Final Report Rochester Vehicle Fleet Alternative Fuels Systems Study

Executive Summary
Project Background
The City of Rochester, as the central city in the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area
(MSA), is currently within a Subpart 1 Basic non-attainment area for ground-level ozone
since being so designated by the U.S. EPA in 2006 in accordance with the provisions of the
Clean Air Act and the violation classifications of the National Ambient Air Quality Act.
Although this is the least severe type of violation classification, it is a violation that requires
mitigation efforts to reduce emissions in the non-attainment area. In an effort to facilitate this
for the city fleet and to create a plan for implementation and funding, the City of Rochester
issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a study entitled “ Rochester Vehicle Fleet
Alternative Fuels Systems Study”.
Fleet Counselor Services Inc. was selected and analyzed the City of Rochester’s Fleet for
applications of alternative, clean fuel technologies, and integration of clean fuels into existing
operations. Clean, alternative fuels were considered those defined by the United States
Department of Energy and the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The respective fuels were evaluated
based on City operational characteristics, existing fueling infrastructure, fuel availability, vehicle
technology trends including production by original equipment manufacturers, and pricing aspects
of fuel and vehicles, as well as the pros and cons of the different fuels and technologies.
Project Advisory Committee (PAC):
A Project Advisory Committee, made up of City, Monroe County, New York State
Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), Genesee- Finger Lakes Regional Planning
Council (GFLRPC) and Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) staff was formed. The
purpose and role of the PAC was to provide suggestions and feedback about the project from
a countywide and regional perspective as well as an interdisciplinary one.
The PAC convened for five meetings and these meetings consisted of discussion of the
study process and steps; presentations regarding project progress and imperatives, as well a
summary of data collected; discussion of the Peer Reviews; presentations from two guest
speakers from fleets that had implemented successful alternative fuel programs and a
thorough discussion of the study findings and recommendations.
The PAC was able to work well together with a high level of efficiency, providing excellent
communication on such projects as the development of the Green Station effort, application
for federal funding through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program, as well as
the overall Fleet Study project. The Green Station was a project concept generated prior to
the commencement of the Fleet Study, which entailed an inter-municipal effort to create
three alternative fueling stations.
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Final Report