Overview

PPC understands and supports the growing desire to balance the operation of safe and efficient transportation systems with the emerging importance of preserving environmental quality. To date, the Federal Government--transportation, energy, and environmental agencies--and private sector have invested billions of dollars in the development and demonstration of alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) technology. Supplementary to this technology development, hundreds of studies have reinforced the environmental and energy security benefits of a national AFV transition. Despite the fact that excellent progress has been made in these areas, technological and social barriers continue to prevent the effective integration of this technology into our society. PPC believes that an equal and concurrent focus on transportation system planning must exist to elevate the commitment to this technology and ultimately overcome these barriers. More specifically, we believe that the Federal Government should focus near-term planning efforts on determining the optimum transition strategy for contained transportation systems (CTS) since they constitute the first frontier for the integration of AFVs into our society. Congress recently reinforced our beliefs via documented requirements in the impending Energy Policy Act of 2003.

Under Section 810 of Title VIII-Fuels and Vehicles, Congress requires the Federal Government (more specifically the Secretary of Transportation) to carry out a study to determine how best to provide for converting the composition of bus fleets in metropolitan areas and school systems from buses utilizing current diesel technology to buses using alternative fuel technologies. This study is to provide: 1) an assessment of effectuating the conversions; 2) feasible schedules for carrying out the conversions; 3) estimated costs of carrying out the conversions; and 4) an assessment of the benefits of the conversions in terms of emissions control and reduction of fuel consumption.