LTD’s Board of Directors Adopts Climate Action Policy
June 19, 2020
Lane Transit District’s (LTD) Board of Directors voted unanimously, with one member absent, on Wednesday night to adopt a climate action policy that provides a pathway for LTD to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 75% by its owned vehicle fleet over the next 10 years and eliminates the District’s use of fossil fuels in 15 years.
“LTD recognized climate change is an urgent matter for the public and private sectors," said Carl Yeh, President of the LTD Board of Directors. “We adopted these significant climate change policy, goals, and measurements because we wanted to take aggressive action with achievable results that will better the environment and increase the quality of life in the District.”
To develop its climate action policy, the LTD Board established an Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee to review a study of the District’s carbon footprint that determined the best opportunities for LTD to reduce GHG emissions is to focus on increasing ridership and reducing emissions from its fleet vehicles. Based on the findings from the study, the Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee drafted board-level guidance for fleet procurement and intergovernmental collaboration recommending that the board adopt the following three measurable climate change goals:
Goal 1 – Short-term:
• 25 electric buses are to be under contract to replace 25 aging 40-foot fossil fuel and hybrid buses by 2023.
Goal 2 - Long-term:
• 100% fleet turnover and phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles by 2035
• 75% GHG emissions reduction by 2030
Goal 3 – Other considerations:
• Deliberate exploration of emerging technology and fuels that improve reductions in GHG emissions.
• Joint community GHG emission reduction goals with partner jurisdictions, including cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane County and Lane Council of Governments, among others
• Iterative process to review progress & goals annually
Efforts to achieve these goals have already begun. In March, LTD ordered 11 New Flyer battery-electric buses. The first of the new electric buses are expected to arrive later this year, with the order completely filled by summer 2021. The 11 battery-electric buses are paid for with money from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No-Emission fund, and LTD general funds.
“Replacing LTD’s aging diesel and diesel hybrid fleet with zero tailpipe emission battery-electric buses will reduce GHG emissions in our communities while supporting the state of Oregon’s goal to reduce emissions statewide by 75%,” said Aurora Jackson, LTD’s General Manager. “Low or no-emission buses and in collaboration with state, city and county governments offer important avenues for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, but the one thing we can all do today to support these goals is to make only essential trips using the bus or other forms of transportation other than a single passenger vehicle.”
The LTD Climate Change Policy and supporting information is located at https://www.ltd.org/events-calendar?cat=&date_from=2020-03-01&date_to=
Governor Brown’s news release about climate change, including a link to her Executive Order is located at https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=36121
Information about the City of Eugene’s Climate Action Plan 2.0 is located at https://engage.eugene-or.gov/sustainability
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About Lane Transit District (LTD)
LTD provides more than 10 million boardings per year on its buses and EmX Bus Rapid Transit line in Lane County, Oregon. Encompassing the Eugene-Springfield metro area, LTD is a special district of the State of Oregon and led by a seven-member board of directors appointed by Oregon’s governor. LTD also operates RideSource, a paratransit service for people with disabilities, and numerous transportation options programs to promote sustainable travel county wide.
“LTD recognized climate change is an urgent matter for the public and private sectors," said Carl Yeh, President of the LTD Board of Directors. “We adopted these significant climate change policy, goals, and measurements because we wanted to take aggressive action with achievable results that will better the environment and increase the quality of life in the District.”
To develop its climate action policy, the LTD Board established an Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee to review a study of the District’s carbon footprint that determined the best opportunities for LTD to reduce GHG emissions is to focus on increasing ridership and reducing emissions from its fleet vehicles. Based on the findings from the study, the Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee drafted board-level guidance for fleet procurement and intergovernmental collaboration recommending that the board adopt the following three measurable climate change goals:
Goal 1 – Short-term:
• 25 electric buses are to be under contract to replace 25 aging 40-foot fossil fuel and hybrid buses by 2023.
Goal 2 - Long-term:
• 100% fleet turnover and phase-out of fossil fuel vehicles by 2035
• 75% GHG emissions reduction by 2030
Goal 3 – Other considerations:
• Deliberate exploration of emerging technology and fuels that improve reductions in GHG emissions.
• Joint community GHG emission reduction goals with partner jurisdictions, including cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane County and Lane Council of Governments, among others
• Iterative process to review progress & goals annually
Efforts to achieve these goals have already begun. In March, LTD ordered 11 New Flyer battery-electric buses. The first of the new electric buses are expected to arrive later this year, with the order completely filled by summer 2021. The 11 battery-electric buses are paid for with money from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No-Emission fund, and LTD general funds.
“Replacing LTD’s aging diesel and diesel hybrid fleet with zero tailpipe emission battery-electric buses will reduce GHG emissions in our communities while supporting the state of Oregon’s goal to reduce emissions statewide by 75%,” said Aurora Jackson, LTD’s General Manager. “Low or no-emission buses and in collaboration with state, city and county governments offer important avenues for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, but the one thing we can all do today to support these goals is to make only essential trips using the bus or other forms of transportation other than a single passenger vehicle.”
The LTD Climate Change Policy and supporting information is located at https://www.ltd.org/events-calendar?cat=&date_from=2020-03-01&date_to=
Governor Brown’s news release about climate change, including a link to her Executive Order is located at https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=36121
Information about the City of Eugene’s Climate Action Plan 2.0 is located at https://engage.eugene-or.gov/sustainability
###
About Lane Transit District (LTD)
LTD provides more than 10 million boardings per year on its buses and EmX Bus Rapid Transit line in Lane County, Oregon. Encompassing the Eugene-Springfield metro area, LTD is a special district of the State of Oregon and led by a seven-member board of directors appointed by Oregon’s governor. LTD also operates RideSource, a paratransit service for people with disabilities, and numerous transportation options programs to promote sustainable travel county wide.