Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards

Tennessee Tech University – Upper Cumberland EV Demonstration Testbed

Tennessee Technological University (TTU) unveiled in July 2022 a new Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) station that serves a U.S. Department of Energy-funded EV Testbed Project in the 14-county 'Upper Cumberland' region of Tennessee, as well as the greater Cookeville area. The unit was installed in a TTU parking lot along a busy corridor in Cookeville and will be the primary refueling site for an all-electric E450 shuttle bus that the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency will utilize to provide electric transit services in the surrounding area. The grant's Principal Investigator, Dr. Pingen Chen, is an Assistant Professor in TTU's Department of Mechanical Engineering and has brought a diverse group of about ten partners into the project. Lead project infrastructure partner Seven States Power Corporation managed the charger installation.

Vanderbilt University – MoveVU

MoveVU is Vanderbilt's strategic transportation and mobility plan that falls under the FutureVU comprehensive campus planning efforts. MoveVU goals align with FutureVU guiding principles to beautify the campus, preserve and enhance the park-like character people enjoy, create a walkable and sustainable campus, and better connect areas of campus that feel disconnected. MoveVU calls for diversification of transportation options, reduction of the drive-alone rate to campus that aligns with university goals to become carbon neutral, prioritization of pedestrian and micromobility, and improvement of accessibility. MoveVU aims to give commuters more options when deciding how they will travel to and from campus.

Southwest TN Development District – MyRide West TN

MyRide West TN provides safe and reliable door-through-door transportation for older adults who are ambulatory and in need of assistance due to health or safety concerns. Operating out of the Southwest TN Development District’s Agency on Aging and Disability since May 2017, the program strives to improve the quality of life for older adults by providing courteous and safe mobility solutions, enabling these adults to obtain essential services, such as health care, grocery and pharmacy shopping, and maintain their independence, dignity, and quality of life, which can include living independently and engaging in social and community events. As of August 2020, MyRide West TN has 42 volunteer drivers participating in the program, providing an essential service that makes mobility equitable and accessible for older Tennesseans in their jurisdiction.

Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority – Wayside Inductive Power Transfer System for Electric Buses

The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) has expanded its already innovative electric transit bus fleet through the installation of inductive power transfer systems (wireless charging). Working with partners from the University of Tennessee, CARTA has paired an inductive power transfer system with several new BYD electric transit buses, each launched in March 2019 with a battery range of 150 miles and the ability to accept a wireless charge. The inductive power transfer system was installed within the transit-way of CARTA’s Shuttle Park South facility in downtown Chattanooga to allow for en route fast charging for longer, fixed route electric vehicles. The modular inductive power transfer system’s charging capacity ranges from 60 kW to 200 kW and can wirelessly charge an electric transit bus within minutes. As part of a complementary research project with the U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office, each of the new BYD vehicles was equipped with a telematics unit to provide real-time vehicle data and energy usage to a web-based portal that will assist in developing route designs and charging schedules that maximize vehicle performance. CARTA’s utilization of pure electric transit vehicles on its fixed route service going forward will have a significant impact on local air quality and can inform a national model for this type of charging technology deployment.

Knoxville Utilities Board – Electric Vehicle Level 2 Charger Rebate Program

In early 2019, the Knoxville Utilities Board’s (KUB’s) Utility Transformation Team began exploring ways to incentivize electric vehicle adoption within the utility’s service area, deciding that a charging station rebate program would best serve its customers in terms of accessibility and need. Tennessee’s first-ever utility charging station rebate program was launched by KUB in August 2019. The rebate covers 100 percent of electric vehicle charging equipment costs up to $400. By July 2020, the program has already aided approximately 85 customers with the purchase of their Level 2 electric vehicle chargers, amounting to almost $35,000 in contributions from KUB. Being the first utility to offer an electric vehicle incentive program in the Tennessee Valley, KUB has been recognized as a leader in utility efforts supporting electric vehicle adoption and is exploring ways to modify the existing program to create new opportunities for its customers.

American Natural Gas / Frito-Lay Fayetteville – Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Station

American Natural Gas (ANG) builds, operates, and maintains natural gas fueling stations across the country and strives to provide 100% domestically sourced renewable natural gas to its customers. Frito-Lay is a major customer at several of ANG’s renewable compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations, including a fueling station near Frito-Lay’s facility in Fayetteville, TN. The Fayetteville station is equipped with three fueling lanes and both NGV1 and NGV2 nozzle types. Primarily used by Frito-Lay, the station is also accessible to the public.

