Transforming Mobility for Smart Cities

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTOR:
Tim Olson | Policy Analyst
APTIM | Environment and Sustainability
Tim.Olson@APTIM.com
Tim is a visionary public policy attorney and a hands-on project administrator and manager with over 10 years’ experience in developing and sharing solutions to energy and environmental crises. Among other projects, Tim currently supports the design and development of e-bike rebate, registration, application, and reimbursement systems for Denver and Boulder, Colorado.

The U.S. recently got a glimpse of how climate change will devastate their communities after Canadian wildfires generated a thick plume of smoke, clouding the Upper Midwest and Northeast. These fires—fueled in large part by climatic changes in heat and drought—delayed flights, closed schools, and sent people to hospitals with respiratory issues. Located over 400 miles away from the source, New York City’s famous skyline disappeared in an orange haze, serving as a critical reminder that cities need to mitigate climate change and adapt to a lower-emission future.

The Transportation Transformation

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the U.S. today, most of which come from driving in and around our cities. Mobility is one of the grandest challenges cities face on their journey toward a sustainable, low-carbon future devoid of risks to fire and other natural disasters. Lowering emissions requires both technological and behavioral change, including less-polluting vehicles and fewer vehicle miles traveled. Through APTIM’s e-mobility programs, we are actively involved in helping cities adopt both sustainable transportation solutions.

Incentivizing Cleaner Vehicles

Our e-mobility team incentivizes less-polluting vehicles through end-to-end electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and operations solutions. We bring world-class project delivery to city governments seeking site evaluations and construction management for EV chargers as well as businesses examining integrated fleet charging operations. From design and permitting to engineering, construction, and project evaluation, our goal is to help you meet municipal goals and requirements.

Currently, APTIM manages an EV charger installation project for a global real estate investment trust that owns industrial property across the country. We are also implementing sustainable guidelines for design and construction of EV chargers at an international airport. Both projects showcase our team’s ability to adapt and optimize charging to fit unique city-wide sustainability goals.

Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled

To encourage citizens to drive less, some cities (e.g., London, Paris, and New York) are instituting congestion charges. These punitive tolls are complicated and controversial but, in theory, reduce traffic-related emissions. Other cities have implemented policies to incentivize citizens to make the switch from gasoline-powered vehicles and reduce driving behavior.

APTIM is currently working with several cities and states to develop and implement point-of-sale rebates for electric bicycle (e-bike) purchases. These rebates have led to a significant rise in e-bike sales by increasing the affordability of high-quality options with longer-lasting batteries, improved performance, and greater versatility. One city in which APTIM administers such a program replaced over 100,000 vehicle miles every week with e-bikes.

A Sustainable Future

Sustainability will be won, or lost, in cities. APTIM is working each day to help cities make decisions that will create a sustainable future. No matter what point of the journey (e.g., initial assessment, benchmarking, strategy development, or execution) your city is in, APTIM offers innovative, cost-effective programs that save resources, optimize performance, and safeguard the future. Plus, our comprehensive and cross-functional services include disaster preparedness and recovery and GHG accounting to promote a more sustainable urban future.