Transportation under Greenovation

Commuting is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. We're researching alternative transportation methods and other ways of reducing greenhouse gases.

REDUCING EMISSIONS

Boston has a policy to get and use alternative fuels for City vehicles. All 450 City vehicles now run on a cleaner blend of biodiesel and low sulfur fuel. This reduces emissions by 12 to 17 percent. Our City is the largest public buyer of biodiesel fuel in New England.

Using a $3.2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, the City has started retrofitting school bus fleets. Five hundred school buses will be equipped with pollution control technology and will run on low sulfur diesel. This will reduce tailpipe emissions by more than 90 percent.

MAKING ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION EASY

Boston Bikes is working to make our City a great place for cyclists. They're creating safer, more inviting conditions for residents and visitors by:

• expanding bike lanes
• offering Ride-Along Fridays, and
• sponsoring the annual Hub on Wheels event.

The Hubway Bikeshare program launched in 2011 with 600 bikes and 60 locations.

The Boston Bike Network Plan was released in 2013. This plan makes streets safer for cyclists by mapping out a network of bike routes. The City will install 75 miles of new bike routes over the next five years.

The Complete Streets initiative started in 2009. The plan is to make Boston's streets safe for all types of transportation. EVBoston is part of the initiative, and will install electric car charging stations around the City.

OTHER IMPORTANT INITIATIVES

The Diesel Retrofit Program awards grants to businesses that want to retrofit their diesel vehicles and equipment.

Walk Boston is a nonprofit improving walking conditions in various cities and towns.