[sustran] Re: Mumbai monorail project looks to reduce CO2 emissions ???

Todd Alexander Litman litman at vtpi.org
Sat Jan 30 07:02:36 JST 2010


Chester and Horvath did a pretty detailed study 
of lifecycle energy and emissions by mode. 
Unfortunately they used a significant 
underestimate of parking supply (they used an 
estimate of just commercial, user paid parking 
spaces, which are only about 5% of total parking 
spaces), and so their original study 
underestimates the resources consumed by automobile travel.

See:

Mikhail Chester and Arpad Horvath (2008), 
"Environmental Life-cycle Assessment of Passenger
Transportation," UC Berkeley Center for Future 
Urban Transport, (www.its.berkeley.edu/volvocenter); at
www.sustainable-transportation.com.

Todd Litman (2009), "Resource Consumption 
External Costs; Transportation Cost and Benefit 
Analysis," VTPI (http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0512.pdf )


Best wishes,
-Todd Litman



At 01:03 PM 29/01/2010, bruun at seas.upenn.edu wrote:

>Hi all'
>
>There was a recent article by Horvath, et.al. at UC Berkeley that
>tries to show
>the lifecycle consumption including manufacturing of vehicles, of
>guideways, etc.
>The material is too new to have been critiqued in detail. The results will no
>doubt be adjusted over time.
>
>As for arriving at useful numbers, I think that Kenworthy, Newman,
>Laube, et.al's
>database about energy consumption and travel over entire regions
>versus the land
>density, types of modes, etc. is perhaps the helpful of all if one is
>trying to project
>a long view. In the end, it is the entire regional results that
>count,not particular lines or corridors. Unfortunately, UITP owns this
>Millenium Database of over 50 cities and you must purchase it. Bits
>and pieces are here and there in various articles.
>
>Eric
>
>
>
>
>Quoting Morten Lange <morten7an at yahoo.com>:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > This is an interesting discussion.  Do you have any pointers to
> > articles that detail how one can arrive at such numbers ?
> >
> > No less interesting and wrought with guestimates would be the number
> > brutto number referred to in the subject : "Mumbai monorail project
> > looks to reduce CO2 emissions"
> >
> > I guess one would guestimate how large a proportion of trips with
> > the monorail are replacing car, bus or scooter trips, and decide on
> > a probable share of different classes of fuel consumption, find a
> > weighted average and multiply ?
> >
> > But this would ignore systemic changes, like possibly cleaner air
> > leading to better health and thus less spent on healthcare or lost
> > in days from work. Removing that number of cars and buses from
> > traffic might open up possibilites for reallocating of roadspace
> > from cars to cyclists, pedestrians and buses, giving further wins.
> > Or could delay road expansion which would have meant further
> > increases in road traffic ( in cars ).
> > More transit users will increase mean a growth in the number of
> > pedestrians which in turn both improves health and improves safety
> > for pedestrians and cyclists. Which in turn can increase cycling and
> > walking still further.
> >
> > Is anyone on the list aware of good articles / books on systems
> > thinking (feedback loops, leverage points etc ) in the evaluation of
> > car v.s "alternative"  transport in cities ?
> >
> >
> > Best Regards,
> > Morten
> > --
> > Regards / Kveðja
> > Morten Lange, Reykjavík
> >
> >
> > --- On Fri, 29/1/10, Carlosfelipe Pardo <carlosfpardo at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> From: Carlosfelipe Pardo <carlosfpardo at gmail.com>
> >> Subject: [sustran] Re: Mumbai monorail project looks to reduce CO2
> >> emissions ???
> >> To: "Sudhir" <sudhir at cai-asia.org>
> >> Cc: "Global 'South' Sustainable Transport"
> >> <sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
> >> Date: Friday, 29 January, 2010, 0:41
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Yes, I've heard this as well from the energy
> >> expenditure side with some
> >> huge numbers. The argument I know is that some systems have
> >> very high
> >> net energy expenditures during construction which are too
> >> high compared
> >> to the actual emission reductions during operation (as you
> >> also note).
> >> But I've actually read it in rail vs roads discussions
> >> which was a bit
> >> frightening... not sure what to think since numbers for
> >> mass transit
> >> systems are so often misleading and operating companies
> >> never give you
> >> the actual numbers on many issues (for instance, when you
> >> ask about
> >> subsidies, many operating companies state that they
> >> don't have
> >> subsidies when they are 100% aware of them...).
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Carlos.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Sudhir wrote:
> >>
> >>   Hi Carlos,
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Its around 3500 tons/km/year which is average. Important
> >> thing is as
> >> shown by Mikhail chester - is construction in? it can be
> >> 3-28 years of
> >> operation emissions ( depends on how you measure it)..
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>   regards
> >>   Sudhir
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>   On 29 January 2010 08:16,
> >> Carlosfelipe Pardo
> >>   <carlosfpardo at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>   I
> >> don't get it: 200 tons of CO2 reduction per day with
> >> 300 thousand
> >>
> >> commuters? In what timespan? For background, Delhi metro
> >> estimated 90
> >>
> >> thousand tons reduction between 2004- 2007 ( X pax per
> >> day?) , and
> >>
> >> TransMilenio in Bogotá got 70 thousand tons
> >> reduction for 2008 with 1.6
> >>
> >> million pax per day. Do the numbers come out right for this
> >> Mumbai
> >>
> >> monorail? I'm not good with numbers but somehow the
> >> ones for Mumbai seem
> >>
> >> a bit high... anyone?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Carlos.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> - 2008, 70,000 tons
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Eric Britton wrote:
> >>
> >> > Mumbai monorail project looks to reduce CO2 emissions
> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >> > By Lisa Sibley
> >>
> >> > Published 2010-01-27 09:22
> >>
> >> > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based Scomi Group, a global
> >> service
> >> provider mainly
> >>
> >> > in the oil and gas industry, said today its trial run
