Mass_Transit_March_2020 - 24

BEST PRACTICES: ZERO-EMISSION FLEETS

If there's one thing
Americans agree
on, it's clean air
By Frank C. Giradot, Jr.
One state, two states, red states, blue
states. Let's face it, across the USA, it's often difficult to find agreement.
In Michigan, that soft drink you're having
is probably called a "pop." But, if you had that
same drink in California, you'd call it a "soda,"
while in Georgia, it would be a "coke."
Despite our regional differences, it is safe
to say we can all agree that our cities would
greatly benefit from implementing cleaner and
quieter methods of mass transportation over
the next two decades.
House Transportation and Infrastructure
Chairman Peter A. Defazio said he will push
for a "transformative" infrastructure bill that
will aim to eliminate carbon emissions from
mass transportation, to make renewable fuels
more available to airlines and to increase transit
options, including rail.
That said, it hasn't been easy to get traction
in Washington DC.
Bills like those sponsored by Sen. Bernie
Sanders, D-VT, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, touting a "Green New Deal" have so
far failed to gain traction. When it comes to
climate resiliency, emission reductions efforts
have been rolled back or phased out in recent
years. That's left the impetus for change largely
in the hands of states and local communities.
It turns out that the recipe for success of
a Green New Deal may largely depend on a
two-part formula: determining who is making
the rules and what works best for any given
community will be critical.
In California, the task has largely been guided by legislation that requires the state to be
carbon neutral by 2040. It means that transit
agencies must begin planning their futures
now. Everything from new infrastructure to
reconfiguring of traditional bus routes is on
the table.

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Mass Transit | Best Practices: Zero-Emission Fleets | MARCH 2020

With the 2028 Olympics just around the corner, the Los Angeles area is leading the way.
Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced that
the city's Department of Transportation had
placed the largest order for electric buses in
U.S. history - getting 130 buses from BYD,
which will be built in Southern California and
delivered over the next two years.
Nearby, the community of Pasadena plans
to announce this spring that it will have the
largest collection of EV chargers anywhere in
the nation. It's a game changer.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAX) is making
clean history of its own, purchasing 20 60-foot
articulated buses from BYD that will begin to
service the vast LAX terminal complex later
this year.
Other states are taking the cues, but modifying the plans in ways that make sense for
residents and businesses.
In New Jersey, an Energy Master Plan that
includes seven key strategies and a greenhouse
gas reduction plan to make the Garden State
100% reliant on "clean energy" by 2050 was
put into motion by Gov. Phil Murphy in January.
It's going to take some work for our nation
to become carbon neutral and resilient as climate change becomes an everyday reality.
Mass transit agencies will play a huge role in
the battle, shaping Green New Deal policies and
implementing them.
The roads to climate resiliency in California,
Georgia and Michigan may look different from
this vantage point. But in the end, it won't matter if people talk about it differently in different
parts of the country. Just like coke, pop or soda
- it's all good.
Frank C. Girardot, Jr. is Senior Communications Director for BYD Motors, LLC in Los Angeles
California.

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