A monthly review of energy, climate, environment, and public health issues related to transportation - September 2008

New Format: To address important issues across the transportation sector and highlight the full range of opportunities to
reduce oil consumption, cut carbon emissions, and improve air quality, Clean Motion features stories in four issue areas:

Upcoming Events

Austin Energy 2008 AltCar Expo & Conference- October 17 -18, Austin Texas.
Austin Energy, a long time leader in recognizing and educating about eco-friendly auto technology, is hosting a conference in October. Several years ago, Austin Energy started Plug-In Partners, a national grass-roots initiative to demonstrate to automakers that a market for flexible-fuel plug-In hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) exists today. EESI has been a lead national partner in Austin Energy's Plug-In Partners Campaign.

The 2008 Austin Energy AltCar Expo & Conference is a gathering of experts and exhibits promoting eco-friendly automotive technology. In addition to exhibits, seminars will address topics ranging from exploring cleaner fuel technologies to reducing air pollution. Speakers slated for the event include Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Austin Mayor Will Wynn, and Austin Energy General Manager Roger Duncan. For more information please see Austin Energy’s website, http://www.austinenergy.com/About Us/Environmental Initiatives/altcarExpo.htm.

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GM Gives Sneak Peek of Chevy Volt

General Motors has unveiled a preview of the production version of its highly-anticipated plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt.  The vehicle’s outward appearance is not as boldy angular as the earlier concept version, but the body design still evokes a muscular, forward-looking image.  "The Volt symbolizes GM's commitment to the future," said Rick Wagoner, the company's chairman and CEO.  The interior features readouts, finishes, and shapes that are also subtly futuristic, but designers intended an overall driving experience that is familiar to drivers of conventional automobiles.

The car, set to go on sale in 2010, will have the equivalent of about 150 horsepower and a top speed of 100 mph powered by electricity stored in a large T-shaped lithium-ion battery, chargeable from an ordinary home electrical outlet.  The Volt will have a range about 40 miles without using gasoline.  The all-electric range would be effectively extended by a small internal combustion engine that charges the battery.  The engine itself never drives the wheels unlike other hybrid vehicle configurations. 

The Volt is projected to cost as little as 2 cents per mile when operating on electricity alone.  The cost of the car itself has not been set, but is expected to carry an initial price tage up to $40,000. GM plans to produce 10,000 Volts in the car’s first year.

Resources
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/11/autos/volt_official_reveal/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://wsj.com/article/SB122157309506143137.html

Interest and Concern Over High Carbon Fuels Rise with Gas Prices

With oil trading above $100 per barrel for several months, both interest in and concern over so-called “high carbon” fuels has continued to mount.  Transportation fuels derived from sources other than crude oil, such as tar sand deposits, oil shale, and coal have been explored for several years.  Processing these solid materials into liquid form, however, requires substantial energy inputs, and the overall “life-cycle” carbon emissions associated with the production and use of these fuels is estimated to be significantly higher than that of conventional gasoline.  Amidst global efforts to cut carbon emissions and mitigate global warming, strong public opposition to these fuels is developing, especially as high gas prices increase their economic viability. 

North America has abundant supplies of all three major high-carbon resources.  Neither coal nor oil shale, though, is currently being processed into transportation fuel at commercial scale because significant cost and technology barriers remain.  Production of oil from tar sand deposits in Canada, however, has exceeded one million barrels of oil per day and is projected to triple by 2015. Processing tar sands into fuel consumes large amounts of natural gas as well as huge volumes of water and is estimated to generate three to five times the amount of carbon emissions as the refining of crude oil.  It is presently regarded as the most expensive source of oil, but is still profitable at oil prices above 70-80 dollars per barrel. There is not a standard methodology for comparing the full life-cycle or “well-to-wheels” carbon emissions of such fuels, but estimates range from approximately 10 percent higher than conventional gasoline for fuel derived from tar sands to emissions more than double that of conventional gasoline for liquid coal-based fuels

Resources
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-oilshale5-2008sep05,0,4181870.story
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=worse-than-gasoline
http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/reports/tarsands.htm

 Global Auto Sales Continue Growth Despite U.S. Decline

Despite rising fuel prices and declining sales in the United States and Western Europe,  substantial sales growth in Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe is continuing to push global sales of cars and light trucks upward.  According to the latest Global Auto Report released by Scotia Economics, overall U.S. auto sales are down more than 10 percent for the first half of 2008, accompanied by a three percent decline in mature markets of Western Europe.  Double-digit sales growth in several other countries, however, netted a 1.5 percent increase in worldwide automobile sales. 

