Influence of travel time on carbon dioxide emissions from urban traffic

Carbon footprint analysis measures the greenhouse gas emissions from the mobilization of members of an institution. Commonly, the product between the distance and economy fuel rate is used to estimate fuel consumption and, thus, carbon dioxide emission (CO₂). However, the distance is a constant variable in a specific route, generating constant values of fuel consumption. We analyzed the influence at the local level of the time variable in the fuel consumption by each leg of an entire route and the type of vehicle used. The results showed that in intense traffic conditions, the consumed fuel was 1.1–1.5 times more than normal. The proposed approach presented similar results to previous studies with real-world carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, using a multivariate regression model, the relationship between CO₂ emitted with time disaggregated by the leg and by the type of vehicle was found to be linear, significant, and highly correlated.