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Accelerating electrification through partnerships
How the UTA is using collaboration to expand its fleet of electric vehicles and rolling stock
By Hal Johnson, PTP, AICP, CTP — Manager, Project Research and Project Development | Utah Transit Authority
The Utah Transit Authority has been working in the electric vehicle space since we implemented our first light rail train in 1999. Since then, we have been committed to advancing the agency’s electrified fleet plan. By 2040, we intend to replace approximately 40% of our dieselpowered buses with battery electric buses. The goal of this initiative is to increase operating and energy efficiency and reduce emissions and environmental impacts. Battery buses get the equivalent of 15-20 mpg vs. 4-5 mpg for a diesel bus. Additional goals include increasing the use of renewable energy and ultimately the development of an electric vehicle ecosystem. We also are working on plans to electrify on-demand vehicles, paratransit buses, vanpool vans, white fleet vehicles and eventually our commuter rail system.
Partnerships have been one of the most effective strategies for accelerating our electrification plans. Following are a few examples and how we benefit from them.
Achieving mutual goals
We implemented an interagency partnership agreement with Rocky Mountain Power, Utah’s primary supplier of electricity and renewal energy. The agreement focuses on advancing five areas of common interest:
• Energy efficiency
• Electric vehicles
• Electrical infrastructure
• Grid resilience
• Research and grants
One early success from the partnership was the conversion of the S-Line (streetcar) to be powered with 100% renewable energy.
“Partnerships have been one of the most effective strategies for accelerating our electrification plans.”
Conducting research
We also collaborate with academic institutions to help advance our program, such as the University of Utah and Utah State University. Researchers at the University of Utah helped develop an optimized bus-charging infrastructure design plan. Utah State University has a number of projects underway with UTA and other transit providers. The university also has developed a partnership with several other universities to advance power electronic development, grid management and vehicle electrification.
To date, our partners, Utah State University, Rocky Mountain Power and ABB Power Systems, have received more than $13 million from the U.S. Department of Energy in research grants.
In addition to DOE-funded research, Rocky Mountain Power funded a $2 million research initiative to evaluate the impacts of the large-scale implementation of battery electric bus technology and the impact on the electrical grid. The focus of the initiative is to develop control systems that could reduce the peak impacts of highpowered bus chargers on the electrical grid. Utah State University is developing technology to momentarily downgrade or turn off our bus chargers when light rail trains, which are connected to the same node on the grid, accelerate from passenger stations. The technology doesn’t affect our ability to charge the buses, but it makes a significant difference to the utility in flattening the usage spikes. Part of our motivation for helping Rocky Mountain Power is monetary. Each time one of our light rail trains creates a spike in the power grid, we pay a monthly demand fee, which can be significant. By assisting Rocky Mountain Power in its efforts to level electricity distribution, we can reduce our costs and help reduce Rocky Mountain Power’s need to develop new electrical generation or upgrade the electrical grid.
Project implementation
In 2018, UTA was awarded $5.7 million from the Federal Transit Administration under its Low or No Emission Vehicle Program – 5339 (c) for the purchase of five buses and charging infrastructure. Construction of the charging stations was completed and operation began in 2020. UTA operates three buses – the first all-electric buses in our fleet, and Utah State University operates the other two. The project includes a high-powered overhead charger and two depot chargers. The total project budget was $6.32 million, with federal funds covering 85.9% of that cost. The university estimates the five buses save an average of 48,500 gallons of diesel annually.
Park City Transit System and the UTA jointly applied for another FTA Low or No Emission Vehicle Program –5339 (c) grant to purchase two battery electric buses and charging infrastructure. Rocky Mountain Power funded a portion of the charging infrastructure. Buses from this grant will be operating on the PC-SLC Connect route, which connects downtown Salt Lake City to Summit County and the Park City Transit System.
Partnerships can be excellent sources of funding, as illustrated above. Another example is our partnership with the State of Utah itself. On Aug. 12-13, 2021, we held the first “Free Fare for Clean Air” event in partnership with the Utah State Legislature. The program is part of a data-driven effort to improve air quality along the Wasatch Front by encouraging people to use transit as an alternative to driving.
Exchanging expertise and innovations
UTA has made great strides in understanding how electrification can be implemented for all modes. Our partnership with Rocky Mountain Power has been instrumental in identifying “win-win” opportunities. As a result, we are poised to take advantage of state and federal funding opportunities that will make Utah a leader in developing electrified transportation networks.
