– A Public Transportation Perspective – CIVITAS FORUM 2011 Funchal, Portugal October 18, 2011

1. Sustainable Transportation Initiatives within the United States – A Public Transportation Perspective – CIVITAS FORUM 2011 Funchal, Portugal October 18, 2011 Matthew Lesh Transportation Program Specialist United States Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Office of Mobility Innovation Matthew.lesh@dot.gov

2. Agenda Overview • Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Overview • Transportation, Energy, and Land Use Realities in the U.S. • U.S. Partnership for Sustainable Communities – “Livability” • Federal Transit Administration (FTA)- Sustainability Initiative • Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program

3. FTA Authority & Organization • Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is one of 11 operational administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) • U.S. DOT is part of the Executive Branch (Presidential) • U.S. Congress (Legislative Branch) delegates authority to executive agencies to carry out transportation programs • FTA’s programs are authorized in the Federal Transit Act, as amended by SAFETEA-LU

4. FTA Program Features • Total FTA authorization - $45.3 billion for FY05 - FY09 (Total Law: ~ $285 Billion) • About $9.7 billion in FY 11 Appropriations Act • Grants for Planning, Capital, and some Operations • Discretionary • Formula-Based • Research & Demonstration • Technical Assistance & Oversight • Policy Leadership & National Initiatives • Livability & Sustainability Initiative • Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities

5. Relative Size of FTA Grant Programs FY2005 - FY2010 Excludes Recovery Act funding

6. Public Transit in the U.S. Demand for Public Transport and Transit Ridership Continues to Increase • Passengers rode transit vehicles 55.1 billion miles in 2008 • Transit use represents about two percent of U.S. passenger car mileage • Transit ridership increased 38-percent from 1995 to 2008 • U.S. population grew 14-percent • Highway use grew 21-percent Sources: APTA & U.S. DOT BTS

7. Transportation & Housing Choices Impact Energy Use Source: Energy Information Agency Table 2.1a

8. Transit & Energy • Current U.S. Transportation sector is petroleum based • Demand for oil will continue to outstrip supply • Transit petroleum consumption is insignificant compared to overall transportation consumption • However, transit is highly vulnerable to oil demand & supply disturbances

9. U.S. Transit Policy • DOT Strategic Goal: • Environmental Stewardship • FTA Strategic Goal: • Livability & Environmental Sustainability • Reduce carbon and other harmful emissions • Improve energy efficiency • Reduce dependence on fossil fuels • Reduce transportation-related air, water, and • noise pollution and impacts on ecosystems • Improve Transit Reliability • Increase Transportation Choices

10. FTA Internal Analysis

11. Partnership for Sustainable Communities:

12. FTA Sustainability Initiative • Alignment of FTA’s Performance Plan with President’s Environmental & Energy Policies: • Breaking Dependence on Oil • Producing More Energy at Home • Promoting Energy Efficiency • National Policy Development • Bike & Pedestrian Access Policy) • Clean Fuels and TIGGER Programs • $101.4 million available in FY11 for local implementation

13. FTA Bicycle-Pedestrian Catchment Policyde facto relationship to transit! Final Policy Published in the Federal Register August 19, 2011!

14. TIGGER Program Initiated within the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 - $100 million. Program continued through a separate Appropriations Act in 2010 - $75 million. FY11 TIGGER Program - $49.9 million. • Grants to transit agencies for Capital Projects that Reduce energy consumption and/or greenhouse gas emissions • FTA rates more favorably innovative technologies or methodologiesof national significance. • The expected Federal share for TIGGER grants is 90% 14

15. Examples Projects • Innovative Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) involving bus or rail operations • Transit signal prioritization installations • Replacing or repowering existing transit vehicles with more energy efficient technologies • Energy Management System Implementation • Facility Enhancements which Improve Energy Efficiency • Solar & Wind Installations • Other Innovative couplings of technologies or operations

16. Project Distribution Number of projects: 70 Round 1: 43 Round 2: 27 Number of States Represented: 31 Number of Agencies: 58

17. TIGGER Program Facts Breakdown of technology types: Building Bus Rail Solar Wind Geothermal

18. Wenatchee Electric Bus Project • Link Transit is purchasing five electric trolley buses along with charging stations for $2.9 million in TIGGER funding • 22-foot, low floor, accessible electric trolley buses will operate on two downtown routes in Washington State. • A battery cooling system will further increase life the batteries through active temperature management. • Automated, rapid, hands-free, stationary opportunity charging equipment manufactured by California-based Ebus, Inc.

19. Hybrid Bus & Stationary Fuel Cell • CTTRANSIT is adding 31 diesel-electric hybrid buses to its fleet and installing a stationary fuel cell as part of a $7 million TIGGER-funded project. • Hybrids store energy in nickel metal hydride batteries, giving the buses extended range, making them 25% more fuel efficient than comparable clean diesel vehicles. • 400-kilowatt fuel cell system will use natural gas to replace its current diesel fuel-burning backup generators. • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cutting the agency’s fuel costs, and improving local air quality.

20. VIA Fast Charge Electric Bus Project • Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio, TX purchases three all-electric buses fueled by wind and solar power with $5 million in TIGGER funds. • Buses will produce zero emissions and the system will offer the cleanest bus operation available from energy source to the road. • Recharge on-board batteries during 15-minute bus layovers at the transit terminal.

21. Program Assessment • Cooperative Agreement established with the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) of the U.S. Department of Energy. • Determine the success of TIGGER Program projects • Generate interim and final reports – Congressional Report • Maximize experience of grantees • Document and share lessons with transit industry • Explore technologies which have most potential to reduce energy and GHGs • Consider National Applicability and expansion • Document and ensure benefit from federal funding

22. Increase Ridership & Operational Efficiency • Increased transit ridership creates greater efficiencies and sustainability • Operational efficiencies and system reliability drive transit ridership • New drive technologies reduce petroleum consumption • Energy Management Systems maximize operational efficiencies • Operational efficiencies and increased ridership supports National Goals • Greater Sustainability and Reliability leads to Livability…

23. Livable Communities Have TransportationOptions