China, Russia, Brazil, and India account for much of the global growth totals.  Auto sales in Russia increased 34 percent last year and are on track for a 40 percent increase this year.  Sales in China have moderated from yearly average increases of 30 percent to a 17 percent growth rate this year, while sales in Brazil are up 23 percent for the first half of this year. 

The United States still leads other countries in terms of total number of vehicles sold each year—approximately 16 million out of more than 70 million light-duty vehicles sold worldwide.  Meanwhile, annual sales are expected to exceed 10 million in China,  3.5 million in Russia, 3 million in Brazil, and 2 million in India.

Resources
http://www.scotiabank.com/cda/content/0,1608,CID8339_LIDen,00.html
http://www.economicnews.ca/cepnews/wire/article/2/104486/
http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/07/emerging-markets-drive-record-global-growth.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aCztFTxeYOkk&refer=japan
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/30/business/NA-US-Auto-Sales-Outlook.php
http://www.mercurynews.com/markets/ci_10213155

Toyota Adds Plan for All-Electric Vehicles

Toyota, the industry leader in sales of hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles, announced this week it intends to develop a small all-electric car for sale early in the next decade, adding to its plans to produce a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The announcement by President Katsuaki Watanabe is the first indication that Toyota plans to explore the electric-only technology they tested in California several years ago.  

Toyota did not release any details of what its proposed electric car will look like or how much it will cost. Spokesman John Hanson, however, noted these vehicles will be available to the general public unlike plans for the plug-in hybrid which would be initially leased to corporate and municipal fleet operators.  Many industry observers suspect the model will be similar to the Prius hybrid.

Other major automakers, such as Nissan and Mitsubishi, have announced their own plans for all-electric vehicles.  Several smaller companies, such as California-based Tesla Motors, are also developing electric cars and light trucks.

Resources
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20080829a1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/business/14plug.html
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/uptospeed/2008/08/plug-in-hybrid.html

Solar Taxi Shows Viability of Renewable Energy for Transportation

A prototype electric passenger vehicle, powered by an array of solar photovoltaic cells mounted on a trailer and towed by the vehicle, is completing the final leg of a trip around the world to demonstrate that technologies to use renewable energy for transportation are ready today.

Schoolteacher Louis Palmer and the “Solar Taxi” that he developed with the help of four Swiss universities started from his home in Lucerne, Switzerland more than a year ago--traveling a crooked eastward route across Europe and Asia, followed by a traverse across North America.  He is currently bound for Africa before returning home.  He has given “taxi” rides to thousands of people along the way, including political leaders and celebrities such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and late-night talk show host Jay Leno.

The two-seated vehicle is not powered by the solar voltaic cells directly but uses electricity generated by the cells to charge an advanced nickel sodium chloride battery pack.  The battery pack, which can be charged directly from an electric outlet as well, provides enough energy to drive the vehicle more than 200 miles at a maximum speed of 55 miles per hour. 

Resources
http://www.solartaxi.com
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/08/drivers_savor_the_pace_and_exp.html

DC Pioneers High-Tech Bike-Sharing Program

The District of Columbia has.   On August 13, SmartBike DC, a public-private partnership between the District of Columbia Department of Transportation and Clear Channel Outdoor –a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, launched a “high-tech” public bike-sharing program. SmartBike DC operates 10 self-service stations throughout the downtown that provide 120 bicycles for short-term rental.

For a $40 annual fee, riders receive a membership card, which electronically unlocks a bicycle for up to three hours of use with no limit on the number of daily trips.  Jim Sebastian, bicycle and pedestrian program manager at the District Department of Transportation noted, "It's really going to be replacing cab rides and car trips for a lot of folks looking to get around the city quickly."