Town of Chapel Hill – Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure Community Master Plan

According to census data, the Town of Chapel Hill, Tenn., grew in population by over 50 percent between 2000 and 2015, due in large part to the small town’s proximity to the Greater Nashville Area. However, limited accessibility and a lack of alternative transportation routes made traffic congestion a major community concern, as well as a significant threat to pedestrian safety and mobility. In response, the Town of Chapel Hill began a community transportation assessment and planning project, identifying ways to connect residential areas, schools, parks, churches, retail, and business properties that would help accommodate future growth and transportation needs for the community. As a part of this planning process, Chapel Hill strategically invested in a walking trail at Depot Park that would function as a trailhead for a master community sidewalk. The town also updated traffic signals on Horton Parkway, leading to Henry Horton State Park, to provide protection to bicycle and pedestrian traffic in the area. To help continue its planning efforts, Chapel Hill received $50,000 from TDOT for a Community Transportation Planning Grant; $187,000 from TDEC for a Recreational Trails Grant, creating pedestrian pathways that connect Depot Park and the Chapel Hill Elementary School to Horton Parkway; more than $3 million from TDOT to fund construction projects under the town’s long range plan; and $60,000 from TDOT to fund both a local traffic study of major thoroughfares as well as the development of a virtual, interactive long range plan to aid in local stakeholder and investor education. Chapel Hill's continued planning and implementation will provide the town's residents and visitors with a choice of safe, reliable transportation without the need of automobiles.

Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee – Transit Citizen Leadership Academy

The Transit Citizen Leadership Academy (TCLA) is designed to equip private-sector and public-sector leaders across the 10 counties of Middle Tennessee with tools to lead conversations about the value of multimodal transit and the emerging mass transit options that can address the region’s mobility needs. The Academy is built around a six-session program developed by the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee that brings the experience and expertise of local elected officials, college professors, entrepreneurs, engineers, planners, federal and state agencies, and nonprofit organizations together for a deep dive into what it would look like, what it would cost, and what it would take to improve and enhance regional transportation. Discussions include land use planning and zoning policy, funding, infrastructure, transit-oriented developments, protected bicycle lanes, pedestrian safety, equitable access, affordability, overall transit system improvements, environmental impacts on air quality and community health, transportation demand management (TDM), and technological advancements. The TCLA is an easily transferable program to educate and inform communities about the value of improving and enhancing transportation infrastructure for sustainability. Other Tennessee cities such as Knoxville and Memphis have consulted with the Transit Alliance on how to adopt and adapt the TCLA curriculum for their areas. There have been 19 TCLA cohorts trained since 2010, with the 2020 cohort trained completely online. The program now boasts 464 alumni across Middle Tennessee.

Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Departments of Planning and Public Works / KCI Technologies, Inc. – Arthur Avenue Cycle Track

The Metro Nashville Public Works and Planning Departments recently partnered with KCI Technologies to complete traffic engineering, design, and implementation of a cycle track along Arthur Avenue in North Nashville, a neighborhood with a unique history whose population has been increasingly threatened by growing development and gentrification. An extensive public engagement period occurred prior to project implementation, including a resident-led planning effort to establish the neighborhood’s goals and objectives for revitalization. Central to their effort was determining how to make streets safe, culturally relevant, and welcoming. Having been identified in Nashville’s WalkNBike Plan, initial design concepts for the north end of the corridor were explored through an AARP grant allocated to TURBO Nashville. Lessons learned from this pilot installation, which included a pocket park and protected bike lanes, were utilized to inform design details of the remaining cycle track. The track utilizes existing pavement width to increase the safety of all transportation users by clearly delineating motorized and non-motorized traffic. Along this cycle track, safety improvements at critical intersections and dedicated space for each user type allows each mode to operate efficiently within their own lanes. Ensuring non-motorized users are safely accommodated for and encouraged as a viable alternative to the personal vehicle along this critical North Nashville corridor — especially for shorter, inter-neighborhood trips — is vital for sustainability. Reducing vehicular trips through mode shift is of particular importance to this project given the existing noise and air pollution produced by the nearby interstate. Given its proximity to downtown, change inevitably stands in North Nashville’s future; however, the new bikeway ensures that all community members, regardless of economic status or physical ability, can navigate the corridor in a safe manner for years to come.

