Boston-Area Auto Emissions Growing Faster Than Population: Report

BOSTON, MA — Auto-emissions in greater Boston rose 24 percent between 1990 and 2017, according to Boston University’s Database of Road Transportation Emissions. That rate of auto emissions growth outpaced population growth for the region during the same timeframe. On a per-capita basis, auto emissions rose six percent per person between 1990 and 2017.

The data was published over the weekend by the New York Times, which called it the "most detailed map of auto emissions in America." The newspaper published interactive maps showing a year's worth of CO2 from passenger and freight traffic on every road in major metropolitan areas.

Conor Gately, who led BU's project mapping CO2 on America’s roads, said much of the increase could be tied to more car trips in cities and, in particular, suburbs. Nearly 60 percent of greenhouse gases in the U.S. came from the nation's 250 million passenger cars in 2017. Emissions dropped during the recession in the late 2002, but have been steadily rising as the economy has recovered, the newspaper said.

"Big, long-term change needs to happen in America’s cities," Gately said.