Similar bike-sharing programs have taken off in Europe, most notably in Paris and Barcelona. In addition to offering low-cost transportation, bike-sharing programs are considered a tool to help ease traffic congestion, curb pollution, and boost physical activity.  The launch of SmartBike DC coincides with recent increases in the popularity of bicycling on this side of the Atlantic amidst escalating gas prices. The District has received positive feedback and inquiries from several other U.S. cities, including Chicago and Seattle, looking to replicate the program.

Resources
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/12/AR2008081202907_2.html?sid=ST2008081300258&s_pos=
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/us/27bikes.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23869261/

Durbin Pushes for Expanded Passenger Rail Service

Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill) is calling for a major reinvestment in U.S. passenger rail service and reviving railcar manufacturing in the United States. "This is not the past. This is the future," said Durbin about train travel, adding "we cannot pave our way out of traffic congestion."  He also noted that thousands of U.S.-based jobs could be created in an expanded railcar industry.

Ridership on Amtrak, the federal government-sponsored corporation that provides virtually all U.S. intercity passenger rail service, has risen to its highest levels since it was created in 1971—more than 26 million passengers per year.  July 2008 ridership was 14 percent higher than July 2007.  Yet the company is struggling to keep up with 35-year-old coaches and baggage cars dating to the Eisenhower presidency. Amtrak officials indicate that the public demand for intercity rail service is outstripping the supply of trains, due in part to gas prices hitting record levels this year and rising airfares.

Senator Durbin has introduced the Train CARS Act, federal legislation which aims to promote the replacement and rehabilitation of Amtrak’s aging fleet of passenger cars and to revive the train car industry in the United States. Key elements of the plan include a trust fund to replace aging trains, along with grants and tax-credit bonds to encourage traincar manufacturing in the United States.  The proposed Intercity Passenger Rail Rolling Stock Trust Fund would be funded by diverting 0.25 cent per gallon from the federal gas tax.

Resources
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-amtrak_21aug21,0,946220.story
http://durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=302209
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/News_Release_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1178294199297&ssid=180

Transit Ridership Continues to Rise, Clinton Introduces Bill

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which has jurisdiction over federal funding for public transit, held a hearing September 9, to examine policy options for investing in public transportation as a strategy for decreasing U.S. oil consumption and dependence on oil imports.

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) was the lead-off witness testifying before the Committee.  Senator Clinton recently introduced the Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act (S.3380), which would provide $ 1.7 billion to expand and improve transit service over the next two years.  The funds also could be used reduce or keep transit fares affordable at a time when many transit systems across the country are reporting double-digit increases in ridership.  Overall, public transportation provided more than 2.8 billion trips in the second quarter of 2008, a 5.2 percent increase over the same period in 2007.

Clinton’s bill is the Senate companion of a House bill (H.R. 6052) that passed the House 322-98 earlier this summer.  The bill itself is not expected to come to a vote in the Senate this year, but elements of the bill may be included in energy legislation being crafted by House and Senate leaders for consideration before Congress adjourns this year.  The Senate hearing on the bill raised important issues to be addressed in the next federal transportation bill, which Congress will take up next year.  The federal transportation law expires in September 2009.

Resources
http://www.transitblogger.com/mta-finances/senator-clinton-introduces-transportation-bill-in-senate
http://www.observer.com/2008/politics/clintons-tranportation-bill-upstates-gas-boom

U.S. Downtowns See Streetcars in Their Future

At least 40 U.S. cities are exploring streetcar projects as part of efforts to spur economic development, ease traffic congestion and attract young professionals and  baby boomers back from the suburbs, according to the Community Streetcar Coalition—a national coalition which includes city officials, transit authorities and engineers advocating for new streetcar projects. Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, Salt Lake City and Charlotte, N.C., are some of the cities that have implemented or are planning to initiate streetcar systems.
In Cincinnati, officials are assembling financing for a $132 million streetcar system to connect the city’s riverfront stadium, downtown business district and Uptown neighborhoods, in a six to eight-mile loop. Subject to the final financing package, proposed initial fares will either be free, 50 cents or $1. The city plans to finance the system with existing tax revenue and $30 million in private investment.