> >> of India's
> >> first
> >>
> >> > monorail car for a project in Mumbai has been a
> >> success.
> >>
> >> > The Malaysia-listed company also specializes in urban
> >> transit
> >> systems, with
> >>
> >> > an emphasis on India, China, the Gulf states, and
> >> Brazil. The
> >> trial run
> >>
> >> > occurred yesterday, also a national holiday, the
> >> Republic Day of
> >> India.
> >>
> >> > The monorail is expected to prevent 200 tons of carbon
> >> dioxide
> >> emissions
> >>
> >> > daily. The proposed structure is also considered
> >> environmentally
> >> friendly
> >>
> >> > because it won't obstruct sunlight or trap
> >> excessive emissions. In
> >> addition,
> >>
> >> > it's expected to be quieter than other modes of
> >> transportation.
> >>
> >> > Scomi India's Country President Suhaimi Yaacob
> >> said in a news
> >> release the
> >>
> >> > project's focus is on sustainable mobility,
> >> reduced urban
> >> congestion,
> >>
> >> > improved reliability, and comfortable travel.
> >>
> >> > Other cities looking to reduce mass transport
> >> emissions include
> >> China's
> >>
> >> > Lanzhou, which is working on a comprehensive urban
> >> development
> >> plan linking
> >>
> >> > a new city center with a rapid bus transport system,
> >> expected to
> >> result in a
> >>
> >> > cleaner, more economical mass transportation system
> >> (see China's
> >> Lanzhou
> >>
> >> > makes plans to reduce mass transport emissions
> >>
> >> > <http://cleantech.com/news/5429/lanzhou-mass-transport-system>
> >>  [1]).
> >>
> >> > Scomi's engineering division and partner Larsen
> >> & Toubro,
> >> India's largest
> >>
> >> > engineering and construction conglomerate, secured
> >> $545 million
> >> for the
> >>
> >> > Mumbai Monorail Project in November 2008, and are
> >> expected to
> >> complete the
> >>
> >> > project by 2011.
> >>
> >> > Scomi is tasked with delivering 60 cars, making up 15
> >> sets of
> >> four-car
> >>
> >> > trains. Each four-coach monorail is expected to be
> >> able to
> >> accommodate about
> >>
> >> > 600 passengers, carrying a total of nearly 300,000
> >> daily commuters.
> >>
> >> > The monorail project is expected to have a
> >> 20-kilometer (12.4
> >> mile) proposed
> >>
> >> > route between Jacob Circle and Chembur, a suburban
> >> neighborhood in
> >> eastern
> >>
> >> > Mumbai, with one central depot and about 18
> >> user-friendly
> >> stations. Chembur
> >>
> >> > is located about 22 kilometers from downtown Mumbai
> >> and considered
> >> a transit
> >>
> >> > point for travelers to Pune.
> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >> > Source URL:
> >>
> >> > http://cleantech.com/news/5567/mumbai-monorail-project-looks-reduc
> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >> >
> >> --------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >> > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> >>
> >> > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >> >
> >> --------------------------------------------------------
> >>
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> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >> >
> >> ================================================================
> >>
> >> > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of
> >> people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a
> >> focus on
> >> developing countries (the 'Global South').
> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >> --------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >> To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> >>
> >>     http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --------------------------------------------------------
> >>
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> >>
> >> ================================================================
> >>
> >> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of
> >> people-centred,
> >> equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on
> >> developing
> >> countries (the 'Global South').
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> Sudhir Gota
> >>
> >> Transport Specialist
> >>
> >> CAI-Asia Center
> >>
> >> Unit 3510, 35th Floor, Robinsons-Equitable Tower,
> >>
> >> ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
> >>
> >> Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
> >>
> >> Tel: +63-2-395-2843
> >>
> >> Fax: +63-2-395-2846
> >>
> >>   http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia
> >>
> >> Skype : sudhirgota
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----
> >>
> >> --------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >> To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> >> http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >>
> >> --------------------------------------------------------
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> >>
> >> ================================================================
> >> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of
> >> people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a
> >> focus on developing countries (the 'Global South').
> >
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------
> > To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
> > http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=014715651517519735401:ijjtzwbu_ss
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------
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> > ================================================================
> > SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
> > equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing
> > countries (the 'Global South').
> >
> >
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------
>To search the archives of sustran-discuss visit
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>
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>If you get sustran-discuss via YAHOOGROUPS, 
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>================================================================
>SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion 
>of people-centred, equitable and sustainable 
>transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South').


Sincerely,
Todd Alexander Litman
Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org)
litman at vtpi.org
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
“Efficiency - Equity - Clarity”


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