Drive Less and Drive Clean

Nearly 40% of statewide greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the transportation sector. These emissions can be reduced as local governments implement green transportation policies into municipal operations and establish targets for community level action.

Fleet Maintenance, Operation and Management

• Properly Maintain your Vehicle Fleet

  Basic vehicle maintenance including checking tire pressure and ensuring proper tire inflation rates can improve fuel efficiency and save money. Proper vehicle maintenance also includes completing annual tune-ups and maintenance checks. Local governments can use higher grade synthetic motor oils that have a lower coefficient of friction, which results in improved gas mileage and increased duration between oil changes. By properly maintaining your vehicle fleet, local governments can purchase less fuel and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

• Train Drivers to Practice “Eco-Driving” Behavior

  “Eco-driving” behavior includes “smart, smooth and safe driving techniques that lead to average fuel savings of 5-10%.” It can help to reduce fuel consumption, GHG emissions, and prevent accidents.

• Eliminate Excess Vehicles

  By eliminating excess vehicles, cities and counties can achieve cost savings due to fewer vehicles in the fleet. This strategy also saves on fuel purchases, maintenance, and space for parking unused vehicles. It may also generate some revenue in vehicle sales. As an alternative, smaller cities and counties may execute an agreement to share some vehicles such as garbage trucks and street sweepers.

Greening Fleets

• Develop and Implement “Green Fleet” Administrative Policies

  Local governments can pass a green fleet policy to achieve transportation related GHG emission reductions. Greening fleets can be accomplished through 1) Greener Vehicles, 2) Greener Fuels, 3) Reduced Vehicle Miles Traveled, and 4) Vehicle Retrofits. These measures can be taken for all fleet vehicles including buses used for city/county public transportation and refuse collection vehicles.

• Buy Vehicles with High Global Warming Scores

  When purchasing new vehicles for fleets, local governments can buy low-emission, fuel efficient, alternative fuel, and/or hybrid-electric technology vehicles. Cities and counties can use California’s Drive Clean or EPA’s Green Vehicle guide to select clean, fuel efficient vehicle(s).

  • Drive Clean Guide
  • Green Vehicle Guide

  Even a small difference in improved fuel efficiency can make a big difference to the environment. For example, local governments that purchase a vehicle that gets 24 miles per gallon rather than one that gets 20 miles per gallon can achieve a 20% improvement in gas mileage and a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. If government officials drive the vehicle 15,000 miles in a year, it would use 125 fewer gallons of gasoline and produce 2,500 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide. Using a conservative estimate of $2/gallon of gasoline, annual cost savings would total about $250. Over the multi-year life of the vehicle, the annual differences in gas use and carbon dioxide emissions can really add up.

Commute Trip Reduction Programs

• Promote Alternative Transportation for Employee Commutes

  Cities and counties are encouraged to set targets to increase carpooling, biking, walking, or taking the bus or train, improving infrastructure (bike lockers, showers, use of pool vehicles for emergency rides home, etc.), and providing incentives to employees who use alternative transportation commute options. For local governments that already have Travel Demand Management programs, cities and counties should revisit and refresh those programs.

• Reduce Vehicle Trips to the Workplace

  Encourage staff to commit to taking alternative modes of transportation for their daily commute at least once a week. Alternative transportation options include car-pooling, cycling, taking public transit, walking where possible, or telecommuting instead of driving alone to work. Encourage staff to leave their cars at home for their personal health, the health of their communities and the health of the environment.

• Encourage Telecommuting and Similar Trip Reduction Programs

  Working from home cuts back on employee costs and saves commute time. A number of studies show that telecommuting can actually increase productivity.

• Provide Incentives for Alternative Commute Modes of Travel

  Local governments can offer incentives to employees that choose mass transit, or carpooling, vanpooling, cycling, or walking options for commuting to work. Several examples of programs that provide incentives include Parking Cash out, Tax Benefits, transit and vanpool, and employee rideshare programs.

• Provide Rideshare Matching Service

  Cities and counties can provide rideshare matching service or assistance in finding commute alternatives for all employees. This service can be provided using an employer based system, a regional commute management agency, a TMA/TMO system, or from zip code lists.

Employee Action

• Put Police on Bicycles

  “Cops on bikes” programs can reduce the total number of vehicles in the city/county fleet. This helps to cut costs on vehicle maintenance and fuel purchases. Bicycle-riding police can also set a positive example for the community, encouraging residents to try bicycle transportation.

• Offer Multi-media Communication Options for Meetings

  By offering video-conference, webcast, and online webinar communication options, local governments can reduce employee and visitor impacts from transportation.

Other Suggestions for Community Action

• Improve Public Transportation Infrastructure

  Effective public transportation systems can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, while at the same time reducing congestion.
  At a minimum, local government should make public transit information easily available, understandable, and translated into multiple languages. Cities, counties, and transit agencies can expand existing and develop infrastructure for new public transportation systems such as light rail, bus rapid transit, vanpools, carpools, and regional rail networks to reduce transportation-related GHG emissions.

• Create Bicycle and Pedestrian Friendly Travel Routes

  By creating pedestrian and biker friendly travel routes, local governments can often decrease the number of vehicles on the road, leading to less congestion, air pollution and GHG emissions. One option to develop bicycle and pedestrian friendly infrastructure includes “rails to trails” programs where old railways are converted to pathways. The Hammond Coastal Trail is one example of a "rails to trails" project just north of a small university town in Humboldt County.