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Sustainable mobility policy for long-distance transportation services should consider emerging automobiles and aircraft as well as infrastructure and supply chain life-cycle effects in the assessment of new high-speed rail systems. Using the California corridor, future automobiles, high-speed rail and aircraft

Sustainable mobility policy for long-distance transportation services should consider emerging automobiles and aircraft as well as infrastructure and supply chain life-cycle effects in the assessment of new high-speed rail systems. Using the California corridor, future automobiles, high-speed rail and aircraft long-distance travel are evaluated, considering emerging fuel-efficient vehicles, new train designs and the possibility that the region will meet renewable electricity goals. An attributional per passenger-kilometer-traveled life-cycle inventory is first developed including vehicle, infrastructure and energy production components. A consequential life-cycle impact assessment is then established to evaluate existing infrastructure expansion against the construction of a new high-speed rail system. The results show that when using the life-cycle assessment framework, greenhouse gas footprints increase significantly and human health and environmental damage potentials may be dominated by indirect and supply chain components. The environmental payback is most sensitive to the number of automobile trips shifted to high-speed rail, and for greenhouse gases is likely to occur in 20–30 years. A high-speed rail system that is deployed with state-of-the-art trains, electricity that has met renewable goals, and in a configuration that endorses high ridership will provide significant environmental benefits over existing modes. Opportunities exist for reducing the long-distance transportation footprint by incentivizing large automobile trip shifts, meeting clean electricity goals and reducing material production effects.

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    Title
    • High-speed rail with emerging automobiles and aircraft can reduce environmental impacts in California’s future
    Date Created
    2012-03-16
    Resource Type
  • Text
  • Collaborating institutions
    School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment (SSEBE) / Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management
    Note
    • This article is based on a working paper titled "High-speed Rail, Aircraft and Automobile Environmental Futures in California."

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    This is a suggested citation. Consult the appropriate style guide for specific citation guidelines.

    Mikhail Chester and Arpad Horvath 2012 Environ. Res. Lett. 7 034012, http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034012

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