ABSTRACT
This chapter presents trends in land use, freight, ground-transportation modes for people and freight,
transportation fuel supply, and the opportunities for conservation that exist within each area. The
chapter starts with a discussion of the transportation-land use relationship for a better understanding of
the framework within which the transportation system functions and the design theories that aim to
influence mode choice and trip generation. Next is a description of mass transit, with particular emphasis
on how its energy use compares to the energy use of the automobile. The movement of freight, its modes,
and energy consumption relative to the rest of the transportation system follows. Then, emerging future
technologies are described; the focus of this section is on vehicle efficiencies to conserve energy resources.
Finally, the well-to-wheel energy analysis combining fuel production and vehicle performance is
presented, focusing on what feedstocks are available and how they can be refined efficiently into a fuel.
There is a fundamental relationship between transportation and land use, because the distance between
one’s origin and destination will determine the feasibility, route, mode, cost, and time necessary to travel
from one place to another. Likewise, transportation influences land use as it impacts people’s decisions
about where to live and work, considering factors such as commute time and cost, the distance to a
quality school for a family’s children, the safety and convenience of the routes to school, work, activities,
and access to goods and services.
