Research article

Spatio-temporal Variations in on-road CO2 Emissions in the Los Angeles Megacity

  • Received: 26 April 2017 Accepted: 15 June 2017 Published: 27 June 2017
  • We quantify hourly on-road fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions at the road segment level for the Los Angeles (LA) megacity based on observed traffic data, and characterize emission patterns across space and time. This on-road FFCO2 emissions dataset for LA (from Hestia version 1.0), based on actual traffic volume, provides emissions per vehicle kilometer travelled (VKT)—an important metric for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. We further identify emissions hotpots that can help state and local policy makers plan the most effective GHG reduction strategies. On-road vehicle traffic accounts for half of the FFCO2 emissions in LA, of which 41% is from arterials (intermediate road type). Arterials also have the largest C emissions intensity—FFCO2 per VKT—possibly from high traffic congestion and fleet composition. Non-interstate emissions hotspots (> 419 tC lane-km-1) are equally dominated by arterials and collectors (the lowest road type) in terms of FFCO2 emissions though collectors have a higher VKT. These hotspots occur in densely populated areas and developed landuse classes, largely in LA (67%) and Orange (18%) counties, and provide specific targets for emissions reduction efforts. The estimated uncertainties for interstate, arterial and collector emissions per road length are ± 2.1, ± 0.5 and ± 18.0%, respectively. Our overall estimates compare reasonably well with other products, DARTE and FIVE but with substantial differences in spatial distribution. The method for developing this dataset is easily replicable in other urban landscapes, and represents a powerful tool for carbon cycle science and regional policy makers.

    Citation: Preeti Rao, Kevin R. Gurney, Risa Patarasuk, Yang Song, Charles E. Miller, Riley M. Duren, Annmarie Eldering. Spatio-temporal Variations in on-road CO2 Emissions in the Los Angeles Megacity[J]. AIMS Geosciences, 2017, 3(2): 239-267. doi: 10.3934/geosci.2017.2.239

    Related Papers:

  • We quantify hourly on-road fossil fuel carbon dioxide (FFCO2) emissions at the road segment level for the Los Angeles (LA) megacity based on observed traffic data, and characterize emission patterns across space and time. This on-road FFCO2 emissions dataset for LA (from Hestia version 1.0), based on actual traffic volume, provides emissions per vehicle kilometer travelled (VKT)—an important metric for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. We further identify emissions hotpots that can help state and local policy makers plan the most effective GHG reduction strategies. On-road vehicle traffic accounts for half of the FFCO2 emissions in LA, of which 41% is from arterials (intermediate road type). Arterials also have the largest C emissions intensity—FFCO2 per VKT—possibly from high traffic congestion and fleet composition. Non-interstate emissions hotspots (> 419 tC lane-km-1) are equally dominated by arterials and collectors (the lowest road type) in terms of FFCO2 emissions though collectors have a higher VKT. These hotspots occur in densely populated areas and developed landuse classes, largely in LA (67%) and Orange (18%) counties, and provide specific targets for emissions reduction efforts. The estimated uncertainties for interstate, arterial and collector emissions per road length are ± 2.1, ± 0.5 and ± 18.0%, respectively. Our overall estimates compare reasonably well with other products, DARTE and FIVE but with substantial differences in spatial distribution. The method for developing this dataset is easily replicable in other urban landscapes, and represents a powerful tool for carbon cycle science and regional policy makers.


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  • © 2017 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
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