Making Transportation Cleaner: Innovations and Policy Opportunities

Tuesday, May 13, 2003
2:00 - 3:30pm, 124 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Powerpoint Presentations:

Ron Shipley, Pierce Transit Agency, Dedicated Natural Gas Buses

Lee Grannis, Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coordinator, City of New Haven Electric Trolley Buses

Lee Slezak, US Department of Energy, Hybrid Electric and Electric Bus Demonstration

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association invite you to a Congressional briefing to explore the use of alternative fuels and advanced technologies in bus transit. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) is scheduled for reauthorization this year, providing Congress the opportunity to consider proposals for expanded deployment of cleaner buses. This briefing will examine clean bus initiatives, how these contribute to the deployment of cleaner vehicles, and how upcoming TEA-21 reauthorization can play a role in supporting the wide-scale commercialization of advanced vehicle technologies and fuels.

Ø Ward McCarragher, Chief Counsel (Minority), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Ø Ron Shipley, Vice President, Maintenance, Pierce Transit Agency, Tacoma, Washington

Ø Lee Grannis, Clean Cities Coordinator, Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition

Ø Warren Leon, Executive Director, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

Ø Lee Slezak, Office of Technology Utilization, U.S. Department of Energy

Ø Chris Zimmerman, WMATA Board of Directors and member, Arlington County Board

Buses serve as excellent test vehicles for deployment of new technologies because they are centrally fueled and maintained by professionals. Almost 90 percent of the more than 76,000 transit buses in active service are diesel-powered, producing emissions in urban areas harmful to human health, especially for sensitive groups such as children and the elderly. Diesel emissions have been shown to contribute to the development of lung cancer, asthma and pulmonary disease.

Buses will play an important role as our nation seeks affordable mass transportation to ease road congestion, improve air quality, and decrease petroleum consumption. Ensuring that bus transit operates cleanly and efficiently will become increasingly important. Demand for public transit has been increasing in the past six years and buses remain one of the most cost-effective options for public transit investment. The transit bus sector has been very active in deploying alternative fuels and technologies like natural gas, electricity, biodiesel and hybrid engines. Currently more than 11 percent of the national transit bus fleet uses one of several alternative propulsion technologies. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a new form of transit system using intelligent technology systems (ITS) to move passengers efficiently, has already received support from the President in his FY 2004 budget proposal. Its widespread success in Latin America and Europe has received much attention, demonstrating interest in how BRT might improve transit service in the United States.

The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program established by the Intermodal Surface Transportation and Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991 and reauthorized in TEA-21 provides federal funding for transportation projects designed to help non-attainment areas meet national air quality standards. CMAQ continues to be the largest single source of federal funding for clean vehicle projects and will be taken up as part of the reauthorization process for TEA-21 this year. Also eligible for reauthorization are two programs established in 1998 under TEA-21 to support the development and deployment of cleaner heavy-duty engines. The Clean Fuels Formula “Clean Bus” Grant Program and the Advanced Vehicle Technologies Program were specifically designed to support clean bus deployment.

The briefing will recognize national “clean bus” leaders for their leadership efforts to deploy cleaner vehicles in their transit systems. These local initiatives are the foundation of a new revolution in transportation through cleaner, smarter vehicle technologies.

This briefing is being organized in collaboration with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s annual Tour de Sol: The Great American Green Transportation Festival. The event in its fifteenth year provides policymakers and the public the opportunity to see and drive clean, fuel efficient vehicles. On Wednesday, May 14 from 10:00am - 2:00pm, cars, buses and scooters powered by alternative propulsion technologies like hybrid engines, and fuels like natural gas and biodiesel will be on display on Third Street near the Capitol reflecting pool. The GM hydrogen-powered HY-wire vehicle will be on display, along with “green” vehicles created by 30 student teams from across the country. They will be accompanied by David Garman, Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the Department of Energy; Emil Frankel, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation; and Dennis Weaver, spokesman for "Drive to Survive," leading a convoy of hydrogen, hybrid and alternative-fueled vehicles across the country. All are encouraged to attend.

The briefing is open to the public and no reservations are required. For more information please contact Ray Minjares of EESI at 202-662-1883 or rminjares@eesi.org.