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| Technical Assistance, Incentives, and Funding Opportunities: Upcoming Events and Activities:
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| 2017 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards and Forum The forum, entitled “Navigating Toward a Livable Tennessee,” highlighted local transportation planning and the pursuit of place-based policies and investments for improved transportation options in our communities. On May 24, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry delivered the morning address and unveiled her three year action agenda for transportation. Also on May 24, TDEC and TDOT announced the winners of the 2017 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards. The Awards recognize outstanding initiatives to improve the efficiency, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of transportation systems in the state. A panel of judges selected the following entities as the 2017 winners of the Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards: - Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority
- Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency
- City of Johnson City
- IdleAir and Covenant Transportation Group, Inc.
- Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works
- Memphis Light, Gas and Water
- Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority
- Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Public Works Department
- Tennessee Department of Transportation
- The TMA Group
- United Parcel Service, Inc.
To read the complete project descriptions for the award winning projects, click here. During the forum, Tennessee Clean Fuels (TCF) also announced and recognized six new fleets in its Tennessee Green Fleets Certification Program. The Tennessee Green Fleets Certification Program was developed to utilize performance-based metrics to analyze fleets’ vehicle and fuel-use data and to compare reductions achieved in gasoline-use and carbon emissions, and increases in the number of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) or advanced technology vehicles in the fleet to previous years. Fleets are awarded points based on their achievement in these categories, and are awarded certifications based on the number of points at a 1-, 2- or 3-star level. The 2017 inductees into the program include: 1-Star fleets: - Piedmont Natural Gas – Tennessee Fleet
- City of Sevierville
- Knoxville Utilities Board
- Middle Tennessee Natural Gas
2-Star Fleets: - Sevier County Utilities District
- Franklin Transit Authority – TMA Group
In 2016, these six fleets combined reduced the equivalent use of 140,000 gallons of petroleum and prevented over 300 tons of carbon dioxide emissions through their use of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. As part of the forum, TCF also assembled the largest-ever gathering of alternative fuel vehicles in Tennessee’s history with a showcase of over 40 vehicles. The vehicles included electric and hybrid, propane autogas, compressed and liquefied natural gas (CNG and LNG), the biofuels ethanol and biodiesel, hydrogen, and even a few bicycles, and were provided by over 30 different entities in Tennessee including UPS, FedEx Express, Knoxville Utilities Board, Waste Management, Lightning Systems, Icom North America, Piedmont Natural Gas, Gibson County Utility District, Franklin Transit Authority, Alliance Autogas, and the City of Nashville. For more information on the Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards and Forum, click here.
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| Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Unveils Three Year Action Agenda for Transportation On May 24, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry unveiled a three year action agenda for transportation, entitled, “Moving the Music City,” to transportation professionals from cities across the state at the 2017 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards and Forum. The Agenda lays out a mayoral vision, with specific projects and programs, for transforming Nashville’s streets into people-friendly public spaces – targeting improvements for transit mobility, safety, walking and bicycling, smart-city technology, maintenance, and organizational capacity. Metro’s Transportation Action Agenda sets the course for ambitious, immediate next-steps to be pursued by Nashville MTA and a new Division of Transportation established within the Metro-Nashville Department of Public Works. Tactics fall under umbrella policy strategies of importance to the Mayor and her administration, and the public at-large. Major goals in “Moving the Music City” include: - Bring MTA’s nMotion plan to life by committing to: increased access to frequent bus service, safer pedestrian connections to stops, prioritized space for transit on city streets, and the advancement of larger, longer-term projects (such as rail) now by embracing quality growth and initiating design work;
- Drive down severe and fatal crashes with a Vision Zero traffic-safety program, with a heightened focus on reducing pedestrian fatalities. Actions include building upon the Mayor’s Intersection Improvement Program, assisting neighborhoods with calming vehicular traffic, and partnering with the Metro-Nashville Police Department on data-driven, preventive enforcement of traffic laws;
- Make walking and bicycling safe, attractive, essential options for short trips by launching a “quick build” project-delivery program, creating a connected, low-stress bikeway network in the city’s urban core, and removing hostile barriers to walking and biking such as construction zones;
- Encourage greater efficiency and innovation in transportation through projects and partnerships on better data collection and information delivery, new technology demos, car-sharing, and “smart” parking and signals.