NET Trans / Alliance AutoGas – Elizabethton, Greeneville, and Kingsport AutoGas Programs

NET Trans is a rural public transit fleet serving nine counties in the eastern part of the state. In March 2015, NET Trans entered into a partnership with Alliance AutoGas to implement three alternative fuel programs in Elizabethton, Greeneville, and Kingsport. The partnership’s goal was to initiate a replicable autogas program that addresses infrastructure, vehicle conversion and maintenance, staff training, and data reporting. As a result of this project, the NET Trans fleet now uses autogas in their PRINS bi-fuel vehicle propane systems, with the fuel supplied through the ongoing relationship with Alliance AutoGas. Over the past year, Net Trans has used more than 50,000 gallons of autogas to fuel their transit fleet. Propane autogas is among the lowest total carbon emitting fuels, showing an approximate 30 percent reduction in emissions when compared to traditional gasoline and diesel vehicle operation. Additionally, the greater affordability of propane autogas has allowed NET Trans to save on fuel costs and put more funds toward projects that expand their transit services.

City of Knoxville – Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project

In 2007, the Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission and Knoxville City Council began work to reduce congestion and improve road safety on Cumberland Avenue, a busy, downtown corridor that carried between 22,000 and 34,000 trips per day. Following a series of public meetings and an iterative process of stakeholder engagement, the project team members decided to implement a “road diet,” which would reduce the street from four lanes to three lanes and introduce a median to direct left turn movements. Since the city completed the project in August 2017, the rate of vehicle crashes and bike and pedestrian conflicts with vehicles has decreased by about 30 percent, the economic investment has improved (the project has leveraged $190 million of private investment), and the street is more attractive (there are now trees, trash and recycle receptacles, benches, and decorative lighting). New and accessible transit shelters provide a safe, comfortable place for pedestrians to wait for buses along the corridor, elevating the experience of public transportation for all users. The project has also created improvements to public health, well-being, and safety through the redevelopment of vacant brownfield sites, storm water runoff absorption, and a reduction in the urban heat island effect.

Weakley County Schools – Propane School Bus Adoption

Weakley County Schools has committed significant resources toward the implementation of clean, efficient energy throughout its school system. The project started with building-level initiatives such as an LED lighting conversion, an HVAC and insulation system update, and the adoption of a school recycling program. This initiative has since expanded to the vehicle fleet through the adoption of propane-powered school buses. In 2017-2018, Weakley County Schools leveraged support from the Reducing Diesel Emissions for a Healthier Tennessee rebate program to purchase its first three propane school buses. The district also adopted an idle reduction policy, to minimize unnecessary idling by school bus drivers. As a result of the project, the district is saving almost $2,000 per bus each year from reduced fuel costs; the district is also realizing additional savings as a result of decreased maintenance costs. Weakley County Schools has purchased and installed its own propane refueling station and plans to purchase an additional nine propane school buses over the next two years. Not only is the district saving energy and reducing emissions through the use of propane autogas, but it has also developed a replicable model for fleet improvement, efficiency, and cost savings that other school districts can follow.

Walk Bike Nashville – Safe Routes to School

Walk Bike Nashville has been offering Safe Routes to School programs to Metro Nashville Public Schools since 1998. In 2018, Walk Bike Nashville modified its approach to collect data and gauge the impacts of the program. To gauge interest and to measure existing transportation habits, Walk Bike Nashville distributed surveys to both students and parents. The baseline data that was gathered through the surveys will allow Walk Bike Nashville to measure impacts to travel behavior in the school community moving forward. Along with the surveys, Walk Bike Nashville also developed and distributed Walking Encouragement maps and hosted a series of bike rodeos to demonstrate road safety and practical skills for biking. In December 2018, Walk Bike Nashville also collaborated with data analytics company Zendrive and the Nashville Civic Design Center to explore solutions to reduce speeding and distracted driving near Amqui Elementary School. Through a strategy of “tactical urbanism,” the school engaged students to design a traffic calming mural that buffers students from traffic and provides a safer walking path to school. In total, 55 Metro Nashville schools participated in the 2018 International Walk to School Day, with 14,000 participants walking on that day. Through the data that was collected in 2018, Walk Bike Nashville hopes to continue to expand this number and to create a replicable model to facilitate more Safe Routes to School programs citywide.

Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Public Works Department – Music Row Bikeway

Working alongside Metro Nashville-Davidson County Public Works, KCI Technologies served as the lead traffic engineer to design and implement the state’s first and longest left-side-protected bike lane along Nashville’s iconic Music Row. The project sets standards for how traditional one-way roads can be used to efficiently move traffic while also safely accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians. With an end goal of increasing bicycle usage and safety along this high-traffic-volume roadway, this project successfully added three miles of highly visible and protected bikeway, created physical separation between the bike lane and the adjacent traffic lane, and provided a mechanism to give cyclists priority at high-volume, signalized intersections through the use of bike boxes. This design challenged the norm in typical bike lane applications: the use of bike boxes on left-side-protected bike lanes is fairly uncommon, and therefore required experimental approval by the Federal Highway Administration. This project has therefore helped to not only increase bike travel along the Music Row Corridor, but also to change the national understanding of bicycle and pedestrian applications on this type of roadway.

