Sustainability and Energy Action Plan

TRANSPORTATION GRANTS PASS SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY ACTION PLAN Transportation Second to Buildings and Energy, the largest source of emissions in municipal operations is transportation, clocking in at about 1,078 MTCO2e in 2021, 674 from City vehicle usage/fleet and 404 from employee commuting.56 Not surprisingly, fuel usage makes for a hefty bill, especially with volatile increases in fuel pricing. In 2021, the City spent $213,000 on fuel for its fleet alone. In 2022, despite almost identical emissions/fuel usage, the bill increased to more than $299,000, a 40% increase in a single year! 57 This illustrates the downside of relying on only liquid fuels to power City vehicles because of how it leaves the City vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and cost increases. Completion of the projects recommended in this Plan will increase resilience and manage costs. Diversifying the fuel sources of both City and employee vehicles and moving toward greater renewable fuel sourcing is an essential component of the steps necessary to accomplishing the goals of the SEAP . The transportation goals of this Plan are to: 1) reduce consumption of both gasoline and diesel fuels (thereby reducing emissions and saving the City money); 2) increase the number of City vehicles and employee commute vehicles that can run without depending on outside fuel resources; 3) make sustainability a consideration in both vehicle purchasing selections and office policy decisions affecting employee commuting; and 4) have a standing committee investigate potential barriers to alternative commuting and advise on community development measures to address these obstacles. By accomplishing these goals, great strides will be made in the overall Plan objectives. Projects in this section target reductions in gasoline and diesel consumption in order to reduce liquid fuel purchasing expenses and the public health impacts of fuel combustion. 56