Drew Dilkens’ Post

Municipal vehicle fleets are commonly one of the largest sources of corporate emissions. Many municipalities are moving ahead with shifting out of fossil burning vehicles towards EVs and Victoria Electric Vehicle Association likes to acknowledge and encourage municipal leaders when we can. From Colwood staff: "...Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Colwood and we're taking steps to change that over time. Currently the City’s fleet is 24% zero emission and 7% hybrid. By 2024, 36% of the fleet is projected to be zero emission as replacement vehicles are introduced. In terms of fiscal responsibility, this saves an estimated 33% over the life of each vehicle compared to a conventional gas car or truck, due to the reduced cost of fuel and maintenance. Most importantly, switching to electric reduces Colwood’s emissions which contribute to climate change. In 2021, 51% of Colwood's Corporate GHG emissions were generated by our fleet vehicles. The move to electric vehicles and equipment will reduce our emissions by an estimated 37 tonnes every year, at a savings of $426 for every tonne...." The City of Colwood, part of the Victoria BC Capital Regional District, has been growing it's EV fleet and John Russell's leadership has been key to their success. David Sametz, RPP, MCIP David Grove Jim Henshaw Doug Kobayashi

This is a tale of two state Departments of Transportation (DOT) - California DOT (Caltrans) and Nevada DOT (NDOT). The metrics that matter are high Pavement Condition Indices (PCI) and the efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Caltrans is among the largest recipient of funds yet has the lowest PCI in the nation. NDOT has nowhere near the taxation of California. NDOT ranks 47th among the 50 states in per capita transportation spending. Its PCI is the second best in the nation behind Florida. Why the disconnect in California. My theory is that Nevada DOT works dignity at keeping its PCI above 80 which is well above the 68 "tipping point". California has had decades of infrastructure neglect to the point that many of its roads quickly degraded below the 68 "tipping point", thereby escalating the cost of repairs and in some cases completely rebuilding failed roads. Also sound traffic engineering is often pushed aside for inflated egos. Traffic is a Title Act in California whereas Civil is a Practice Act. This has led to "turf wars" at Caltrans, so much so that while Caltrans "bickers" internally, other state DOT's invest in the latest technology and build state of the art transportation systems. What are your thoughts? www.dot.ca.gov #civilengineering #transportationplanning #trafficengineering

It’s electric! ⚡ Dive into key takeaways, opportunities, and strategies for building electrification in this report out from our Better Buildings Electrification Working Group, featuring The City of San Diego, Columbia Association, Fairfax County Government, Lendlease, Stoneweg, and Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation: https://ow.ly/61Ru50PXeMn

GOVERNOR HOCHUL, MAYOR ADAMS AND PORT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO SUPPORT REPLACEMENT OF MIDTOWN BUS TERMINAL Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced a new agreement to support the $10 billion replacement and expansion of the 73-year-old Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Recognizing the importance and catalytic potential of the project, the city has committed 40 years of tax revenue — expected to help the Port Authority raise an estimated total of up to $2 billion, 20 percent of the project cost — from three potential new commercial developments on three sites, two of which will be positioned atop the new bus terminal and the third to be built at a nearby site owned by the Port Authority and private owners, subject to market demand. This deal brings the vision of a reimagined bus terminal one step closer to reality. Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/eyfW48G3

Another big day for New York Power Authority and #EVolveNY, which not only celebrated three recent network additions today but also tucked the nation's second NEVI-funded site into its news as well... sneaky! In terms of NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure), the federal funds went to a new site serving I-87 and the mid-Hudson Valley in Kingston, NY. This is another in partnership with Electrify America's "Electrify Commercial" arm, which sees NYPA owning the station while EA takes operational and maintenance responsibilities. That keeps NYPA in control of pricing, which means drivers will see EVolve NY's $0.40 per kWh rate rather than the nationwide EA rates, which have spiked as high as $0.64 per kWh at some locations. That's prompting a broader blend of frustration and confusion for EA users, but EVolve NY customers can so far count on a reasonable, uniform rate at these stations. Elsewhere, key sites at Castle Creek and Preble have helped bridge the I-81 gap between Binghamton and Syracuse. These are both hosted by locally-owned energy business Mirabito Energy Products, a brand that will also get its fifth EVolve NY station at Richmondville nr. I-88 before the year is out. Going back to NEVI funds, eyes were on Pittston, PA as the next visible site with federal funding, but New York state was able to get this one across the line without public solicitation. As such, Kingston, NY is notable as the first CCS-only EVolve NY site I've seen, to comply with the 4 x 150kW port NEVI requirement. Usually, there are at least two CHAdeMO heads and sometimes a CCS-to-Tesla adapter, but the transition between standards continues to play out here. New York state will still solicit public bids for NEVI-funded sites, but it joins Nevada and Vermont in securing federal funds for stations away from the more visible Round 1 awards process that delivered last week's first NEVI site opening in Ohio. Confused? Buckle up... there's a lot more of this on the horizon in 2024. #EVcharging #DCfastcharging #NEVInews

“Predominantly white communities or counties have more than double the number of charge ports available to predominantly Black or African American counties.” Great article on WAMC Northeast Public Radio about the progress NY has made with EV Charging infrastructure, as well as the underlying challenges the state faces with equitable access. At SWTCH we believe that the expansion of private charging in multifamily buildings is key to an equitable access to EV Charging. #evcharging