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| Technical Assistance, Incentives, and Funding Opportunities: Upcoming Events and Activities:
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| Nissan Receives 2017 Energy Star Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award For the sixth year in a row, Nissan has once again received the Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its continued commitment to reducing harmful emissions and improving energy management. Nissan’s efforts to reduce energy usage include switching to more efficient LED lighting, enhancing the compressed air leak production program, and using a paint process involving less volatile organic compounds that has cut energy usage by 30%. Nissan manufacturing operations in the U.S. include the Nissan Vehicle Assembly Plant in Smyrna, which assembled more vehicles than any other automotive plant in North America in 2016. This facility was also recently awarded the Energy Star Certification for the eleventh year in a row, signifying Nissan’s spot among the top 25% of the automotive manufacturing industry for superior energy management. For more information, click here.
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| IACMI Partners with Local Motors and ORNL to Develop 3D Printed Composite Materials for Automotive Manufacturing The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) was the fifth institute named as part of U.S. DOE’s Manufacturing USA network. Led by UT Knoxville, IACMI brings together universities, industry, national laboratories, and government agencies to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced composites for energy and economic security. On March 30, IACMI announced that it is embarking on a new project in collaboration with ORNL and Local Motors to use large-scale additive manufacturing in the development of new materials with advanced composite reinforcements. Local Motors, famous for the 3D printed Strati, is a leader in the development of automotive 3D printing. The three organizations will work together on design and materials selection for a new process that involves the use of additive manufacturing to reinforce advanced composite parts for vehicles. The project is expected to challenge current vehicle designs and create new low-cost components to meet longevity and crash performance requirements. For more information, click here.
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| Additional Cars Added to Chattanooga EV Car Share Three new all-electric Nissan Leafs were recently added to Green Commuter’s EV Car Share Program in Chattanooga, a partnership between TVA, CARTA, and Green Commuter. Through an app available on smartphones, the membership-based program allows users to rent the Leafs by the day or by the hour, 24/7, paying only for the time they need. The three new vehicles, which are wrapped in advertising that was sponsored by local power company EPB, will rent at a discounted rate of $4 per hour and $32 per day (compared to $7 per hour and $45 per day for the non-sponsored vehicles). For more information about the project, click here.
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| Private, Non-profit, and Community-led Bikeshare to Launch in Memphis
Explore Bike Share, a collaboration between local companies, organizations, and community members in Memphis, is preparing to launch Memphis’ first bikeshare with 60 stations and 600 bicycles. After researching bikeshare models in other cities, the group decided to establish the bikeshare as a 501(c)3, which will be guided by an advisory group of 20-40 people from sectors such as health, culture, and transportation. In lieu of city funding, the contract with selected vendor BCycle will be driven by foundations and private partnerships. The service area for the bikeshare will include not only downtown and midtown, but also four neighborhoods that have health disparities and transportation issues around the “last mile”: Uptown, Binghampton, Orange Mound, and South Memphis. The team is also interested in pursuing equity-oriented strategies such as bike safety education, ambassador programs, and partnerships with workforce development activities. For more information on Memphis’ Explore Bike Share, click here.
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| Great Smoky Mountains National Park Celebrates Further Greening of Fleet
On April 5, Great Smoky Mountains National Park unveiled two new propane fueling stations and six new propane-fueled trucks at the Park Headquarters Maintenance Facility near Gatlinburg. With the new pieces of alternative fuel equipment, the Smokies implemented a new facet of the park’s Climate Friendly Parks program through funding from a joint U.S. Departments of Interior (DOI) and U.S. DOE initiative called the “Clean Cities National Park Initiative.” For more information, click here.
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| Poll Shows Appetite for Expanded Public Transit in Nashville Regional planners in Nashville and Davidson County have put together a $6 billion transit expansion plan that calls for four light rail lines, three bus rapid transit routes, a commuter rail connection, and more. With regard to such transit expansion, a recent survey conducted by Vanderbilt University found that by a two-to-one margin, Nashville residents support a small sales tax increase to pay for transit. In fact, the poll found that 63% of Nashvillians would be willing to pay 25 cents more on sales tax for every $100 if the extra money went toward improving public transportation. 35% said they would not be willing, while 3% said they either didn’t know or refused to answer. An even higher percentage of respondents, 68%, said they would be willing to pay 50 cents in additional sales tax for every $100 they spent, compared with 30 percent who said they would not be willing. John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt who co-directed the poll, said the results indicate that dedicated funding for transit has momentum in Nashville. For more information, click here.
