Electrifying transportation drives climate progress.

Committing to zero-emissions transportation is a chance for cities to commit to sustainability, public health, and equity.

Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States. So how can city leaders promote a sustainable transportation system for everyone without asking residents to compromise on mobility? Read on to learn how cities are using innovative electrified transportation solutions to drive change — with an emphasis on equity.

Transportation is a major driver of the climate crisis.

Personal vehicles are the primary means of transportation for most Americans, offering convenience, reliability, and increased freedom of mobility. However, America’s over-reliance on petroleum-powered passenger cars is also a major impediment to achieving its climate goals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 27% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. This was generated mostly from cars, trucks, ships, and trains, with petroleum responsible for over 90% of the fuel used.

These emissions are a major contributor to the global climate crisis, causing rising temperatures, declining water supplies, and increasing wildfire risk. At a local level, petroleum emissions affect ground-level ozone, which pollutes the air and endangers public health, especially for people with respiratory conditions. This exacerbated the impact of the pandemic, as long term exposure to air pollution can make residents more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 and lead to higher mortality rates. These factors also pose a disproportionate threat to communities who suffer from socioeconomic inequalities, including people of color and low-income households. For example, exposure to poor air quality causes health problems, such as asthma; approximately twice as many African American children as White children suffer from asthma.

Despite these dangers, vehicle emissions are expected to continue increasing to match rising transportation demand, especially in major cities. To mitigate these effects, cities must invest in sustainable transportation to provide cleaner air for everyone in the community. Equity must be central to the design of city initiatives to ensure that everyone, especially residents located in areas most impacted by transportation pollution, have access to the health and environmental benefits of clean transportation. The lack of investment in sustainable transportation infrastructure, such as electric vehicle (EV) charging systems, in underserved areas is a primary barrier for equitable access to sustainable transportation alternatives. Municipal government investments in electrifying city fleets and public transit signify the progressive transformation of the transportation system toward EVs.

How Cities Are Transforming Transportation

Fortunately, major cities recognize the risks of relying on petroleum for transportation, and are taking action to electrify their transit systems. On top of encouraging personal EV use, cities in the ACCC are partnering with community groups and local businesses to develop sustainable transportation alternatives, reduce reliance on petroleum-powered passenger cars, and increase access to EVs for everyone.

City efforts through the ACCC include:

• Establishing community car sharing programs and charging stations with a focus on expanding EV charging infrastructure in traditionally underserved areas. This increased accessibility to car sharing programs also influences car shedding, as one car sharing vehicle has been shown to replace 9–13 personal vehicles; electrifying car sharing vehicles only extends the benefit.
• Electrifying municipal fleets to reduce the city’s own footprint, as well as travel and maintenance expenses, and to set an example for residents and businesses to follow.
• Electrifying public transit to deliver far-reaching benefits, including expanded transit service and cleaner air for the communities most affected.
• Passing EV readiness policies that require new buildings to design for EV infrastructure that can support future charging capacities. Doing so can lead to expanded EV charging infrastructure access.

See how major cities are implementing initiatives guided by data, resident engagement, and collaboration to make a lasting impact.

BOSTON, ST. LOUIS, AND ST. PAUL DESIGN EQUITABLE CAR SHARING PROGRAMS

Sustainable car sharing programs are an innovative alternative to personal vehicles because they increase access to advanced EV technology while addressing gaps and inefficiencies in the existing network of EV chargers. Benefits include:

• Lower emissions from the transportation sector, which advances cities’ sustainability goals.
• Improved air quality and overall public health in low-income areas that are disproportionately burdened by the negative effects of transportation.
• Convenient access to chargers, which enables broader EV adoption due to installation of charging infrastructure in underserved communities.
• Lower expenses of owning a personal vehicle, as seen in a 2015 study that found households in 2015 who use carshares save $1,848 to $5,220 annually.

Discover how St. Paul, Boston, and St. Louis are taking unique approaches to sustainable and equitable EV car sharing programs:

1. Through the launch of the EV Spot Network, St. Paul invites the entire community to reimagine sustainable transportation. The EV Spot Network placed 70 curbside EV Sport Charging locations in a 35 square mile area in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, effectively increasing the number of public EV charging ports by 70%, as well as focusing on placement in low income, predominantly-BIPOC neighborhoods. Additionally, St. Paul launched the largest publicly owned, renewably powered, electric car sharing program in the nation, Evie Carshare, with 100 EVs currently operating and plans to grow the fleet to 173. Equitable access was a major factor in determining the pricing structure and EV Spot Charging locations. The carshare program design was informed by a prototyping process with residents, and to make it affordable to all, Evie Carshare includes a low-income membership rate. The curbside “EV Spot Charging” locations serve Evie Carshare as well as public-charging customers, including those who don’t have the ability to install charging at home.
2. With a goal of providing 100% of residents access to a car share, the City of Boston partnered with E4TheFuture and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center for the launch of Good2Go. Good2Go is an income-tiered, equity focused community EV car sharing program based in some of Boston’s designated environmental justice communities (EJCs), which have “faced disproportionate environmental burdens.” The Program’s mission is to complement public transit, equitably decarbonize personal transportation, reduce vehicle ownership/encourage mode shifting, and improve air quality. The Program currently has eight EVs with locations at City of Boston municipal lots, Roxbury Community College, and Nuestra Comunidad affordable housing. Qualifying residents pay as little as $5 per hour, making this an affordable transportation option that reduces carbon emissions and facilitates a car-free lifestyle.
3. The launch of the St. Louis Vehicle Electrification Rides for Seniors (SiLVERS) pilot delivered a shared fleet of five EVs and supporting charging stations that prioritized service to the elderly population. Social service agencies use this sustainable car sharing program to serve low-income older adults by assisting with everyday needs such as transportation to medical appointments and meal delivery. A specific benefit of using EV car sharing programs for social service agencies is the reduction in transportation expenses from the lower cost of fuel, which frees up resources for improved service delivery on other fronts. ​​From November 2021 through April 2022, more than 5,200 meals have been delivered and 577 rides have been conducted with SiLVERS vehicles.

MANY CITIES, INCLUDING ST. LOUIS, ALBUQUERQUE, AND BOSTON, TRANSFORM CITY FLEETS

In addition to promoting zero-emissions transportation choices for their residents, cities are also looking inward for opportunities to add cleaner alternatives to their municipal fleets and lead by example. Incorporating EVs into municipal fleets not only reduces carbon emissions and overall fuel usage, but it also cuts overall transportation expenses for the city. However, transitioning municipal fleets to EVs is complicated by not all vehicles having an electric alternative that meets the appropriate functional demands. Despite these challenges, 22 Climate Challenge cities worked with ACCC partners to electrify their current municipal transportation system, resulting in the purchase of more than 1,300 vehicles, and plans for the purchase of hundreds more. Expert partner support and best practice sharing across the network helped cities like St. Louis, Albuquerque, and Boston choose sustainable alternatives for their municipal fleets.

1. St. Louis is leading by example through the electrification of their municipal fleet with both short-term and long-term initiatives. The city took immediate action by adding four new EVs and five dual port chargers to its municipal fleet, and making plans to acquire at least eight more EVs and ten dual port EV charging stations in the coming months. Each EV is wrapped with an engaging environmental message to further promote the positive benefits of sustainable transportation. For the long term, the mayor issued an executive order that requires electrifying future vehicles procured by the city. City departments and agencies will be directed to “prioritize the purchase of low- and no-emission vehicles over comparable internal combustion engine vehicles powered by conventional fuels where cost effective.”
2. Albuquerque commits to a 100% clean light-duty fleet, meaning that any eligible pickup truck and passenger vehicle purchased from now on will be an electric, hybrid, or alternative-fuel vehicle. Furthermore, the city will also seek opportunities to transition its heavy-duty transportation, like buses and waste trucks, to cleaner alternatives. By reducing its own environmental footprint, Albuquerque can create a model that residents and local businesses can learn from and replicate.
3. Along with implementing community EV car shares, Boston added its first electric-assist cargo tricycles to the city’s fleet as part of its zero-emissions vehicle deployment. The new tricycle pilot, called “Knox” is a step forward in the city’s efforts to reduce emissions from municipal sources, a crucial goal for the 2019 Action Plan Update. Beyond supporting the city staff with their daily tasks, these e-cargo tricycles will promote the benefits of more active transportation alternatives, such as increased employee satisfaction and wellbeing.

“We must continue to lead by example by embracing cleaner and alternative modes of transportation, which simultaneously helps fight climate change and improve air quality for our residents and our workers. There’s no better way to do that than by introducing electric vehicles into our own fleet.” — Lyda Krewson, Former Mayor of St. Louis

HONOLULU AND CHARLOTTE CHARGE AHEAD WITH ELECTRIC BUSES

Electrifying city buses provides a suite of benefits for cities by significantly reducing air pollution, emitting less noise, and lowering maintenance and operation expenses. Electric buses can also deliver a more comfortable experience for passengers, making public transit a more desirable everyday choice. Though these benefits of electric public transportation far outweigh the cost, cities are still faced with the challenge of justifying high upfront expenses in this critical investment.