Resources
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/us/14streetcar.html?emc=eta1
http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/pages/-16338-/
http://windsorpark.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/city-of-charlotte-oks-further-study-of-streetcars/

California Bill to Reduce Sprawl and Curb Global Warming

On August 21, the California legislature passed SB 375, a bill that would be the nation's most comprehensive effort to reduce sprawl. Introduced by State Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), the bill is now in the hands of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. While Gov. Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the bill, sponsors expect him to sign it once the state passes a budget.

The bill would link regional planning for housing and transportation with California's greenhouse gas reduction goal, to reduce emissions to the 1990 level by 2020. Senator Steinberg said,“…land use has to be part of the solution to global warming. You can't meet our goal just with alternative fuels. You have to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled.”  To help decrease reliance on cars the State would offer incentives to steer public funds away from sprawled development. The state spends about $20 billion a year on transportation, and under the new law, projects that meet climate goals would get priority.

Resources
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-cap21-2008aug21,0,3063070.column
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122031252260888829.html?mod=residential_real_estate
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sprawl21-2008aug21,0,2160319.story
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/us/01sprawl.html

"Complete Streets" Policies Offer More Choices for Travelling Public

According to transportation statistics, as more Americans look for alternatives to driving their car, they may find their local street network is not that friendly to non-drivers.   From Chattanooga to Sacramento, many communities—and now state and federal lawmakers—are exploring policies that would help accommodate all users of the transportation network, including transit riders, pedestrians, bicyclists.

Using the moniker “Complete Streets”, such policies basically direct transportation officials to consider multiple users when evaluating, planning, and designing new street projects.  The concept would apply differently depending on the type of street and its dominant uses—some streets may be major thoroughfares for bicycles, others for cars, while certain streetscapes may subordinate other uses to pedestrian traffic.  All streets, however, would recognize and accommodate different users to some degree, and a system that works for all users would be the intended result.

A Complete Streets bill is now moving through the California legislature (A.B. 1358) while Complete Streets legislation has been introduced in both chambers of Congress.  Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) is the lead sponsor of the Complete Streets Act of 2008 (S.  2686), while Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) is lead sponsor of the Safe and Complete Streets Act in the House of Representatives (H.R. 5951).

In addition to expanding transportation choices for the traveling public, Complete Streets advocates also suggest the concept is a basic element of strategies to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions associated with transportation.

Resources
http://wdef.com/news/safe_and_complete_streets_act_of_2008_aims_to_make_roadways_safer_for_non_drivers/05/2008
http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/05/02/federal-complete-streets-legislation-gains-momentum/
http://www.ebbc.org/?q=node/151
http://www.completestreets.org

Cities Debate Privatizing Public Infrastructure

Several major private equity firms are looking to invest billions of dollars in infrastructure projects in the United States and overseas.  Recognizable names such as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, the Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Credit Suisse are among the investors who have amassed an estimated $250 billion in private capital.

Depending on the project, private investment may come with varying degrees of private operation of and control over public infrastructure—privately managed toll roads being one example.  Federal, state and local governments in the United States, who have been wary of privatization are now debating its merits as they face mounting budget deficits that have curbed their ability to maintain roads, bridges and even airports with taxpayer money. 

Public opinion regarding privatization of infrastructure has also been mixed.  Investors, it is presumed, would seek to maximize revenues— either by increasing capacity to handle more cars, for example, or by raising tolls. Labor unions and others have pointed out the amount of money that investors stand to reap in fees. “Our concern is that some sources of financing see this as a quick opportunity to make money,” said Stephen Abrecht, director of the Capital Stewardship Program at the Service Employees International Union, questioning whether private interests may be taking undue advantage of the financial challenges facing the nation’s public infrastructure.

