Clean Green TransportationNew York Capital District Clean Air Initiative

Thomas Li

Max Jenquin

Joe Venusto

Opening

Air pollution every day

Coal plants and energy generation

RESULT: Global Warming

Alternative fuels for city buses and public transportation

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the benefits and drawbacks to different sources of alternative fuel and use this information to implement a pilot program in the local CDTA bus lines to test the new fuel and its capacity for mass transit.

Rationale

CDTA spends $9.76 million on diesel per year

produces approximately 56.1 million pounds of Carbon Dioxide per year.

Analysis of different alternative fuels

Numerous similar projects and campaigns

Each fleet is unique – what works for one may not for another

Use analysis to determine best fit for CDTA

Types of fuel to be analyzed have been selected based on economic and environmental criteria

Related Projects and Organizations

Lafayette, Indiana

Study showed CityBus’ lowest cost was with compressed natural gas

Feasibility of Clean Green Transportation

Phoenix, Arizona

Purchased 120 CNG buses

Will provide lower costs in long term

Biotour

Successfully converted bus to run on Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO)

Possibility of WVO being new fuel

Aims, Location, and Organization

Research alternative fuels and their impacts both environmentally and economically

Perform cost-benefit analysis specific to the CDTA fleet

Campaign to convince the organization to adopt the strategy

CDTA operates in Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga, and Albany

Nonprofit Research Organization operating largely on campus: New York Capital District Clean Air Initiative

Investigate

Campaign

Implement

Project Design and Context

New York Capital District Clean Air Initiative

Statistical and computational analysis, academic research, community outreach, project management and design

Investigate and analyze: E85 Ethanol, Biodiesel, Propane, Compressed Natural Gas, and PEMFC Hydrogen cells

Key Phases:

Data collection

Data analysis

Conversion plan and campaign preparation

Campaign for conversion

Execution of conversion plan

Project Design and Context

Funding

Phases 1-4 require minimal, if any, funding

Entire organization consists of volunteered time

Phase 5 requires that CDTA provide an initial investment

Efforts to raise funds from the public and government will be made in phase 4

Most Significant Barriers to Completion

High costs

Conversions

New fuel

May have to purchase new buses

Funding for Clean Green Transportation

Companies must perceive good investment opportunity

Need donations and support to purchase conversion tanks and new fuel systems

Technology

New fuel systems must be advanced and optimized for CDTA usage

Project Design and ContextStakeholders

Lots of stakeholders because of the scope and scale

CDTA

Residents of Troy and Capital District

Sodexo and local Troy and C.D. restaurants

Economics

Lower prices and costs

Potential for Scaling Up and Out

Public transportation across the nation needs to transition to more sustainable sources of fuel.

Convince CDTA to begin pilot program in Troy routes.

Draw from experiences and research by other cities:

Lafayette, IN & Phoenix, AZ

Use this and our experience to convince other cities

Decreased price for technology

Use NYCDCAI to organize supporters and advocacy groups on a national scale

Stakeholders: CDTA

Conversion costs will be high initially

Lower costs in long run

Used vegetable oil is relatively inexpensive

Diesel is more expensive, but less will be bought

Decrease in long run costs for the CDTA prompted by a high initial investment

Positive publicity because of green transition

Stakeholders: Troy and Capital District

Riders may initially experience slight increase in riding price because of increased costs the CDTA will incur

In long run, prices will drop because of the lower costs to the CDTA

Results in more ridership (lower prices encourage ridership)

May decrease emissions more than just by the CDTA’s fuel conversion

Stakeholders: Local Restaurants Stakeholders only if WVO is the best fuel

Will be encouraged to monitor used oil quality to ensure it is usable by fleet

Costs to firms will decrease

Restaurants must pay disposal fees to dispense WVO

Fees will decrease

Positive publicity because of green transition support

Social and Cultural Trends

Green movement—public opinion on alternative fuels

Political support

Changes in emission regulations

If CDTA cannot run same routes with higher standards, it will reduce runs

Easier for C.G.T. to persuade support from CDTA

Better publicity

Fuel prices

Lower prices of other fuels could influence decision

Evaluating Success

Long run goal to reduce emissions in Troy and Capital District

Success based on how effectively and efficiently that goal is accomplished

Did CDTA adopt alternative fuel?

How effective was the plan overall?

Success will provide effective response to sustainability issue in Troy and Capital District

Will also allow us to provide feedback, research, and information to other cities looking to implement similar information

Bibliography

Anderson, Tim. "Waste Vegetable Oil Conversion for Diesel Bus." Instructables. Autodesk Inc., 07 Aug 2007. Web. 7 Nov 2013.

"CDTA Board Approves Strategic Fleet Financing Plan." Capital District Transport Authority. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

Cline, Annika. "City Approves Alternative Fuel Bus Purchase." Downtown Devil. N.p., 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

"EERE: Vehicle Technologies Office Home Page." Carbon Dioxide from Gasoline and Diesel Fuel. US Department of Energy, 1 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

"Fuels & Vehicles." EERE: Alternative Fuels Data Center. US Department of Energy, 07 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

Jennifer A. Dlouhy, $3.5M grant goes to CDTA for hybrid electric buses. Timesunion.com news. Published Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009.

"Petroleum and Other Liquids: Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update." US Energy Information Administration. US Department of Energy, 04 Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2013.

Todd Litman, Evaluating Public Transportation Health Benefits, June 14, 2010. From the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, for the American Public Transportation Association.

"Vegetable Oil as a Fuel." Squeaky Wheels Adventures. Squeaky Wheel Adventures, n.d. Web. 7 Nov 2013.

THANKS FOR WATCHING

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