Projects (Pre-2025)

The National Center for Sustainable Transportation has funded a variety of research grants, organized by our three research themes (Infrastructure Provision; Travel Demand; and Vehicle Technology), and by project type (applied research projects, white papers / research synthesis, seed grants, translational projects, dissertation grants, and graduate student-led research). 

Assessing Transportation Financing Options from a GHG Perspective

  • Principal Investigator Debbie Niemeier, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This white paper synthesizes the major transportation funding mechanisms currently being used or discussed in the U.S. and Europe, and characterizes the state of knowledge with respect to their ability to also enhance the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Project Status
Complete

Strategies for Transitioning to ZEVs - Freight

  • Principal Investigator Lewis Fulton, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This white paper explores how an increasing role for zero-emission vehicles over time could reach certain climate change goals by 2050 – making for a very different future. This paper focuses primarily on trucks, as trucking represents 82% of freight energy use, but also provides some comparisons for other modes.
Project Status
Complete

Eco-Driving to Reduce Emissions (Behavioral Focus)-Cars

  • Principal Investigator Kenneth Kurani, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project provides energy and environment policy makers with both an up-to-date review of eco-driving outcomes and an understanding of how those outcomes depend on the behavioral contexts in which they are measured.
Project Status
Complete

Reduction of Lifecycle GHG from Road Construction and Maintenance

  • Principal Investigator John Harvey, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This white paper applies life cycle assessment (LCA) modeling to measure life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is special focus on strategies that lead to GHG reductions from the on-road transportation sector.
Project Status
Complete

Future Passenger Travel Demand in the United States

  • Principal Investigator Giovanni Circella, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This white paper discusses a potential "Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Peak" for the 21st century. It presents a research agenda designed to clarify the reasons for the current VMT peak and to assess the implications for future passenger travel demand in the U.S.
Project Status
Complete

Environmental Impacts of Automated Vehicles

  • Principal Investigator Caroline Rodier, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
In this white paper, the researcher examines travel and environmental effects of automated vehicles (AV), focusing on how AVs may change travel demand.
Project Status
Complete

Transit-Oriented Development Opportunities Among Failing Malls

  • Principal Investigator Hilda Blanco, Ph.D.
  • University of Southern California
This paper explores opportunities for the redevelopment of failing regional shopping malls as Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs) to improve transit ridership, focusing on Southern California.
Project Status
Complete

Strategies for Transitioning to ZEVs - Passenger

  • Principal Investigator Thomas Turrentine, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This paper discusses the current challenges to a widespread electric vehicle transition. It acknowledges consumers’ resistance to change, changing technologies, and the urgency of addressing climate change through vehicle emissions reductions.
Project Status
Complete

What Happened to Biofuels? Review of Biofuel Costs and Evolution in the U.S.

  • Principal Investigator Julie Witcover, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This white paper will provide needed context on biofuel supply cost estimates. The research team will compare literature for particular biofuel technology pathway costs against current biofuel trends and models.
Project Status
Complete