On-Going Evaluation of Alternatively Fueled Buses
Florida transit agencies and funding entities continue to be under pressure to reduce operating costs and to run a more sustainable and environmentally friendly fleet in the urban environment. Funding made available through the federal economic stimulus effort known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has aided growth in the acquisition of alternative fuel transit vehicles. Some Florida agencies are receiving funding through the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) grant program (part of ARRA), while others are using regular transit capital funds. Typically, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) funds 50 percent of the non-federal share of bus capital acquisition. Pressure on agencies to procure and on FDOT to fund alternatively fueled buses has escalated with the enormous push toward compressed natural gas as a domestically produced urban fleet fuel. However, higher reliance on alternative fuels and propulsion technologies by some Florida agencies has increased both capital and operating costs for some fixed route operators, and has created challenges for the widespread adoption of advanced transit technologies. Additionally, with the wide variety of advanced transit technologies that is currently available as an alternative to regular diesel, transit agencies find it hard to choose the technology that will best fit their needs. Both transit agencies and FDOT can benefit from current data on the performance of alternative fuel transit vehicles, allowing the evaluation of advantages and limitations of different alternative propulsion technologies. FDOT is interested in collecting and analyzing up-to-date data on alternative fuel vehicles' performance to assist the department with evaluating the benefits and investment costs associated with advanced transit technologies. The Department engaged the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida (USF) in 2009, 2012, and again in 2013 to establish a reporting system for the collection of transit fleet performance and cost data. FDOT is interested in continuing regular data collection, monitoring, and evaluating field data on the performance and operating costs of alternative fuel transit vehicles that are currently in use in Florida and nationwide. These data are intended to assist decision-makers considering investment in alternative fuel transit technologies.
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- The National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) is a Tier 1 University Transit Center.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $50000.00
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Contract Numbers:
DTRT12-G-UTC22
77980-00
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Sponsor Organizations:
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
University Transportation Centers Program
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590National Center for Transit Research
Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Avenue, CUT 100
Tampa, FL United States 33620 -
Project Managers:
Volinski, Joel
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Performing Organizations:
National Center for Transit Research
Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida
4202 East Fowler Avenue, CUT 100
Tampa, FL United States 33620 -
Principal Investigators:
Reich, Stephen
- Start Date: 20150209
- Expected Completion Date: 0
- Actual Completion Date: 20160430
- Source Data: RiP Project 39806
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Alternate fuels; Buses; Greenhouse gases; Natural gas buses; Operating costs; Transit vehicle operations
- Identifier Terms: Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER)
- Geographic Terms: Florida
- Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Energy; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment; I15: Environment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01566525
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: National Center for Transit Research
- Contract Numbers: DTRT12-G-UTC22, 77980-00
- Files: UTC, RIP
- Created Date: Jun 17 2015 1:00AM