- Keep our existing system in a state of good repair through investments in roadway repaving, electric-hybrid replacements for aging MTA diesel buses, sidewalk reconstruction, optimized signal timings and a Metro traffic management center.
- Increase Metro’s capacity to deliver on the Mayor’s Action Agenda by launching a Division of Transportation within Metro Public Works, prioritizing quality communication with citizens and stakeholders, upholding NashvilleNext’s growth scenarios, and securing dedicated revenues for transit.
“Moving the Music City” follows this spring’s release of draft recommendations around sustainability from Mayor Barry’s Livable Nashville Committee, where transportation goals played a key role. Greater-Nashville is currently growing by approximately 82 new residents a day, increasing demands placed on streets and urgency around the need to shift trips from Single Occupant Vehicle to mass transit, walking and bicycling. With more than 5,880 lane-miles of roadway spread across Davidson County’s 532 square-miles, Metro’s transportation network comprises the city’s largest, most significant public space and offers countless opportunities to move people and improve quality of life and place. Mayor Barry also recommends replacing the city’s aging fleet of diesel buses with approximately 30 hybrid buses for $17.5 million, along with a new fare collection system for $7.2 million that will make it easier for citizens to ride MTA buses. Lastly, $1.8 million will be allocated to extend the Music City Circuit out Jefferson Street to Tennessee State University so students and other residents will have a convenient way to get to downtown, Nashville Farmers’ Market, the Gulch and other areas. For more information, click here.
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| IMPROVE Act Passed into Law On April 26, Governor Haslam signed the IMPROVE Act into law. The law will raise gas and diesel taxes by six and 10 cents, respectively, over a three-year period. Tax on certain alternative fuels will also increase. The taxes on liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas will increase by eight cents each, over the same three-year period. Other fees and taxes will also be imposed or increased, such as a $100 registration and renewal fee with respect to electric vehicles. The IMPROVE Act is expected to bring in an estimated $350 million for the State’s dedicated highway fund, helping to tackle an estimated $10.5 billion backlog of 962 projects. The law also includes a provision that allows local governments to increase taxes for transit projects, so long as the tax proposal secures a majority in a referendum. Changes will take effect on July 1. For more information, click here.
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| New CNG Stations Open in Knoxville and Nashville
On April 19, the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) held a grand opening celebration for the first public compressed natural gas (CNG) station in the greater Knoxville area. At the ribbon-cutting event, TDEC Deputy Commissioner Shari Meghreblian announced that KUB was selected to receive a grant for $67,500 under the Tennessee Natural Gas and Propane Vehicle Grant Program and that this grant funding will be put towards the purchase of three new CNG-powered trucks. Also at the event, KUB affirmed their commitment to doubling the size of their CNG fleet by 2020 and the City of Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero refueled a bi-fuel city truck to demonstrate how easy CNG refueling is today. For more information on the KUB CNG station grand opening, click here. Also on April 19, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) officially opened its first CNG refueling station at Nashville International Airport (BNA). This station will fuel all BNA parking lot shuttles and CNG-fueled company vehicles. Since the first of the year, all 28 parking shuttles at BNA are fueled by CNG, making them clean powered and sustainable. This conversion from petroleum-based fuels to CNG across the airport’s shuttle bus fleet is anticipated to reduce the bus fleet’s GHG emissions by approximately 14%. MNAA is currently in the process of transitioning all company vehicles to CNG-fueled vehicles as well. For more information, click here.