THE AUTH
Coming Soon: All-Electric BRT Route
UTA’s Ogden Bus Rapid Transit will consist of 11 all-electric buses. The new mode will not only offer the community a better circulator service from the UTA FrontRunner to downtown Ogden and Webster State University, but it will create a zero emissions alternative to singleoccupancy vehicles. Buses on the 5.3mile line will stop every 10 minutes at 13 stations. The route is scheduled to open in late 2023.
Funding for the Free Fare Days was made possible by House Bill 353, sponsored by Rep. Joel Briscoe during the 2019 Legislative Session. The August 2021 event was so successful UTA partners committed $1.1 million to offer a second event, Free Fare February 2022, this time systemwide. Funding partners included: Wasatch Front Regional Council, Mountainlands Association of Governments, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and Utah Division of Air Quality. Free Fare February produced a significant increase in ridership on the UTA system. The system reported more than a 16% increase on weekdays, more than a 58% increase on Saturdays and more than a 32% increase on Sundays. New riders accounted for over 21% of trips taken, and 66% of survey respondents said they did not use a vehicle to reach transit.
In another example, the state of Utah earmarked a $15 million grant to Utah State University for developing a battery electric FrontRunner FRA-compliant train set. There are significant energy savings by moving toward electric commuter rail cars. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute notes: “Diesel-powered trains transfer about 30-35% of the energy generated by combustion to the wheels, while supplying electricity directly from an overhead powerline transfers about 95% of the energy to the wheels.” Batteries have similar efficiency.
When acquiring zero emission buses, think systemwide
The RTD’s holistic approach to battery electric buses
By Henry Stopplecamp — Assistant General Manager, Capital Programs | Regional Transportation District
With the federal government committed to funding zero emission buses and many jurisdictions setting ambitious air quality initiatives, transitioning to zero emission buses has become a priority for transit agencies across the country, Denver’s Regional Transportation District included.
The RTD operates and maintains a fleet of more than 1,000 diesel buses that serve 24,000 square miles of the metro area. We also own a subfleet of 36 battery electric buses that we have been operating on Denver’s 16th Street Mall for several years. Next year, we will expand our fleet with 17 new 40-foot Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ heavy-duty battery electric transit buses. The new technology will advance us toward goals outlined in the Colorado Climate Action Plan and Colorado’s Electric Vehicles Plan, which require transit fleets to transition to 100% zero emission vehicles by 2050.
When procuring BEBs, the tendency is to focus on the brand-new buses and their benefits. But the real focus should be on the system – how the new buses will affect routes, operations, power supply and infrastructure. While the newer, long-range, heavy-load battery-powered buses offer a quieter ride, cleaner air, longer range and reduced operational and maintenance costs, their integration will impact the entire system. We are performing a systemwide assessment to best plan for this new technology.
Readying our facilities
Integrating the new technology into the RTD’s 30- and 40-year-old bus facilities is perhaps the most challenging aspect of transitioning to BEBs. Because of Denver’s frigid winter climate, onroute charging isn’t an option, which means our garages need to be reconfigured to allow space for transformers, switchgear, power cabinets and dispensers. We also are looking at replacing lifts and beefing up our inspection pits to
accommodate the new vehicles, which are heavier than standard over-the-road coaches.
We are confronted with the challenge of making these modifications without the guidance of building codes for zero emission vehicles. Undoubtedly, as alternatively powered vehicles become mainstream, those codes will emerge, but for now, we are soliciting the insights of city, state and federal regulators and first responders to define a set of safety protocols and standards.
Parking our new fleet
Our garages house 120 to 220 diesel buses, parked nose to tail with approximately 4 feet between each bus. Housing the new BEBs in the same depot as our diesel buses presents a considerable risk. Thermal runaways, where the bus’s battery system overheats and starts a fire, are more prominent on the newer, long-range, heavy-load batteries. If one BEB overheats and catches fire and all of the BEBs are parked nose to tail like our diesel fleet, we could have a domino effect of bus after bus ablaze. The worst-case scenario is the RTD loses all 220 buses in that garage and has to cut service to the community until we can replace those buses. That risk – combined with the need and expense to retrofit existing garages to accommodate the new BEBs – is why the RTD is considering a standalone facility for this and future procurements.
Connecting to the power supply
Charging 17 buses requires a massive amount of energy. Having a BEB facility located at the end of the power supply after other utility customers have pulled down the energy they need is undesirable. If a blackout occurs, as it did with our 16th Street Mall buses, we may walk in the next morning to a fleet only half-charged, illustrating the need for an ample supply of electricity and a backup power source in case of an outage.
Needless to say, engaging the local power company early as a partner in our transition to zero emissions is essential. The supplier needs to know how much power our new BEBs will require and when we need it. And, we need to know they can supply it. We are currently collaborating with the utility company to determine the answers to these questions as well as others, such as the best time of day to charge our buses, demand fees and how they will impact the cost of charging our BEBs.
