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Pecan Street Inc. is evaluating the use of a private fleet of low-speed, six-person, electric shuttles for first- and last-mile transit connections in three Austin, Texas neighborhoods. The project aims to demonstrate the value of public-private partnerships in rapidly and cost-effectively increasing the usage of public transportation.

As of 2019, the Electric Last Mile Project has successfully tested the use of electric shuttles for eight months, providing a total of 29,206 rides. During the test period Pecan Street Inc. used surveys, individual interviews, community charrettes, and hardware installed on the vehicles to collect data on consumer engagement, vehicle performance, traffic impacts, and pricing structures. This data has resulted in a categorization chart that can be used by communities interested in using autonomous shuttles and public-private partnerships for first and last-mile transit solutions. The project also created a telematics kit that monitors vehicle operations and occupancy, a mobile trip request app and website, and laid the groundwork for future implementation of an autonomous shuttle.

The Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) aims to support the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles and establish new compressed natural gas, propane, and electric alternative fueling infrastructure on major travel corridors in Kansas and Missouri. The new alternative fueling infrastructure will fill crucial gaps along major shipping corridors and help overcome a significant barrier to alternative fuel vehicle adoption.

As of 2019, MEC and its project partners have developed one propane station and one 12-stall electric charging station, conducted four workshops, converted 5 gasoline trucks to CNG, and replaced eighteen diesel trucks and four diesel shuttles with natural gas vehicles. The workshops serve to connect stakeholder with resources, build community support for projects, and identify potential partners for future alternative fuel vehicle adoption. The project will also generate best practices documents, case studies, and deployment guides to leverage community-based business and community relationships to accelerate adoption and awareness of alternative fuels.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is working to reduce freight energy use by pairing efficient supply-side technologies and operations with freight demand management techniques in the Albany-New York City corridor. The project aims to demonstrate the mutually reinforcing effects of demand-side and supply-side efficiencies through the adoption of Energy Efficient Logistics (EELs) and to better understand which freight management strategies are most likely to be used by consumers.

As of 2019, the team has evaluated and selected an initial list of EEL initiatives. Based on feedback from stakeholders, the team is currently working to model the impact of the following EEL initiatives: receiver-led consolidation, parking loading zones and parking reservation, off-hour deliveries, parking pricing, and pickup & delivery at alternative locations. In order to assess the effectiveness of these initiatives, the team has conducted an online consumer survey about home deliveries with future plans to conduct surveys for delivery carriers and receivers. The team has also worked to update and integrate four existing models and simulation tools into one Integrated Transport-Energy Model (ITEM). This includes the Behavioral Micro-Simulation (BMS), SVTrip, Polaris, and Autonomie. Significant work has been done to acquire and manage high resolution Global Positioning System (GPS) data from fleets that can be used as inputs for SVTrip. Once completed, ITEM can be used to estimate the impact of various EEL initiatives.

The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is partnering with the Clean Cities Coalition Network and fleets in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina to support the integration of a variety of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and fueling infrastructure. CTE and its partners will offset the initial capital cost of AFVs and infrastructure, promote opportunities for collaboration and strategic partnerships among alternative fuel market players, and support the development of alternative fuel corridors.

As of 2019, CTE has incentivized the purchase or installation of approximately 194 alternative fuel vehicles for six public and private fleets. The vehicles are a mix of compressed natural gas (CNG), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric. CTE is currently evaluating initial key performance indicators related to operations and maintenance for these vehicles and will publish a report upon completion. Additionally, CTE identified gaps in EV, CNG, and LNG infrastructure along key highway corridors in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. This information will be used to determine locations of future alternative fueling infrastructure.

The City of Seattle is working with Atlas Public Policy to accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in shared-mobility applications and subsequently establish best practices for use in all U.S. metro regions. The project will identify and test techniques for effective PEV deployment and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) installation for use by ride hail drivers and shared mobility companies. This project is partnering with four major US pilot markets: Denver, New York, Portland, and Seattle.

As of 2019, the City of Seattle and its project partners have created a strategic deployment plan, developed a geographic information system (GIS)-based prioritization model for EVSE site selection and compiled reports and tools into the EV Shared Mobility Playbook. The EV Shared Mobility Playbook includes the following tools: The EV Shared Mobility Analysis Tool, Seattle’s Dynamic Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Siting Model, and several dashboards developed in coordination with Atlas Public Policy . In 2020 the project will deploy additional EVSE, continue outreach, and evaluate the impacts of implementation strategies in different regions.