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| Memphis Receives FHWA Transportation Planning Excellence Award
FHWA recently announced its 2017 Transportation Planning Excellence Awards, which recognize and celebrate outstanding transportation planning practices performed by planners and decision-makers in communities across the country. The Memphis MPO was awarded for its Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan, which demonstrates a cooperative and comprehensive effort to establish a process that addresses the transportation needs of disadvantaged populations. The project involves a partnership between three states, two MPOs, and multiple agencies focusing on the needs of the elderly, disabled, and low income populations. For more information on the Plan and on the FHWA Awards, click here.
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| TN Fleets Recognized in 100 Best Fleets Program, Piedmont Natural Gas Recognized as Top Utility Environmental Champion The 100 Best Fleets program recognizes and rewards peak performing fleet operations in North America. Currently in its sixteenth year, 100 Best Fleets identifies and encourages ever-increasing levels of performance improvement within the fleet industry. This year, the City of Germantown, TN was ranked 68th best fleet in the annual, nationwide ranking. Knoxville Utilities Board, Oak Ridge National Lab, and Memphis Light Gas & Water all received honorable mentions. For more information, click here. Similarly, a new survey by Cogent Reports and Market Strategies International of utility customers nationwide has named Piedmont Natural Gas a Top Utility Environmental Champion of 2017 for initiatives such as slashing emissions in its vehicle fleet and making its facilities more energy efficient. Specifically, Piedmont has taken a lead role in championing the use of cleaner, lower-cost compressed natural gas (CNG) as a transportation fuel, resulting in a surge in CNG demand from trucks and other fleet vehicles. Piedmont is nearing completion of its 11th public CNG refueling station and the company has converted about one-third of its own corporate fleet of approximately 900 vehicles to run on CNG. For more information on the survey, click here.
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| PERC Video Features Kingsport, TN Fleet's Use of Propane Autogas
The City of Kingsport has converted 90 vehicles to propane autogas - and is happy with the reduced environmental impact and low maintenance requirements, according to a new Straight Talk video released by PERC, the Propane Education & Research Council. Fleet maintenance staff for the 53,000-person Tennessee town began adding propane autogas vehicles to the fleet in 2011. Starting with police vehicles, staff took advantage of grant funding from U.S. DOE’s Clean Cities program to help build out the fleet. To find out more and to view the video, click here.
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| Self-Driving Shuttle to Debut This Fall in Knoxville
Knoxville’s first self-driving trolley, the Olli, will be rolling around downtown later this year. The Olli was created by Knoxville-based Local Motors, which designs, builds and sells vehicles. Visit Knoxville will use Olli on a limited basis for events at World’s Fair Park and at Chilhowee Park. The electric trolley will carry up to 12 people at a time and can drive itself using sensors and cameras. Although Olli can react faster than a driving human, a Local Motors operator will ride onboard the vehicle during the testing phase. Visit Knoxville plans to make Olli available for conventions and paid tours of the city in late 2018. For more information, click here.
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| UTK Receives Numerous Awards at EcoCAR 3 Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition
EcoCAR 3 brings together industry, academia, and government to educate and develop the next generation of automotive engineers with hands-on, real-world experience. The competition challenges 16 North American university teams to redesign a Chevrolet Camaro to reduce its environmental impact, while maintaining the muscle and performance expected from this iconic American car. The Year 3 competition culminated in May in Washington, D.C., and University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) came in 5th place overall. Additionally, UTK received 1st place in the 0-60 MPH Acceleration Event, 1st place in the 50-70 MPH Acceleration Event, and 1st place in the Ride Quality Event. For more information, click here.
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| Secretary of Energy Rick Perry visits ORNL
On May 23, Energy Secretary Rick Perry toured ORNL, tested vehicles with 3-D printed parts, and called for more research lab funds, noting that the research of the national labs is a high priority. To view a video from his visit and to find out more, click here.
