Brian Lagerberg Acting Director of Public Transportation Brian Smith Director of Strategic Planning Paula J. Hammond, P.E. Secretary David L. Dye, P.E. Deputy Secretary Steve Reinmuth Chief of Staff Moving Washington Forward WSDOT’s Contribution to Sustainable Transportation and Reducing GHGs SSTI Community of Practice February 25, 2011

WSDOT profile WSDOT owns, manages, and maintains: Highways 20,000 state highway lane miles (carries 86 million vehicle miles/day) 225 lane miles of a planned 320-mile HOV freeway system More than 3,600 bridges and structures Ferries 22 ferry vessels, 20 terminals, and 500 daily sailings (carries 23 million passengers/year) Passenger rail Partner in Amtrak Cascades state passenger rail (carries over 700,000 passengers/year) Freight rail Grain Train (runs 89 grain cars) 492 miles of public owned short-line rail (including the WSDOT owned Palouse River and Coulee City Rail System) Transit support Commute programs support more than 810,000 commuters statewide (61.5 million vehicle miles traveled reduced 2007 to 2009) Vanpool program includes more than 2,400 vans (Washington has the largest public vanpool fleet in the nation) Aviation 17 WSDOT managed airports 138 public use airports Funding (includes 2010 supplemental budget) $1.4 billion operating program budget $5.3 billion capital program budget State dollars - $3.4 billion Federal dollars (non ARRA) - $1.0 billion ARRA dollars (highways and rail) - $0.9 billion 2

RCW – Transportation system policy goals: Economic Vitality -Promote and develop transportation systems that stimulate, support, and enhance the movement of people and goods to ensure a prosperous economy; Preservation -Maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in transportation systems and services; Safety -Provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system; Mobility -Improve the predictable movement of goods and people throughout Washington State. Environment -Enhance Washington’s quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment; and Stewardship -Continuously improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the transportation system. 3

Our transportation vision: An integrated transportation system that is … Reliable  Improved travel times for drivers  Better reliability and choices for commuters and increased intercity service  More efficient freight movement across state and in and out of our ports Responsible  Safer roads, and fewer fatalities and serious injuries  Cost effective asset maintenance and preservation  Highways, transit and ferries provide users integrated travel options  Increased special needs transportation to provide access for jobs and lifeline services Sustainable  Cleaner air and water  Strategic and balanced approach to climate change  Predictable funding and affordable improvements and operations 4

Providing more travel choices and options for people and freight helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our transportation system Managing Demand Moving Washington improves the system’s performance and generates revenue through variable pricing and other traffic management tools Operating Roadways Efficiently Moving Washington – We manage and operate a sustainable transportation system to complement the future we want. 5 Adding new capacity to our currently over-stressed transportation system is a critical component of Moving Washington Adding Capacity Strategically

Transportation accounts for 47% of greenhouse gases in Washington

Climate Change Legislation Legislation in 2008 and 2009 specify sustainable transportation, GHG emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) requirements of WSDOT: directs WSDOT to report energy usage to assess the need for energy audits (RCW 19.27A.190). requires WSDOT to install outlets for electric vehicle charging in our state’s fleet parking and maintenance facilities (RCW (4)). instructs the department to participate in the development of a statewide integrated climate change response strategy (RCW 43.21M.010). establishes VMT reduction benchmarks and assigns specific implementation, monitoring, economic assessment and analysis tasks to WSDOT (RCW ). establishes GHG emissions reduction goals for the state (RCW ). directs WSDOT to quantify and reduce our GHG emissions to achieve state agency’s mandatory targets (RCW ).

GHG/VMT Reduction Goals 2007 Senate Bill 6001 (RCW ) –Target reduction of Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions to: 1990 levels by % below 1990 levels by % below 1990 levels by 2050 State’s baseline = 94.6 million metric tons CO2 equivalent 2008 House Bill 2815 (RCW ) –State to reduce per person VMT (for vehicles under 10,000 lbs) –18% by 2020 –30% by 2035 –50% by 2050

What We Do Now – Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies Four Legs of the Stool Plus Land Use Improve fuel -Lowering the carbon content of fuels Advance Vehicle Technology -Support improved vehicle technology System Efficiency -Operate our transportation system to maximize efficiency and improve traffic flow Increase Options and reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled -Support efficient transportation options like carpooling; working from home; riding a bus, train or bicycle; walking; or telecommuting. PLUS Land Use -Leveraging transportation investments to encourage land uses that are accessible to alternative travel options 9 Fuels Vehicles vehicle miles traveled System Efficiency & Travel Options

Sustainable Transportation: Sustainable transportation is a system that preserves the environment, is durable and takes into account how we build it and the materials we use. We manage and operate a sustainable transportation system to complement the future we want. Economic Vitality and Stewardship Preservation and Maintenance Safety Mobility and Traffic Operations Environment and Adaptation Community Partnerships Fuels and Energy Design and Construction 10

What We Do Now – Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies Improve fuel -Leading development of the West Coast Green Highway Initiative from Canada to Mexico (the nation’s first trans-national interstate for electric and alternative-fuel vehicles) -Supporting market development for alternative fuels to help power state-owned ferries, trucks and cars with ultra-low-sulfur and biodiesel blends. Advance Vehicle Technology -Encouraging advancements in alternative vehicle technologies and increased fuel- efficiencies -Upgrading the WSDOT fleet with more fuel-efficient vehicles System Efficiency -Electronic variable speed limit signs; -Real time traffic information; -Synchronizing traffic signals; -Tolling electronically to eliminate toll booths; -Responding quickly to help clear traffic incidents; 11

