Project Summary
Aviation is the most greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive mode of transport for intrastate trips. Yet, there is no clear pathway for decarbonizing this sector. In the meantime, reducing GHGs from aviation requires shifting trips from the air to the ground, either by train or motor vehicle. There is a growing body of research that has documented the GHG implications of this diversion, but there are relatively few studies that have focused on other environmental and economic tradeoffs, or the efficacy of various policy instruments at facilitating this diversion. Researchers at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation propose synthesizing the peer reviewed and grey literature on: (1) the societal tradeoffs of shifting passenger and cargo transportation from the air to the ground; (2) the policy instruments for facilitating this shift; and (3) the interaction of these instruments with the various motivations behind mode choice. The synthesis will pull out key takeaways for policymakers and transportation planners in California, where the construction of an interregional high-speed rail network is already underway. The findings from this synthesis could help inform the state’s efforts to stimulate an economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also leading the way towards carbon neutrality.