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| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCENTIVES, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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| Federal Transit Administration Announces $55 MIllion in Funding for Low- or No- Emission Vehicles
On April 28, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the availability of $55 million of fiscal year 2017 funds for the purchase or lease of low- or no-emission vehicles, as well as related equipment or facilities. Eligible applicants include designated recipients of FTA grants, states, local governmental authorities, and Indian tribes. Eligible projects include those that do the following: - Purchase or lease low- or no-emission buses;
- Acquire low- or no-emission buses with a leased power source;
- Construct or lease facilities and related equipment for low- or no-emission buses;
- Construct new public transportation facilities to accommodate low- or no-emission buses; and
- Rehabilitate or improve existing public transportation facilities to accommodate low- or no-emission buses.
Applications must be submitted electronically by 5 PM Eastern on June 26. For more information and to access the funding opportunity announcement, click here.
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| National Clean Diesel RFP Now Open
The U.S. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $34 million in competitive grant funding for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The program is now soliciting proposals nationwide for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced. Eligible diesel emission reduction solutions include verified emission control technologies such as exhaust controls, cleaner fuels, and engine upgrades, verified idle reduction technologies, verified aerodynamic technologies and low rolling resistance tires, certified engine replacements, and/or certified vehicle or equipment replacement. Eligible diesel vehicles, engines and equipment may include buses, Class 5 – Class 8 heavy-duty highway vehicles, marine engines, locomotives and non-road engines, equipment or vehicles used in construction, handling of cargo (including at a port or airport), agriculture, mining or energy production (including stationary generators and pumps). Eligible entities include regional, state, or local agencies, tribal governments (or intertribal consortia) and native villages, or port authorities, which have jurisdiction over transportation or air quality, and nonprofit organizations or institutions that: a) represent or provide pollution reduction or educational services to persons or organizations that own or operate diesel fleets or b) have, as their principal purpose, the promotion of transportation or air quality. Proposal packages must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 PM Eastern on July 5. For more information and to access the RFP, click here.
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| PERC Expands Propane Autogas Nozzle Incentive
The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) is expanding its Quick-Connect Nozzle Incentive Program availability to fleets and doubling the incentive amounts for applicants, effective immediately through the end of June. Private fleets and public refueling stations are now eligible to apply for the incentive program, which will provide $100 per tank-side connector and $1,000 per hose-end connector. Unlike older nozzle designs, quick-connect nozzles can be operated with one hand and do not require the user to wear protective eyewear or gloves, making the experience much like a conventional fuel nozzle. For more information and to apply for the incentive, click here.
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| TRB Funding for Transit Innovators
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is accepting proposals for the Transit Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Program. The Transit IDEA Program provides financial support of up to $100,000 for the early stage development and testing of innovative and unproven concepts and methods for advancing transit practice. The due date for submitting Transit IDEA proposals is November 1. For more information and to view the full funding opportunity announcement, click here.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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| Webinar: Innovative Financing for Public Transportation
TRB will conduct a webinar on June 7 from 1:00-2:30 PM Central on best practices of value capture and small- and medium-sized public private partnerships for transportation funding. Value capture, the public recovery of a portion of increased property value created from public infrastructure investment, has been successful in several U.S. cities, and presenters will review these case studies. Public-private partnerships can also be used by transit agencies to improve existing services as well as to deliver new services and facilities. During this webinar, presenters will demonstrate an interactive tool for identifying, evaluating, and screening opportunities for such initiatives. For more information and to register, click here.
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| Webinar: Tools and Programs for Measuring Walking and Walkability
On June 14 from 1-2 PM Central, America Walks will host a webinar on tools and programs for measuring walking and walkability. Attendees of this webinar will learn about the importance of collecting and using evidence and how to use this evidence to create change in communities, explore research being done on new and unique ways of collecting walkability data, and hear from a community working to create walkable communities by collecting data and assessing their findings. For more information and to register, click here.
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| Southeast Greenways and Trails Summit
The East Coast Greenway Alliance will hold its first-ever Southeast Greenways & Trails Summit in Durham, North Carolina, on October 1-3. The Summit will bring together transportation planners, elected officials, trail and public health advocates, and others who are working to improve active bicycle and pedestrian networks. For more information and to register, click here.