• As part of their efforts to make public transit a more attractive option for residents, Honolulu has successfully implemented major improvements to their bus transit system through the ACCC. In addition to building its first dedicated bus lane since 1988, the city has incorporated 17 fully electric buses into its service routes and installed a charging system to support the process of transitioning 100% of the city’s bus fleet to fully electric by 2035. These zero-emission electric buses are not only providing cleaner transportation, but they are notably quieter, to the enjoyment of passengers and residents.
• The city of Charlotte through the Charlotte Area Transit System implemented a novel approach to bus electrification that alleviated initial program hesitation. Charlotte’s City Council approved a groundbreaking proposal that supported consolidation of multiple technologies and costs for 18 electric buses, charging infrastructure, and workforce development from various manufacturers in order to ensure a model most suitable for the region’s public transit. During this assessment period, the Charlotte Area Transit System will “collect data, evaluate the program’s viability, and assess vehicle performance” while still continuing their routes. This program is an important first step in the city’s mission to reach net zero targets and has the potential to be a model for other city leaders facing similar funding barriers.

CITIES, LIKE ORLANDO, PITTSBURGH, ST. LOUIS, AND BOSTON PASS EV-READINESS POLICIES

Though aware of the many environmental and health benefits of EVs, drivers are still often deterred from buying one because they do not live or work in buildings that support EV charging. Over 80% of charging occurs at home, while many others choose to charge at work. Major cities, including Orlando, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Charlotte, Boston, and St. Louis are addressing this barrier through EV-readiness policies, requiring newly constructed residential and commercial buildings to plan for electrical infrastructure during construction to enable future EV charging.

For cities faced with the challenge of upfront costs, EV-ready ordinances are an extremely cost-effective way to prepare and plan for the adoption of EVs. Installing electric infrastructure during a new construction project accounts for just .13%-.17% of total construction costs. Planning for this during pre-construction can help developers avoid tackling retrofits in the future, which is costly and time-consuming relative to up-front installation.

Read on to see how Orlando, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh are implementing EV-readiness policies to facilitate the adoption of EVs:

• Through its new EV Ready code, Orlando is now requiring all new buildings and major remodel projects to integrate EV charging infrastructure. Specifically, the ordinance requires 20% of multi-family, hotel, and parking structure spaces and 10% of non-residential parking spaces to be EV-capable, which requires dedicated electrical capacity and conduit to parking spaces. This removes retrofit barriers and enables easy installation of future charging stations. By starting with community engagement workshops and then collaborating with developers and EV industry stakeholders, the city garnered support needed to pass this ordinance, a major milestone in achieving its sustainability goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040.
• Under Pittsburgh’s new EV Readiness Ordinance, new and renovated city-owned facilities will be required to install electrical capacity and equipment to support the city’s EV fleet. These chargers will also be open to the public, making EV charging more accessible. To meet these requirements, the city employed a taskforce to determine where charging stations should be installed based on the city’s needs and to identify city facilities requiring near-term upgrades to which EV chargers could be included. As a result, the City is already planning to add more than 200 new public charging stations on city property.
• St. Louis passed the most comprehensive EV Readiness legislation in the Midwest to expand its electric charging infrastructure. Certain new construction and major renovations of residential, multi-family, and commercial buildings are now required to accommodate easy installation of EV charging capacity. This includes installing an outlet that can facilitate charging in residences and charging stations, the necessary charging equipment, and designated parking spaces for charging in commercial projects. The city is already taking steps to apply these requirements to other types of buildings, including single-family homes, by 2024.
• Boston passed an extensive EV Readiness Policy to accommodate the substantial growth of EV sales and plan for future EV growth. This policy requires that new developments within the Parking Freeze Zones, and new developments citywide that are 50,000 square feet or more, equip 25% of parking spaces with EV charging infrastructure, and the remaining 75% to be EV-Ready for future installation. This policy is one of a number of strategies outlined in the Zero Emission Vehicle Roadmap, which aims to shift trips to more sustainable modes of transportation, such as walking, biking, public transit, and zero emission vehicles.

Photo by Pradamas Gifarry on Unsplash

As the greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation continue to rise, it is crucial for all cities to continue seeking solutions to reduce their contribution to the climate crisis. Cities must continue investing in accelerating the adoption of EVs and other emissions-free transportation options, especially for public transit. These efforts must also explicitly factor in equity to achieve broad access to clean air and public health. The trailblazing work that these Climate Challenge cities have achieved should serve as a beacon for other cities to deploy their own clean transportation initiatives.

Explore resources created for local governments to accelerate EV adoption in their own communities here:

• A Policy Toolkit for EV deployment and adoption at the local level
• Electric Transportation Toolkit to help support electrification plans and community engagement

Through support and resources from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ network of partners, the 25 cities in the American Cities Climate Challenge (ACCC) have taken bold action against major contributors to climate change, including transportation and buildings.

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