Despite concerns, opposition to public-private partnerships has been weaning. This fall, Midway Airport of Chicago could become the first major airport to pass into the hands of private investors. Just outside Washington, DC, a $1.9 billion public-private partnership will finance new high-occupancy toll lanes around the nation’s capital.  In August, Florida gave the go ahead  to six groups that included JPMorgan, Lehman Brothers and the Carlyle Group to bid on a 50- to 75 -year lease for a toll road to be established on Alligator Alley, a 78-mile stretch of Interstate 75 in southern Florida.

Resources

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/25/AR2008082502465.html
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0808/547631.html
http://www.alligator-alley.com/
http://www.nbc5.com/news/15773097/detail.html
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_19/b4033001.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_top+story

Pay-As-You-Drive_Insurance Saves Money and Energy

Most auto insurance is priced as if it were an “all-you-can-eat” buffet. Insurance companies adjust rates according to many driver characteristics—age, gender, driving record.  But within those groups, drivers pay roughly the same premiums whether they drive 5,000 or 50,000 miles per year--even though statistically the likelihood of a collision increases proportionately  with each mile.  According to a recent report from the Brookings Institution, based in Washington DC, this “all-you-can-drive” pricing scheme is unfair to low-mileage drivers who end up subsidizing high-mileage drivers.  Such pricing also creates a significant economic obstacle to reducing traffic accidents, congestion, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and dependence on oil.  

But lawmakers and insurance companies are considering an alternative known as “Pay-As-You-Drive” (PAYD) auto insurance, which would, as the name implies, vary rates according to miles driven, as measured by an electronic device that the customers would agree to have installed in their car if they subscribe to the pricing plan.

The study suggests the effect of PAYD on annual miles traveled and gasoline consumption per vehicle would be significant—a reduction of about 8 percent, with a low estimate of 6.5 percent and high estimate of 10 percent.   That would roughly translate into a 2 percent reduction in total U.S. carbon emissions and a 4 percent reduction in total U.S. oil consumption, the study estimates a cumulative savings of $50 to $60 billion in reduced accidents, fuel consumption, and other driving-related costs.

Government officials, such as the Insurance Commissioner of California, and companies such as Progressive Insurance have expressed support for expanding the concept.

Resources
http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/04/21/progressive-to-offer-pay-as-you-drive-insurance/
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure28-2008aug28,1,5163500.story
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/07/28/pay-as-you-drive-insurance-catching-on/
http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2008/spring_car_insurance_bordoff.aspx

Traffic Fatalities Fall as Gas Prices Rise

 A study released by the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute has confirmed a link between high fuel costs and the recent drop in nationwide road fatalities. If current trends continue, traffic deaths in 2008 could drop to levels not seen since 1961. The study looked at monthly nationwide road fatalities from May 2007 through April of this year. In the first 10 months of the period, monthly totals were, on average, 4.2 percent lower than in the same month of the previous year. Fatalities dropped 22.1 percent for March and 17.9 percent for April of this year.

According to Michael Sivak, principal investigator on the study, record high gas prices have not only kept more cars off the road, they have transformed the way people drive.  Evidence from the study shows that many motorists are slowing down to conserve fuel, which contributes to fewer and less severe crashes.  In addition, gas prices have caused drivers to cut back on non-essential trips and leisure driving, which tend to occur at night and on weekends when driving is more hazardous.  As Lon Anderson, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic said, “…one of the few good sides to very high gas prices:  if people drive less, we're going to save lives."

Resources
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/25/AR2008082502465.html
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0808/547631.html

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Clean Motion covers energy, climate, environmental, and public health topics related to transportation. We cover technical and policy issues across the transportation sector including vehicle and fuels technology, strategic use of public transportation, walking, and biking; integration of transportation, land use planning and community design, the management of travel demand.

We invite you to tell us about your work and interests and how we might better meet your information needs. Send comments to: Jan Mueller at jmueller@eesi.org, 202-662-1883, 1112 16th St., NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress to provide timely information on energy and environmental policy issues to policymakers and stakeholders and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path .  EESI's  valuable  work in energy, climate change, agriculture, transportation and smart growth is made possible through financial support from people like you. 

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