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| Scrap to Profit Conference
The seventh "Scrap to Profit" conference, an initiative co-sponsored and hosted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), will be held on October 25-26 in Nashville. Innovation to drive new and improved scrap tire markets will be a key theme for the conference, which is also supported by the Scrap Tire Research and Education Foundation (STREF), and TDEC’s Office of Sustainable Practices and Division of Solid Waste Management. For more information and to register, click here.
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| New Alternative Fueling Station Locator App for Android
Android users can now access U.S. DOE’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator app on their phones. The app is available through the Google Play Store. Just like the iPhone app, it allows users to select an alternative fuel and find the 20 closest stations within a 30-mile radius. Users can view the locations on a map or as a list with station addresses, phone numbers, and hours of operation. For more information, click here.
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| TRB Guidebooks on Transit, Park-and-Ride Facilities
TRB’s Cooperative Research Program has released a report on practices for evaluating the economic impacts and benefits of transit and the ways that agencies are using the information obtained for planning, prioritizing, funding, and stakeholder support. For more information and to access the report, click here. TRB has also released a toolbox and guidebook to assist with planning and managing park-and-ride facilities for public transportation. The toolbox provides approaches to managing park-and-ride facilities, from developing the park-and-ride concept for a community to day-to-day management. For more information and to access the toolbox, click here.
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| 2016 Biking and Walking Benchmarking Report
The Alliance for Biking and Walking recently released its 2016 Benchmarking Report, which provides a comprehensive snapshot of walking and biking throughout the U.S. for the last two years. The report, which allows you to compare cities and states against one another, notes that in Tennessee, there are 1591 miles of natural surface routes and trails for bicyclists and pedestrians and 1117 miles of trails dedicated for pedestrian-only usage. The report also includes a toolbox of resources developed with the League of American Bicyclists. For more information and to access the report, click here.
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| Archived Webinar: Compressed Natural Gas Tank Safety
CNG fuel tanks have a useful life of 15-25 years. They need regular inspections and it is critical to follow end-of-life guidelines to ensure safety. This Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Safety Assurance Efforts webinar by NREL can help fleets understand tank inspection and end-of-life requirements. Fleets will also learn to safely defuel, decommission, and dispose of expired tanks. For more information and to access the webinar, click here.
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| Work Truck Idling Reduction Fact Sheet
Work trucks are everywhere—delivering packages to our doorsteps, removing refuse, and towing disabled vehicles. Unlike the 18-wheelers that travel over 500 miles per day, work trucks typically travel short distances from home base to work site and are tailored to perform a specific service. A new fact sheet on Work Truck Idling by Argonne National Laboratory covers problems associated with work truck idling and explains how auxiliary power units can be a cost effective solution that offer a myriad of other benefits. Tables outline how payback periods for new bucket trucks with auxiliary power units can be anywhere from 10 to less than five years. For more information and to access the fact sheet, click here.
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| Video: Electric Vehicle Wireless Charging
ORNL’s wireless electric vehicle charging transfer technology was recently awarded special recognition for innovation by R&D Magazine. The lab teamed up with industry to develop the world’s first 20-kilowatt wireless charging system for passenger cars. The electric current is transferred by creating a magnetic field between a transmitting pad on the ground and a receiving pad located under the vehicle. The system is 90% efficient while charging at three times the power rating of a conventional charger. This means that you can recharge an average all-electric vehicle in one to two hours or a hybrid plug-in in less than an hour. To learn more about wireless charging, watch this video.
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| NREL Releases Regional EV Charging Infrastructure Analysis for Massachusetts
NREL has recently released a report developing guidance on charging infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles, to provide insight for national and regional stakeholders. The framework used for the State of Massachusetts analysis can be extended to other states and regions. For more information, and to access the report, click here.
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