Research Publications

This report describes and presents estimation of the Ann Arbor 2030 District transportation greenhouse gas emissions baseline using a survey administered to District members. The survey methods and greenhouse gas inventory calculations included in this report focus on commuting emissions for individuals employed by Ann Arbor 2030 District building members. The transportation baseline is determined by assessing the greenhouse gas emissions based on the per-passenger fuel or electricity consumption of the vehicle used. Distance travelled, mode share, fuel type, and average fuel/electricity consumption are used to determine the emissions per commuter and these parameters were obtained from survey respondents or determined by the research team using local or national data. Policy recommendations from literature reviews and survey response data are provided based on the potential for emissions reductions. A survey was administered to employees regarding commuting patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic to establish a baseline in both periods and to study how the pandemic has affected commuting emissions in the District. This baseline is determined to be 1,724 kilograms of CO2e per commuter per year before the pandemic and 472 kilograms of CO2e per commuter per year during the pandemic. These baseline values include emissions resulting from extraction and processing of fuels as well as combustion (i.e., well-towheels). Results also indicate that a shift in transportation modes from the high-intensity mode of driving alone in gasoline-powered vehicles to the lower-intensity mode of working-from-home is a valuable strategy for the Ann Arbor 2030 District to meet the goal of reducing transportation-related emissions at least 50% by the year 2030, based on a 2019 baseline. The report also provides other 2030 Districts with a toolkit for establishing and tracking emissions associated with commuting.