Rethinking blocks and routes
Our diesel bus blocks range from 400 to 600 miles, but we will not get that range from the new BEBs. Because their battery range is 200 miles on a single charge, we will most likely bring them into the depot mid-day to recharge and then send them back out in the afternoon. That one change to operations requires us to rethink our routes and blocks to maximize battery range and minimize deadhead.
Involving the community
It also requires the BEBs to be stored, charged and maintained in the communities they serve. Moving forward, the RTD plans to solicit significant involvement from the local communities and municipalities to determine the permitting requirements for a new garage. From there, we will work to mitigate concerns by exceeding the requirements for aesthetics, vibration and light pollution. There won’t be a major impact to the community if we do our job right.
Testing the technology
By taking a holistic approach to integrating BEBs, we will mitigate many challenges this new technology presents. Once we have incorporated the BEBs and feel comfortable with their ability to support the community’s needs, we will consider bringing more of the technology onboard. But first, we want to be certain of what an efficient, effective BEB system looks like. Being able to bring sustainable transit options to the Denver area is exciting. The focus should be on readying the system to support them.
THE AUTH
“While the newer, long-range, heavy-load battery-powered buses offer a quieter ride, cleaner air, longer range and reduced operational and maintenance costs, their integration will impact the entire system.”
Mitigating the challenges of an aggressive conversion
How CapMetro plans to achieve 100% zero emissions by 2035
By Jeff Hiott — Vice President, Enterprise Program Management | CapMetro
As transit agencies transition to zero emission vehicles, some are hesitant to pin a timeline or date of completion to their efforts because of the variables that are out of their control. CapMetro has taken a different approach. We have publicly declared our goals to achieve 100% zero emissions by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2040.
As part of our mission to provide the Austin community with safe, clean, equitable transportation, we began transitioning our 400-diesel-vehicle fleet to zero emission vehicles in 2020. We currently have 12 battery electric buses in operation, with up to 197 more BEBs on the way. The procurement was the largest in the nation at the time, but more importantly, it demonstrated to Austin and the country that we are committed to delivering on the goals we promised. The acquisition marks the halfway milestone of our conversion, represents CapMetro’s first non-diesel bus contract and underscores our resolve to procure only zero emission vehicles from now on. Forty of the new BEBs will operate on our new rapid lines scheduled for revenue service by the end of 2023. The remaining BEBs will replace diesel buses at the end of their service lives.
CapMetro’s rapid implementation pace positions us among the first transit agencies to face some of the challenges associated with transitioning to alternativepower vehicles. Our philosophy has been to confront them head-on, figure them out and move our project forward. We borrowed best practices and lessons learned from transit agencies further down the path of conversion than CapMetro.
It became apparent that if we intended to mitigate the challenges of an aggressive conversion, we needed to manage the initiative as a program, not project by project. In the past year, CapMetro created a director position for the zero emission vehicle program. The director will coordinate all the activities required for our zero emission fleet’s transition, operations and maintenance.
Elevating the conversion to a program gives us visibility across all projects. It allows us to have a broad view of our efforts, prioritize projects, identify risks and determine if their impacts are isolated or far-reaching. Still, the position alone cannot solve all the obstacles between CapMetro and its goal to be a more sustainable corporate citizen. Following are additional proactive mitigation efforts that are keeping our program moving at an accelerated pace:
Internal stakeholder involvement
Transitioning a fleet to zero emissions is an alldepartments-on-deck effort. Involving internal stakeholders is necessary for everyone to understand the overall goal and plan appropriately. More importantly, it allows us to identify and discuss the challenges and overcome them together.
Coordination with Austin Energy and the City of Austin
Proactively establishing and maintaining a good relationship with our mission-critical partners is essential to our success. They must understand our vision, needs and timeline, and we must understand their requirements, processes and capabilities.
Our conversations with Austin Energy began early with mutual education and have allowed us to find synergies between our on-route charging plan and their capital plan. The work is challenging. It’s not as simple as stating, “We’re going to put a charger here,” but we are making progress.
Our zero emissions program supports Austin’s goal of net-zero communitywide greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. We are thrilled to be a part of our growing city’s sustainable future. But with growth comes significant competition for permits. We have made a concerted effort to understand the city’s permitting expectations and requirements, so that our requests are approved the first time we submit them and our projects stay on schedule.