Shelby County Health Department – Memphis Area Rideshare Program

The Memphis Area Rideshare program works with area employers to organize employees in carpools and vanpools, with a goal of improving air quality through the reduction of single occupant vehicles on the road. In one year, the program has increased the number of vanpools at the Memphis Veterans Affairs hospital from 28 to 35 vans. The program has also launched 10 active vanpools at the federal prison facility and three active vanpools at Atara Biotherapeutics Inc. These vanpools are responsible for removing 192 cars off the road each day, which saves $30,833 in fuel costs and reduces carbon monoxide emissions by approximately 5.16 tons per month.

Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Planning Department – Nashville Connector

Nashville Connector, Davidson County’s first transportation demand management program, seeks to help employers and employees in the Nashville region plan for a better commute. The program assists individuals and companies alike in identifying bus, carpool, train, and walking/biking commuter options available to commuters in the Nashville area. In October 2018, Nashville Connector held its inaugural Commuter Challenge for Nashville’s downtown commuters, encouraging them to not drive alone for at least one trip to work during the week and to instead utilize alternative forms of transportation and/or work remotely. Nashville Connector followed the success of this program with a second Commuter Challenge in April-May 2019. Collectively, over 40 downtown employers and 1,500 individuals participated in the Challenges, replacing 8,700 solo vehicle trips with alternative transportation options that could include carpooling, riding a bike or scooter, taking public transit, walking to work, or working from home. By encouraging Middle Tennesseans to consider alternative transportation options, Nashville Connector is helping to reduce reliance on single occupancy vehicles, decrease congestion, and improve local air quality.

City of Lebanon – Music City Star Hamilton Springs Station

The Music City Star is a commuter rail service that runs between Nashville and Lebanon, Tenn. The service uses the existing track of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad and includes stops at a total of seven stations. In 2018, city officials, the Regional Transportation Authority, the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and private partners worked to expand the line to include a third station in Lebanon, at Hamilton Springs. The station was built around principles of transit-oriented development and was incorporated into a new, planned community, with housing and retail development located within walking distance from the station. Lebanon already accounts for the highest number of riders on the commuter rail line. As the city sits within the third fastest growing county in Tennessee, expanded access to the line for new Lebanon residents will encourage additional ridership and uptake of this sustainable commuter option.

Averitt Express

In the pursuit of increasing its fleet’s fuel economy, Averitt Express, a transportation and supply chain management company based in Cookeville, has modified and retrofitted thousands of its vehicles with new fuel efficiency equipment. Major changes to Averitt’s vehicles include the utilization of auxiliary power units (APUs), three-minute idle shutdown technology, and aerodynamic side skirts. With these features, Averitt Express successfully improved the fuel economy and reduced idle engine time of its fleet, resulting in 47,000 tons of reduced greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 alone. Additionally, Averitt Express possesses 920 propane-powered forklifts, which produce less greenhouse gas emissions than their diesel counterparts, resulting in improved air quality at its shipping and packing locations.

City of Chattanooga Department of Transportation

In 2018, the Chattanooga Department of Transportation (CDOT) completed a $1 million Martin Luther King Boulevard (MLK Blvd.) Paving and Safety Improvement Project. CDOT performed street safety analysis on MLK Blvd. and requested public input on how to improve the area for multi-modal citizen access. As a result of this process, CDOT determined that the section of MLK Blvd. in Chattanooga between Georgia Avenue and Central Avenue required the addition of striped bike lanes and revitalized sidewalk access. Additionally, CDOT implemented road right-sizing and vehicle speed reduction techniques, decreasing the number of traffic lanes in the area and then building a new center lane to accommodate turning traffic. These features contribute to the safety of the road as well as to the feasibility of multi-modal transportation.

City of Kingsport

Since 2008, the City of Kingsport has undertaken impressive efforts to convert its vehicle fleet to propane autogas. As a result, the City now has one of the largest alternative fueled fleets in the state. The City’s fleet manager, Steve Hightower, originally took on the project to both make the fleet more environmentally sustainable and to save the city money in fuel costs. As of May 2018, the City’s fleet included 96 propane-powered vehicles, ranging from lawn mowers to police cars. The City also has 21 hybrid and electric vehicles currently in use. Through the use of these vehicles, the City has been able to displace usage of over 197,000 gallons of gasoline from 2013-2017. As a result of their leadership in the alternative fuel space, the City has also become an educational resource on propane-powered fleet adoption for other Tennessee entities, such as NET Trans in Johnson City. With Kingsport’s help and guidance, NET Trans implemented 14 propane-powered vehicles of its own in 2017. The City continues to provide best practices and other key information to other fleets transitioning to alternative fuels.

