Vermont Clean Cities Coalition

2008 Vermont Transportation Energy Report Released

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:59:00 +0000

A report released recently by the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition Vehicle shows that while miles traveled in Vermont are less this year than in the previous three years, expenditures on fuel continues to increase. Hybrid purchases have increased to 3% of all new vehicles purchases, whereas gasoline-only powered vehicles have decreased by 2%. The full report can be viewed here.

[Sources: Vermont Clean Cities Coalition, Burlington Free Press]

School Districts Seek Ways to Control Fuel Costs

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:58:00 +0000

Chittenden East Supervisory Union is streamlining bus routes so that they will be driving 25,000 fewer miles this year than the last. They are also making fewer stops per development, having high school students walk to corners, and keeping engines fine-tuned to reduce fuel use.

Other districts such as Essex have found that their routes are already efficient and have limited options for reducing fuel costs.

Elswhere, school districts are consolidating bus stops, using engine treatments, and looking to streamline routes to save energy costs. One district in Northwest Arkansas pojects they will save $115,000 in fuel per year with these strategies.

[Sources: Burlington Free Press, The Morning News]

More Vermonters riding the rails

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:57:00 +0000

Nationwide, Amtrak saw 14% more riders in July of this year compared to last year. Passengers on the Vermonter line (St. Albans - Essex Junction - New York City - Washington D.C.) increased 23%. Ridership on the Ethan Allen Express (Rutland - New York City) increased 9%.

Plans to enhance train service in Vermont with more frequent runs and smaller trains have been delayed because of insufficient funding. The earliest small trains could be in service would be summer 2010.

[Sources: Burlington Free Press, Boston Globe]

Another farmer growing sunflowers for biodiesel

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:55:00 +0000

Keith Armstrong of Armstrong Farm, on Route 7 straddling Pownal and Bennington, has planted sunflowers so that he can turn its oil into biodiesel for use in his 1973 International Tractor. Armstrong is benefitting from partnering with John Williamson of Stateline Farm, who already has biodiesel-making equipment to process his own biodiesel feedstock crops.

[Source: iBerkshires]

More on pennycress as biodiesel feedstock

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:54:00 +0000

As previously reported, Albany based Innovation Fuels is looking to plant pennycress this fall as a possible biodiesel feedstock. Its ongoing efforts to build biodiesel plants in New York have been frustrated by a lack of a sustainable stream of raw materials, one of the reasons why they are looking into developing pennycress as a local crop.

[Source: The Post Standard]

National Safe Routes to School Task Force releases final report

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:54:00 +0000

The National Safe Routes to School Task Force has released its final report that includes recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Congress. The program aims to increase walking and bicycling by schoolchildren to reduce obesity, crash fatalities, and traffic congestion, while improving environmental quality.

Recommendations include streamlining the process for accessing program funds, encourage stakeholder participation, addressing liability concerns by participants, dealing with societal barriers to walking and bicycling, and tackling policy issues such as school siting. Vermont has 30 schools participating in Safe Routes to School.

[Source: Safe Routes to School]

Did You Know...

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:53:00 +0000

you can install your own fuel economy gauge?

In Other Vermont Transportation News...

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:53:00 +0000

Biodiesel
Biodiesel is one of the ways that Vermont farmers are trying to cope with the many challenges of farming today. [Times Argus]

A Glimpse into Transportation at Large...

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:52:00 +0000

Efficiency
20% of Americans polled say they have switched to a smaller, more efficient car. [Wall Street Journal]

Municipalities all over the Northeast are cutting their transportation energy use. [New York Times]

Alternative modes
A number of carpooling services exist online, in addition
to Vermont's new automated program launching this fall. [AP]

D.C. launches a 120 bike-fleet bikeshare program. [Washington Post]

Sales of electric bikes surging. [Red Orbit]

Biofuels
A new use for glycerin, a biodiesel byproduct, developed. [Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News]

Food vs. Fuel Debate
25x'25 Alliance issues a comparison of recent food price studies. [25x'25]

Weekly Petro-Stats

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:25:00 +0000

Gas at the Pump, VT Crude Oil Futures

This Week
(Aug 18-24) $3.800/gallon $115.746/barrel

Last Week
(Aug 11-17) $3.855/gallon $114.808/barrel

This Week $2.817/gallon
Last Year

Driving declines reduce Highway Trust Fund

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:21:00 +0000

The nation's drivers have reduce their driving by 40 billion miles to cope with high fuel prices, 3.7% fewer miles in May of this year than May of last year. This is more than double the drop off seen in April.

