shopping trips with consolidated deliveries, which can significantly reduce transportation-related negative externalities from urban goods movements. However, the recent trend towards consumer-focused services in last-mile distribution has adversely impacted the economic viability of urban goods movement. Frequent less-than-truckload last-mile deliveries can lead to increased freight distribution costs and associated environmental externalities. Opportunities and challenges associated with alternate last-mile distribution strategies were studied by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study examined ways that companies might adapt to increasingly consumer-focused trends in e-commerce towards rush delivery within strict time windows (expedited logistics). The team developed an explicit dynamic and stochastic location-routing model to assess the performance of several distribution initiatives. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides policy implications.
Micromobility options such as electric bike-share and scooter-share services are a fundamental part of the existing shared mobility landscape. Research has shown that micromobility use can reduce car dependence. This is accomplished through trip-level mode replacement and adjustments in mode-use configurations in daily travel. Understanding the full potential of micromobility services as a car replacement can help cities better plan for the services to meet environmental sustainability goals. Researchers at the University of California, Davis collected GPS-based travel diary data from individual micromobility users from 48 cities in the US and examined their travel behavior and micromobility use patterns. They found that micromobility services can displace car use. To achieve environmental sustainability goals, cities must pursue options that will deliver benefits, such as micromobility services. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides policy implications.
Open-loop fare payment systems are an emerging technology that allows customers to pay with credit cards, debit cards, smartphone applications, and digital wallets when boarding transit vehicles or entering platform areas. The California Integrated Travel Program (Cal-ITP) aims to foster the implementation of open-loop payments among California’s transit agencies. What do transit agencies have to say about this goal and the challenges it might pose for them and their travelers? Researchers from the University of California, Davis gathered surveys from a small sample of transit agencies (N = 21) and found that agencies are interested in open-loop payments, agencies and passengers would likely support it, but that it also presents challenges for agencies and passengers. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides policy implications.
The “induced travel” effect is a net increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) across the roadway network due to an increase in roadway capacity. Adding capacity can increase the average travel speed on the roadway (at least initially), increase travel time reliability, and make driving on the roadway appear safer or feel less stressful. It might also provide access to previously inaccessible areas. All of these effects reduce the perceived “cost” of driving. And when the cost of driving goes down, the quantity of driving goes up. Accounting for induced travel in transportation planning is important from the standpoint of accurately assessing both the benefits and costs of projects that expand roadway capacity. This brief summarizes the robust empirical evidence on the magnitude of the induced travel effect and discusses the limitations of travel demand forecasting models in fully capturing the effect.
Beginning in 2020, many in-person activities were replaced by virtual activities as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This affected fundamental elements of transportation systems such as trip frequency, commute distance, origins, and destinations. For example, remote work and study werewidely adopted among workers and students. Still, the ways that the pandemic affected individuals’ work arrangements across different phases of the pandemic and the extent to which full remote work and hybrid work induced by the pandemic might persist in the future are unclear. In addition, recent studies are not conclusive regarding the ways changes in work arrangements do/will impact travelpatterns and trip making.
Many studies have focused on the shifts in travel patterns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how travel demand continues to evolve in the post-pandemic era. Key metrics such as trip volume–the total number of trips within a specific area–help explain the pandemic’s impact on travel demand over time. However, to fully understand changes in travel behaviors, it is also important to analyze where trips start and end—otherwise known as Origin-Destination (OD) demand.To better understand OD demand during and after the pandemic, our research team developed a data-driven methodology to analyze travel patterns across different regions, times of day, days of the week (weekday and weekend), and trip purpose. This study used passively collected location-based data from the StreetLight Data platform (StreetLight Data, 2022) in the form of weekly OD matrices of all vehicle modes, segmented by various relevant variables. We focused on the Northern California Megaregion, which includes 21 counties from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sacramento region and the northern part of the San Joaquin Central Valley. The study period spanned from January 2019 to October 2021.
Finding ways to boost transportation access for underserved populations can unlock broad social benefits. Micromobility programs, including bikesharing, offer scalable solutions. National, state, and regional housing and urban development agencies promote affordable housing and transit-accessible developments by funding programs such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Community Development Block Grants. However, these efforts are not always coordinated and the physical distance between affordable housing and transit access continues to grow. The problem is compounded by low car ownership rates in lower income urban communities. These circumstances have led to inequitable mobility access. To correct course, pairing affordable housing developments with reliable transit services is essential. This practice can increase equity and accessibility. A team at the University of California, Davis, conducted a case study in Sacramento, California, to explore bikesharing as an option for connecting affordable housing residents with transit services. This brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides implications for the field.
While hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are seen as a part of California’s efforts to decarbonize transportation, especially for the heavy-duty vehicle sector, their role remains unclear. This may change, however, with the launch of the California Alliance for Renewable Clean Energy Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) developed by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) as a public-private partnership. The U.S. Department of Energy and ARCHES recently signed a $12.6 billion agreement to build a clean, renewable Hydrogen Hub in California, including up to $1.2 billion in federal funding. The transportation sector will play a central role in this effort, including commitments to deploy 6,000 FCEVs, mainly trucks and buses, along with 60 refueling stations and other investments.
