Green Taxis Initiative Has Transitioned More Than 30 Percent of Airport’s Taxi Fleet to Hybrid Vehicles
SAN DIEGO – 2012-10-24 — /travelprnews.com/ — San Diego International Airport’s “Green Taxi” initiative, made possible through a public-private partnership involving San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the California Center for Sustainable Energy, Mossy Toyota, taxi operators and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, won an Environmental Excellence Award from the Industrial Environmental Association (IEA). Recognized in the category of “Air (Convention Pollutant Control),” the Green Taxi program launched in 2011 in an effort to bring hybrid vehicles to the taxi fleet serving the airport.
The award was presented today at IEA’s Annual Statewide Environmental Summit in San Diego. Robert Gleason, board chair for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, and Mike Ferry, senior manager, transportation at the California Center for Sustainable Energy, accepted the award on behalf of the partnership.
“It’s an honor to receive this award for our efforts to reduce air pollution,” said Gleason. “This is another step toward a more environmentally friendly, sustainable airport, and was made possible through the collaborative efforts of our partners.”
In just one year, the Green Taxi program has transitioned more than 30 percent of the airport’s taxi fleet to hybrids – 102 hybrids cabs out of approximately 300. The hybrid cabs represent a 64 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over a Ford Crown Victoria, the typical taxi model. This initiative also represents a total savings of $1.3 million in fuel costs each year, or an impressive $12,000/year for each hybrid taxi driver.
The partnership creates an incentive package to encourage adoption of more fuel-efficient taxis through a combination of vehicle rebates, reduced taxi permit fees and a special financing and maintenance package.
“We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response to the program in just one year,” said Heather Shepard, program manager for California Center Sustainable Energy’s Airport Vehicle Rebate Program. “We anticipate that the program will continue to expand and bring more environmental benefits to the region.”
The California Center for Sustainable Energy obtained funding for the program from the state’s Reformulated Gasoline Settlement Fund to establish the rebate program to offset the higher purchase costs of hybrids.
The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals, businesses, municipalities and others to adopt greener practices and save energy and money through rebates, technical assistance and education. Visit www.energycenter.org or call 866-SDENERGY.
Contact: Chuck Colgan
858-244-1184
chuck.colgan@energycenter.org
Steve Shultz
619-400-2881
sshultz@san.org
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