However fewer miles driven mean that fewer fuel taxes are collected, one of the primary ways the Highway Trust Fund is replenished. The Highway Trust Fund provides the money for all national transportation programs including road maintenance, bridge repair, and mass transit; current estimates show that it will have a deficit of $5 bilion by 2009.

DOT officials are trying to develop alternative funding mechanisms; in the meantime, the House approved an $8 billion transfer from the general fund into the highway fund. Similar legislation in the Senate was stalled by filibuster soon after.

Anecdotes show that Vermonters are also driving less.

[Sources: Wall Street Journal 7/28 & 7/24, International Herald Tribune, Land Line Magazine]

Federal transit money comes to the state

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:20:00 +0000

More than $1.5 million in federal grants will help fund more buses in 8 of the 12 transit-serviced areas in Vermont, covering the areas of Addison, Chittenden, Washington, Franklin and Grand Isle, Orange and Windsor Counties, along with Dover, Wilmington, and the Northeast Kingdom.

[Source: Rutland Herald]

NRDC ranks states on 'oil addiction'

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:20:00 +0000

The Natural Resources Defense Council ranked Vermont the 31st most 'oil addicted' state in the nation, based on the percentage of income its residents spent on gasoline last year. The average amount Vermont motorists spent on gasoline was $1,856. It also ranked 16th in terms of taking action to reduce this dependency on oil, including smart growth and support for regional planning commissions.

[Sources: Boston Globe, Fox News 44]

Public Transit forums conclude

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:20:00 +0000

The Vermont Agency of Transportation has concluded its statewide public forums to inform its Short Range Public Transportation Plan. Average meeting turnout has been around 40. Tentative plans will be created based on the feedback and presented at another set of forums will be held in late August or in October. At that point top priorities will be identified.

Public input is still welcome at the VTrans website here.

[Source: Rutland Herald]

Carshare Vermont launches website

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:19:00 +0000

The nonprofit Carshare Vermont (formerly Green Mountain Car Share) has launched its website that explains how the program works, where its cars are located, how much it costs to participate, and explains benefits of car sharing as well. Organizers anticipate a September launch of the program itself. All locations are currently in Burlington but if the first stage is successful, the organization hopes to expand in the future.

[Source: CarShare Vermont]

Pennycress explored as Northeast biodiesel crop

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:19:00 +0000

An Albany-based developer of alternative fuels will be planting oil-rich pennycress at three sites in New York, this fall. Soybean, a popular biodiesel crop, is 18% oil; the seed of pennycress is 36% oil. Other benefits of developing pennycress as a biodiesel crop is that it grows over the winter, and that is is often a weed in soy fields and so can enable farmers to produce fuel in the winter and food in the summer from soybeans.

[Sources: Times Union, Biofuels Journal]

Biofuel policy recommendations from Harvard Kennedy School researchers

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:19:00 +0000

A new policy report provides recommendations as to how biofuels policies can best promote their economic and environmental benefits and minimize their drawbacks. Among the conclusions are that governments should avoid simplistic changes to current policies, for example eliminating biofuels mandates and incentives. Instead, the report urges governments to initiate an orderly, innovation-enhancing transition towards incentives that coordinate the multiple goals of biofuels development.

Development of an international market to couple supply and demand is encouraged, as well as incentives for large scale R&D, and biofuel production centered in those regions where feedstocks can be grown most efficiently and where undesirable impacts are the smallest.

Further, the report warns that the potential benefits of an international market could be outweighed by the risks of damage to food and environmental systems unless adequate protective measures are simultaneously introduced. These protective measures will likely include the explicit recognition that sustainable production of biofuels cannot be expanded indefinitely. There are intrinsic limits on the productive capacity of ecosystems, constraining yields per unit of available area and the amount of area that can be dedicated to sustainable biofuels production.

[Source: Harvard Kennedy School of Government]

Did You Know...

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:18:00 +0000

changing your air filters increases your fuel efficiency by several miles per gallon?

In Other Vermont Transportation News...

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:17:00 +0000

Bike-Ped planning
Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization updating Regional Bicycle-Pedestrian Plan. [CCMPO]

Pedestrian needs on South Burlington's front burner. [Burlington Free Press]

Public transit
CCTA is planning to cut service on two Burlington routes and raise the fare on the its Middlebury LINK Express route to counter rising fuel costs.
[VPR, CCTA, Burlington Free Press]

Advance Transit may have to detour two routes to New Hampshire as weight limit for corroded Lebonan-White River Junction bridge is lowered. [Union Leader]

Policy watch
Vermont's Congressman weighs in on his plans for the energy future. [Rutland Herald]

Schools feel the pinch
Milton School District facing 27% increase in transportation costs this year [Burlington Free Press]

Telecommuting future
Vermont Telecommunications Authority hopes to increase broadband coverage by including mobile broadband technology on cell towers it constructs [Bennington Banner]

A Glimpse into Transportation at Large...