Applying for FTA funding
CapMetro has been fortunate to receive three Low or No Emission Vehicle Program awards. The grants have given us the financial ability to purchase the 12 BEBs operating now and the infrastructure necessary to charge them. Federal funding will continue to play a defining role in scaling up the system. In fact, it is not plausible for us to execute the system on an accelerated timeline without the FTA’s assistance. Building a network for BEBs is expensive, and we are taking every opportunity to work with the FTA, even as we evolve our grant application strategy. Instead of applying for every Low- or No- grant advertised, our initial strategy, we are learning to take a more measured, strategic approach. Today, we evaluate all the programs across CapMetro’s system and pursue only those grants that are in our transit agency’s best interest and represent the best use of our limited resources.
Our successful track record is based on presenting a sound transition plan that details all components of the new system, emphasizes how the new zero emissions fleet will benefit the community and explains our workforce training program. While we may include other program aspects in future applications to address the FTA’s changing criteria, we plan to retain those best practices.
Developing and training the workforce
As we incorporate BEBs into our fleet, we are piloting the buses and the system as well as our workforce’s reaction to the new deployment of service. To avert challenges in this space, we are updating CapMetro’s standard operating procedures and implementing a workforce training plan. Part of our plan involves identifying “training champions” among our technicians who can pass their newfound knowledge and skills to others in their department.
In addition, we hold joint on-site emergency simulations with the fire department, so our operators and mechanics can knowledgeably and safely operate, charge and maintain the buses. Hands-on training will only become more important as we put more BEBs in service. We intend to hold emergency preparedness sessions regularly to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.
“Our successful track record is based on presenting a sound transition plan that details all components of the new system, emphasizes how the new zero emissions fleet will benefit the community and explains our workforce training program.”
Engaging the community
We want our community to feel involved and as excited about the new zero emission vehicles as we are. In our external communications with them, we explain how the quieter, cleaner vehicles will positively affect their communities and lives. At the same time, we want them to appreciate the amount of planning and work required to stand up a zero emissions program by explaining how and when we will roll out the fleet and sharing the challenges of bringing battery technology online.
Most importantly, we want our community to know this zero emissions program is for them, and we are working diligently to bring it online by the date we have identified. Our timeline may be aggressive, but the faster we achieve sustainability, the quicker our community will benefit from it. Ambitious carbon-neutral goals can be realistic when we support them with a sound transition plan, a funding source, external and internal buy-in and a programmatic approach.
THE AUTH
Fueling Florida’s future with CNG
The JTA overcomes barriers to adoption with innovative partnerships, grants and research
By Charles D. Frazier — Senior Vice President – Chief Operating Officer | Jacksonville Transportation Authority
The pressing need to reduce carbon emissions has led to a boom in adopting green technologies across the transit sector. Striving to be a leader in this space, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority began implementing alternative fuel vehicles eight years ago and has made significant progress in transitioning our fleet to zero emission vehicles. Today, more than 60% of our fleet, 127 buses, runs on quieter, cleaner, cheaper compressed natural gas. Only 30% of our fleet, 61 buses, is diesel, and we plan to phase them out by 2034. In addition, the JTA owns seven hybrid diesel buses and two battery-electric buses, representing one of the industry’s most diverse fleets and advancing our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, which aligns with the Biden administration.
CNG’s capabilities match our needs
Because alternative fuel technologies are evolving rapidly, we are uncertain if the majority of our fleet ultimately will be compressed natural gas, electric or something entirely different. For now, we have chosen to invest more substantially in compressed natural gas vehicles because the energy source is compatible with Jacksonville’s large land mass and hot climate.
The JTA began phasing out its diesel fleet with CNG buses eight years ago with the launch of our 58-mile First Coast Flyer Bus Rapid Transit Network in 2015. Since then, we have replaced most of our fixed-route buses with compressed natural gas. Compressed natural gas buses get 400 miles per tank – comparable to diesel’s range, cost less than diesel and do not require diesel particle filters that need routine cleaning and replacement. CNG buses also fuel up similarly to diesel buses, which means CNG vehicles don’t require dramatically different power infrastructure. With interoperable systems, there is no need to modify transit operations and maintenance functions. For example, because a compressed natural gas bus fuels in the same amount of time and is co-located with diesel fueling, the buses can be fueled systematically regardless of the fuel type, reducing the impacts and variables on bus maintenance and operations as they are prepared for service. This is opposed to a diesel and electric fleet, where some would need to be parked and charged for extended periods while the diesel vehicles were quickly fueled at the pump.
On the downside, CNG buses require tank inspections and spark plug and coil replacements, which add to their maintenance cost, and they must be defueled periodically,
which is time-consuming. But, overall, compressed natural gas has more pros than cons.