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| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCENTIVES, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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| TRB Funding for Transit Innovators
The Transportation Research Board 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 for the two 2017 funding cycles are May 1 and 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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| Southeastern Convention and International Propane Expo in Nashville
The National Propane Gas Association will be hosting its 70th Southeastern Convention and International Propane Expo on April 21-23 at the Music City Center in Nashville. NPGA estimates more than 4,000 people, including representatives from more than 250 exhibiting organizations, will attend this year’s show. In addition to the products and services featured on the show floor, the Propane Expo will again include an Autogas Pavilion focusing on manufacturing products, processes, educational tools, and services specific to the propane autogas market. For more information and to register for the event, click here.
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| Webinar: Planning and Growing Intercity Passenger Rail Programs
The Transportation Research Board will conduct a webinar on April 24 from 1:00 - 2:30 PM ET that will feature research from the National Cooperative Rail Research Program (NCRRP)’s Report 6: Guidebook for Intercity Passenger Rail Service and Development.
The webinar will outline current processes and best practices for development of intercity passenger rail programs at the state, regional, and corridor levels for long-term institutional support of intercity passenger rail routes. Presenters will highlight guidance for state and regional planners seeking to expand existing or develop new intercity passenger rail service. For more information and to register for the webinar, click here.
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| 2017 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards and Forum
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Tennessee Clean Fuels, will hold the third annual Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards and Forum during Clean Air Month from May 23-24 at the Nashville Public Library. The forum, entitled “Navigating Toward a Livable Tennessee,” will highlight local transportation planning and the pursuit of place-based policies and investments for improved transportation options in our communities. The keynote will be delivered by Russ Brooks, Smart Cities Director at Transportation for America, an organization focused on supporting the development of smart, sustainable, and locally driven transportation policies across the U.S. The morning address on May 24 will be delivered by Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Mayor Megan Barry. An awards luncheon will be held on the second day of the forum, and will include remarks from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau and Tennessee Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Toks Omishakin. The awards recognize outstanding initiatives to improve the efficiency, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of transportation systems in the State, consistent with ongoing efforts to improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans, provide for a strong economy, and protect our State’s natural resources. 2017 forum panel topics will include: - Behavior Change - Transportation demand management and the utilization of alternatives to single occupancy vehicles
- Mobility Planning - Improved efficiency in the delivery of goods and services, reduced congestion, and improved access to alternative transportation
- Energy and the Environment - Alternative fuel use for reduced emissions, improved air quality, and resiliency
- One Big Idea – Overview of winning projects and ideas
The forum will also feature a showcase of alternative fuel vehicles, as well as a recognition ceremony for a new class of certified Tennessee Green Fleets. Through the Tennessee Clean Fuels’ Tennessee Green Fleets Certification Program, any Tennessee-based fleet can receive certification for its efforts toward reducing petroleum consumption, improving air quality, and increasing the use of alternative fuels or advanced vehicle technologies. To view a preliminary agenda and to register for the event, 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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| Fuels Fix is published quarterly by the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition and features stories of education and action on alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies from U.S. DOE Clean Cities programs across the U.S. and their partners. The Spring 2017 Fuels Fix, which was published on April 10, highlights the Southeast Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Demonstration Initiative, a propane-powered school bus pilot in Indiana, AFV training for mechanics in New Orleans, as well as aggregated AFV purchasing in Kansas City. To read the Spring 2017 Fuels Fix, click here.
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| Report on the Impact of Increased Fuel Economy on Income Distribution
UT Baker Center researchers Dr. David Greene and Dr. Jilleah Welch recently released a report entitled, “The Impact of Increased Fuel Economy for Light-Duty Vehicles on the Distribution of Income in the U.S.: A Retrospective and Prospective Analysis,” which was sponsored by the Energy Foundation and ORNL. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditures Surveys from 1980 to 2014, Green and Welch find that all income groups have benefited from fuel economy improvements to passenger cars and light trucks. The report notes that households experience a net savings as fuel savings are greater than the estimated cost of fuel economy improvements. As a percent of income, net savings are progressive; lower- and middle-income households benefit the most. To view the full report, click here.
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| Mobility and Walkability Toolkits from UCL and AARP
University College London recently released a Street Mobility Toolkit, which is meant to assess community severance, or the “barrier effect” of busy roads. The toolkit, which includes case studies and additional information about the project, is available for download here. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) also recently released a Walk Audit Toolkit, which aims to help individuals, groups, and local leaders assess the walkability of sidewalks and streets in their community. The downloadable toolkit provides step-by-step instructions and checklists for examining intersections, sidewalks, driver behavior, public safety and other factors.
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| Collaboration Resources for Public Transportation and Transit Connections
The Transportation Research Board’s Transit Cooperative Research Program has released a guidebook that serves as a resource to explore, evaluate, initiate, plan, and implement small- and medium-sized public-private partnerships related to public transportation. To view the guidebook, click here. Similarly, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently published a new peer exchange report, titled, “Regional Cooperation and Bike/Ped and Transit Connections.” The report highlights key themes identified at a regional cooperation peer exchange, which took place in Salt Lake City, Utah in October 2016. To view the report, click here.
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