What We Do Now – Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies Increase Options and Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) -Support efficient transportation options like carpooling; working from home; riding a bus, train or bicycle; walking; or telecommuting. -Vehicle Miles Traveled Measurement Analysis (Executive Order 09-05) High level summary of potential vehicle miles traveled reductions from strategies. Focused primarily on findings from several major studies; Intended to: o Highlight the types of strategies for reducing vehicle miles traveled, and possible ranges of reductions. o Provide a high level indication of potential greenhouse gas reductions that may be needed from other strategies beyond vehicle miles traveled reduction to meet state greenhouse gas reduction goal. Land Use -Leveraging transportation investments to encourage land use that is complementary to alternative travel options -Growth and Transportation Efficiency Center (GTEC) Successfully influencing Land Use changes (Spokane GTEC) Focused investments achieve objectives shared with our partners: Drive alone commuting in GTECs dropped 11% statewide and 16% in King County between Seattle Center City Parking (Construction Mitigation) 12

Executive Order What is required? (a) In consultation with the Departments of Ecology and Commerce, and in collaboration with local governments, business, and environmental representatives, Estimate current and future state-wide levels of vehicle miles traveled, Evaluate potential changes to the vehicle miles traveled benchmarks established in RCW as appropriate to address low- or no-emission vehicles, and Develop additional strategies to reduce emissions from the transportation sector. Report findings and recommendations to the Governor by December 31, 2010; and, (b) Work with the Puget Sound Regional Council, Spokane Regional Transportation Council, Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council and Thurston Regional Planning Council to cooperatively develop and adopt regional transportation plans that will: Provide people with additional transportation alternatives and choices, Reduce greenhouse gases and Achieve the statutory benchmarks to reduce annual per capita vehicle miles traveled In those counties with populations greater than 245,000. By December 1, 2011, the Department will report to the Governor on which regional transportation planning organizations have developed, or are developing, plans with greenhouse gas strategies, which strategies appear to have the greatest potential to achieve the benchmarks, and what policy or funding issues need to be resolved to ensure implementation. 13

Established a Executive Order Working Group 14 Studies/Analysis Included –Washington Climate Action Team transportation policy options analysis (December, 2007); –Transportation Role in Reducing U.S. GHG Emissions: Report To Congress (April, 2010) –Moving Cooler (July, 2009) –Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Study, Analysis of Policies To Reduce Oil Consumption and Greenhouse-Gas Emissions from the US Transportation Sector (February, 2010) –EPA Analysis of the Transportation Sector Greenhouse Gas and Oil Reduction Scenarios (February, 2010) –U.C. Berkeley Study: Review of Modeling Analysis of Transit, Land Use, and Auto Pricing Strategies to Reduce VMT and GHG Emissions, C. Rodier, for CARB and Caltrans (October, 2009) –PSRC T-2040 Modeling Analysis Executive Order – Study Approach

Executive Order – Findings and Recommendations- 1 Current Vehicle Miles Traveled HPMS is an appropriate tool to monitor VMT statewide. HPMS may also be an appropriate tool for monitoring VMT at the local and regional levels. Estimating Future Vehicle Miles Traveled The statutory VMT benchmarks in RCW used a baseline of 75 billion VMT for This baseline for 2020 was established by the February 2008 VMT forecast and serves as the basis for the VMT per capita reductions benchmarks in 2020, 2035, and Based on a new methodology developed specifically for forecasting VMT, the June 2010 forecast projects total statewide VMT in 2020 to be 66 billion. WSDOT will update the VMT forecast annually each June. 15 Recommendation WSDOT recommends that the legislature use historical, measured VMT (e.g., 2000, 2005,or 2010 levels), rather than forecasted VMT, to set the VMT baseline.

16 Do the VMT benchmarks need to be changed to address low or no-emission vehicles? Ecology’s research showed that projected vehicle technology and fuel changes will occur relatively slowly. The rate at which significant vehicle and fuel technology advances and regulatory changes are likely to happen over the next 40 years is highly uncertain. Executive Order – Findings and Recommendations- 2 Recommendation WSDOT recommends that the VMT benchmarks should not be changed at this time to address low- or no-emission vehicles.

Greenhouse gas reduction strategies from the transportation sector fit into four broad categories: Operating the system more efficiently Advancing vehicle technology Improving fuels Reducing VMT There is no silver bullet Major contributions from each of the strategies are needed to reduce GHGs Many transportation sector strategies would require changes in policy,funding, and authority The state cannot significantly reduce emissions from the transportation sector without collaborative and comprehensive actions by private citizens, businesses, and regional and local governments. Implementing combinations of aggressive transportation emission reduction strategies can achieve roughly a ten percent reduction in total statewide GHG emissions compared to the 2050 baseline. Did not assess the political or financial feasibility of implementing the strategies 17 Executive Order – Findings and Recommendations- 3 Recommendation WSDOT recommends that the state consider the most viable ways to reduce statewide GHG emissions across all sectors. In 2011, WSDOT will continue to work with the four largest RTPOs identified in the Executive Order as part of the Section 2(b) work, which would further inform practical approaches for reducing GHG emissions at the regional level.

Partnerships and Technical Excellence ETC and ETC, ETC (Cabinet and Senior staff Ecology/Transportation/Commerce--- Energy/Transportation/Climate Change) National Governor’s Association Policy Academy on Shaping a New Approach to Transportation and Land Use Planning– SWRTC (Vancouver, WA) Jan-November 2010 FHWA Climate Change and Scenario Planning workshop Fall 2010 SHRP 2 Climate Change/Collaborative Decision-Making Framework workshop Fall 2010 WSDOT/FHWA/MPOs “Growing Wealthier” workshop— Center for Clean Air Policy Jan 2011 Scenario Planning workshop Volpe/FHWA with SWRTC Spring 2011