Climate Action Plans

Nelson\Nygaard is an industry leader in multimodal transportation planning, CO2 emissions abatement analysis, and the application of transportation strategies to carbon markets. Our experience covers cutting-edge research into the potential for transportation emissions abatement carried out for the California Climate Registry and the American Public Transit Association, as well as development of climate action plans for municipalities, transit agencies, private employers, and community organizations.

In most US states, the transport sector is the biggest emitter of Greenhouse Gas emissions, and within the transport sector, personal driving produces over 70% of emissions. Thus, a key strategy in reducing climate changing emissions is to design communities that are walkable, bikeable and transit friendly. These denser, mixed-use cities provide viable alternatives to driving and thus reduce vehicle miles traveled. Communities designed in this way have many other tangible benefits, such as improved public health and greater safety. Nelson\Nygaard has developed methodologies for studying the cost-effectiveness of transportation and land use strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The analysis considers a range of strategies from transit investments and operations to land use changes and a cost curve that can be used to inform policy options, and a set of cost-effective emissions abatement strategies that can be used for raising capital. We bring not only up-to-date knowledge of the latest climate change legislation, but also have vast experience in helping cities form their transportation and land use policies to meet ambitious goals for CO2 reduction. Strategies include shifting density toward transit intensive areas, more stringent TDM requirements for new development, impact fees, parking pricing and significant improvements to walking, bicycling, and transit infrastructure.