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:16:00 +0000

The Candidates
The Associate Press compares McCain and Obama energy plans. [Associated Press]

Walking is gaining
Google Maps and AOL Maps have added "Walking Directions" their "Get Directions" tools. [Business Week]

Cellulosic ethanol advances
University of Georgia researchers make efficiency gains in producing cellulosic ethanol. [University of Georgia]

Idling soon a thing of the past?
Executives at Ford, GM and Chrysler say that hybrid technology to eliminate gas consumption during engine idling will be the standard within 10 years. [Examiner.com]

RFS retained
EPA denies Texas request to waive Renewable Fuels Standard. [New York Times, CNN Money, Dallas Morning News]

Impacts of gas prices
Gas prices have increased online sales, reduced grocery and unnecessary purchases, increased efficient driving by trucking companies, and may even be reducing traffic fatalities. [NPR]

Big oil vs. Big Ag
Big Oil is apparently losing ground to Big Ag groups like Archer Daniels Mindland Co. in their influence over U.S. energy policy. [Bloomberg]

Electric cars for India?
Indian auto manufacturer gain TATA to develop electric car. [Newstrack India]

Britain's electric role model
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to replace official Jaguar with electric limo. [Sunday Mirror]

Compressed air to displace gas as fuel?
A compressed air car that gets 100 miles per gallon? [CNN]

Petro-Stats

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:10:00 +0000

Gas at the Pump VT Crude Oil Futures
This Week $3.925/gallon $118.876/barrel
(Aug 4-10)

Last Week $3.972/gallon $124.574/barrel
(Jul 28-Aug 3)

This Week $2.891/gallon
Last Year

High speed rail progress

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Both houses of Congress have passed transportation bills pledging over $10 billion for Amtrak and high speed rail connecting New York City and Washington D.C. The Senate and House are now in conference regarding the details of the final bill. [Summary of the bill here.]

Vermont completed Phase I of a Boston to Montreal high-speed rail study in 2003, which found that there would be enough demand to support such a service. Phase II suffered a setback when New Hampshire decided to withdraw from the project. It is now back underway with Massachusetts as the partner; the current plans have the corridor passing through Springfield, Mass. to get into Vermont. Charlie Miller, Rail Planning Coordinator at VTrans, anticipates that a consultant for the Phase II study will be selected this fall. [View Phase I report here.]

Meanwhile, New Hampshire high-speed rail advocates are gathering public support to continue the Phase II route as originally planned through New Hampshire.

[Sources: Library of Congress Thomas database, Asbury Park Press, Masslive.com, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Boston Globe, Foster's Daily Democrat]

Schools try to adjust to energy prices

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:10:00 +0000

The Springfield School Board is considering changes to its bus routes to save on transportation energy costs, while balancing their statutory responsibility to provide transportation to those who need it. They're not alone. Other schools are balancing transportation and school meal program budgets (Dodge City, KS), school choice programs (Cape Coral, FL), field trip programs (San Jose, CA; Clute, TX), athletic events (Wilkes County, NC).

Some schools have been able to take action, like purchasing propane buses (San Antonio), plug in hybrid electric-diesel buses (Austin Independent School District), and more efficient routing (Northfield, MN) and asking students to walk further to bus stops (Seattle, WA).

[Sources: Rutland Herald, Dodge Globe, The Houston Chronicle, The Daily Texan,
ABC San Francisco, Wilkes Journal-Patriot, Northfield News, TheFacts.com, LA Times]

Fleets feeling the pinch, take action

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Haulers and other fleets around the country are taking action to reduce fuel costs and benefitting the environment at the same time. Choosing smaller or alternatively fueled fleet vehicles, making use of electrified truck stops, using GPS to streamline dispatching, and educating drivers about idling reduction are among the best practices.

[Sources: St. Petersburg Times, York Daily Record, PECO Exelon Corporation]

Hybrids for Heavy Diesel Fleets

noreply@blogger.com (Vermont Clean Cities...) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Freightliner LLC, Navistar International Corp., Kenowrth Truck Co., and Peterbilt Motors are developing or producing larger hybrid diesel-electric trucks. They are expensive but save 30-60% on fuel costs, depending on how they are used. The technology makes sense for delivery and garbage trucks, buses and other stop-and-go vehicles. Hybrid utility vehicles and others that need auxiliary power also can save on fuel.

In Vermont, Casella Waste Systems and Central Vermont Public Service pioneers.

[Source: Arizona Republic]