Phase 3 of the APEC Cooperative Energy Efficiency Design for Sustainability (CEEDS) project focused on energy-efficient urban passenger transportation. The project was organized by the Asia Pacific Economic Research Centre (APERC) with METI, Japan, as the Project Overseer. Like the APEC Peer Review on Energy Efficiency, CEEDS Phase 3 was co-sponsored by all EWG Economies. Previous phases of CEEDS addressed appliance energy standards and labeling (Phase 1) and building energy codes (Phase 2). All three topics are among the high-performance policies identified as having the potential to help APEC economies achieve the energy savings goals adopted by APEC leaders.
The Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), with support from the Policy and International office of the US Department of Energy and the US Department of Transportation, assisted APERC in preparing a policy template for energy efficient urban passenger transport as background material for the economies participating in CEEDS Phase 3. This template is designed to provide guidance to policy makers and program managers in APEC economies on options to significantly improve the efficiency of the energy use associated with passenger transportation, particularly in urban areas. The document focuses on livable communities and transit-oriented development (TOD), mass transit options—particularly bus rapid transit (BRT)—as a core component of TOD, and energy efficient vehicles.
- Key principles for effective TOD include planning for mixed urban uses; providing and promoting convenient mass transit options; maximizing intermodal connectivity of transit hubs; charging for vehicles coming into cities; and developing bicycle networks and neighborhoods that promote walking. Other proven practices include changing zoning laws around mass transit stations and transforming underused/badly designed areas in cities into more attractive, vibrant urban areas. The workshop discussions also highlighted the need to create dense networks of streets and paths, use smaller city blocks, and regulate parking and road use.
- There is potential in many cities to achieve 50% energy savings (compared to projected baselines) by maintaining or increasing population density. An APERC study showed that urban density in most APEC cities is declining, leading to an expected rise in energy use per capita. The largest potential for reducing future transportation-related energy use is through designing for better urban growth.
- Factors to consider when choosing among transit modes include land use factors, demand for transit service, system design, capital and operating budgets, greenhouse gas reduction potential, and costs (both public and private).
- BRT can be very cost-effective and quick to deploy and, compared to heavy rail, can achieve much greater service/are a coverage for the same cost. Important elements of BRT include running ways, stations, vehicles, fare collection, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), service and operating plans, and branding. Best practices for BRT include median-aligned bus lanes, dedicated lanes, off-board fare collection, wide doors and level boarding, and weather protected stations. It is also important to integrate BRT systems with bike baths and bike sharing programs.
- People’s travel behavior can be influenced by: Increasing residential and employment density; diversifying land uses; designing the built environment so that it has interconnected and varied spaces; ensuring destination accessibility; and keeping most density within a quarter mile from the transit station.
- Fuel economy standards are one of the most effective tools for increasing the efficiency of road vehicles. They should apply to all major vehicles, be based on size (rather than weight), and be coupled with incentivizing policies. Adopting fuel quality standards (e.g., Euro4) can also significantly increase overall vehicle efficiency.
- In addition to regulation, measures to include road vehicle efficiency include fiscal incentives (e.g., tax incentives for buying efficient vehicles, penalties for less efficient vehicles, and phasing out fuel subsidies) and technological options:
Available today: Engine, transmission, road load improvements
- Used car markets in developing economies are a particularly difficult issue, since many of these economies have no regulations regarding imported vehicles. Control options for the used car market include requiring inspection/maintenance tests at the border, prohibiting imports or exports of used vehicles, restricting the age of used imports, and requiring higher taxes on high-polluting vehicles. Another option is to educate consumers through vehicle labels that include fuel consumption information and a comparative rating.
- Overall efficiency of road vehicles can also be increased through congestion controls to reduce the volume of traffic entering the central business district. As Singapore has shown, these can consist of both ownership controls (e.g., quota systems and fees/taxes to deter car ownership) and measures on the user side (e.g., Area Licensing Schemes, Electronic Road Pricing schemes).
- There have been substantial investments and progress with electric vehicles (EVs), but the timing and extent of their market penetration will depend on storage technology advancements and cost reductions. Two of the possible pathways to future EV development are:
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