Battery-electric buses may work well in other parts of the country, but we are not yet convinced the technology can cover the amount of service area we need it to cover on one charge while running the air conditioners all day. Currently, the JTA operates one centralized bus facility, which adds to our range anxiety with battery-electric buses. Our five-year strategic plan, MOVE2027, directs us to decentralize with satellite facilities dedicated to our zero emission technology. On-route battery charging stations are one solution we are considering to help alleviate this concern.
Any technology we adopt presents unique challenges the Authority must be ready to address. In the past eight years, we have overcome infrastructure issues, secured funding and scaled steep learning curves. Below is how we have tackled each one.
The JTA’s 2014 public-private partnership with Clean Energy has quickly become a best practice and a model for the industry. Under the $8.1 million agreement, the renewable natural gas provider designed, built and operates a compressed natural gas fueling station on our operations campus and retrofitted two facilities to accommodate the conversion to CNG. In exchange, we agreed to purchase compressed natural gas exclusively from Clean Energy for the 15-year partnership. When the agreement expires, the JTA will own the infrastructure.
The arrangement represents a greenhouse gas reduction of approximately 2,318 metric tons, and by switching to natural gas fuel, the JTA will save an estimated $5.7 million over the life of the agreement. The pump station also is available to the public, with the JTA receiving 11% of all public sales.
The P3 with Clean Energy has been so successful we are considering how the JTA might replicate this partnership with other Jacksonville-area energy providers.
Federal grants provide critical funding
The federal government views innovative partnerships favorably when awarding grants, which is one reason the JTA has received three U.S. Department of Transportation
grants since 2019. Most recently, we were awarded a $15.4 million U.S. DOT Low or No Emissions Buses & Bus Facilities Grant Program. The Authority is using the funding to procure 21 more compressed natural gas buses, leaving 40 diesel buses that could be phased out as early as 2034. We also will leverage the grant to invest in and integrate six more electric-powered buses.
Our success in applying for and receiving federal grants is based on three guiding principles:
• Be strategic. Because converting an entire fleet to zero emission vehicles is expensive, the first impulse may be to go after every piece of funding available. However, we’ve learned not every grant aligns with our goals, and applying can be resource-intensive. So, the JTA’s formal grant committee evaluates each funding opportunity by identifying eligible projects in our pipeline and engaging internal stakeholders and subject matter experts who ultimately will own the project. This systematic, logical process ensures any grant we apply for aligns with departmental and Authority-wide goals and helps us allocate personnel and budgets appropriately.
• Tell the whole story. For instance, our grant application might emphasize how Jacksonville neighborhoods with high rates of respiratory disease would benefit from fewer environmental pollutants due to the new zero emission rolling stock. Showing how a grant might reach beyond transportation improvements to benefit health and quality of life makes for a more compelling, competitive application.
• Partner with respected institutions. Highlighting partnerships strengthens our application. For example, we might partner with a local health organization to provide meaningful statistics and information about how respiratory diseases affect minority or low-income neighborhoods we serve and how expanding our zero emission fleet could help these communities breathe easier. Enhancing our applications with this kind of information adds third-party credibility, shows a respected institution supports our funding request and demonstrates the JTA’s ability to collaborate with the community.
Research builds institutional knowledge
We educate ourselves about compressed natural gas and other alternative fuel options by visiting other transit agencies across the country. We also convened a zero emissions industry forum, where we heard from national and international alternative fuel experts and lean on the American Public Transportation Association to provide insights. But nothing replaces the hands-on experience of operating and maintaining these vehicles in real-time on our own system.
Operating and maintaining a mixed fleet is part of our due diligence strategy. It allows us to work with the technology, measure its range capacity in Florida’s hot climate, maintain it and stress test it. We will use what we learn to make more informed decisions about the future composition of our fleet. Currently, we are researching the possibility of producing our own hydrogen. The capital costs would be substantial, but the JTA could save money in the long run.
Regardless of the alternative fuel vehicles the JTA ultimately invests in, we will always have a diverse fleet, and our workforce is – and will be – expected to know how to safely operate and maintain them all.
In addition to investing in and educating our workforce, we invited first responders to an alternative fuel vehicle awareness program on our campus, where they participated alongside our maintenance team, mechanics and operators to learn the ins and outs of the vehicle technologies.
Regular joint training sessions give us confidence that first responders will be well-versed in how best to respond to an emergency involving one of these vehicles. Moving forward, we may increase the frequency of these drills as we continue to diversify our zero emissions technologies.
Sustainable transportation benefits everyone
As the JTA overcomes barriers, diversifies its fleet and becomes more sustainable, so does the community we serve. After all, that is the ultimate goal. We are proud to play a leading role in helping Northeast Florida combat climate change, be more resilient and improve environmental quality.