Cumberland International

Cumberland International, a sales, parts and service provider for trucks and trailers, recently launched and funded the “C10 Project: Keeping Tennessee Beautiful” in order to reduce the company’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The project was designed to increase the fuel economy of Cumberland’s Class 8 long-haul diesel trucks from 6-8 mpg to upwards of 10 mpg. The strategy for meeting this goal included an improvement to vehicle aerodynamics to reduce wind resistance, the utilization of auxiliary power units to reduce diesel idle times, and driver training on optimization of fuel efficiency. The modified C10 semi-truck routinely outperforms generic semi-trucks of the same size by around 2-3 mpg. These savings equate to approximately 30 fewer tons of CO2 emissions per truck per year, or 3,000-5,000 gallons of diesel fuel. One thousand of these C10 trucks were launched and sold in 2017, bringing the total fuel savings to 3-5 million gallons of diesel fuel per year and total CO2 emissions reductions to 30,000 tons per year.

Hamilton County Parks and Recreation

Hamilton County Parks and Recreation recently completed a project to extend the Tennessee Riverpark by three miles along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. Through this extension, Hamilton County Parks and Recreation has expanded a significant alternative transportation corridor by creating a multi-use path and safe pedestrian/bike connection through a previously inaccessible gauntlet of active industrial properties, three railroads, an interstate, city streets and brownfields. The 12-foot-wide pathway features traditional trailheads, shelters, benches, lighting, restrooms, plantings and other amenities that make the walk a welcoming experience. The pathway also highlights Chattanooga’s river port heritage and revitalizes the area through the creation of public art gallery spaces. To make the experience truly immersive, the landscape architects developed a mobile app for the Tennessee Riverpark, which includes georeferenced maps, videos and augmented reality features.

Hytch, LLC

Nashville-based Hytch Rewards has created a smartphone app that provides a monetary incentive for ridesharing – encouraging users to carpool, take public transit, or use ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Since its launch in February 2018, Hytch has sponsored more than 43,000 rides, resulting in 1.6 million vehicle miles avoided and 494 fewer tons of carbon in the atmosphere. Through the Hytch app, Apple and Android smartphones are able to connect to the platform, which enables companies and communities to sponsor customized incentives in order to achieve specific objectives such as shifting to off-peak commuting. The Hytch Rewards app is funded by community grants, brand partnerships and sponsorships from local companies including Nissan, Sprint, Lipscomb University, Reliant Bank and Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. Users see in the app “trees saved” as they share rides, and the company buys and retires carbon-credits to certify the carbon savings. Recognized as a pioneering platform, Hytch has earned the Nashville Technology Council’s Emerging Company of the Year Award as well as TDEC’s Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award.

Tennessee State Parks

Tennessee State Parks (TSP) recently completed the transition of all 650 golf carts at its nine courses from gas to electric. The switch will result in an estimated savings of $80,000 per year and will prevent the release of approximately 350,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The first 222 electric carts used at TSP courses were originally procured in 1996 for use at Harrison Bay, Cumberland Mountain, and Tims Ford State Parks. A second batch of 218 gas-powered golf carts were exchanged for all-electric models at courses within Henry Horton, Montgomery Bell and Fall Creek Falls State Parks in 2014. In 2017, the remaining 210 gas-powered carts in the state’s fleet were swapped for electric-powered carts at Pickwick Landing, Paris Landing and Warriors’ Path State Parks. Harrison Bay State Park has gone even further by replacing a number of other vehicles/devices on-site with electric alternatives, including lawnmowers, bunker rakes, green rollers and utility vehicles.

Vanderbilt University

Earlier this year, Vanderbilt University introduced a non-docking bikesharing system, supported by ofo, to its campus community. A total of 120 bikes are currently available for use within the established bikesharing area, and users can pick up and park the bikes on Vanderbilt’s campus and in nearby neighborhoods. Users must download the ofo app to use the bikes, and ofo then synthesizes trip data to provide Vanderbilt with maintenance and parking reports, health and emissions data, and more. In just the first month, the pilot resulted in over 64,000 bike trips taken. During that time, 4,919 people registered to use the ofo app. The evident popularity of the bikesharing system implemented at Vanderbilt benefits the community by reducing carbon emissions, providing a cost-effective mode of transportation and encouraging physical activity.

Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority

The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), with funding provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), has launched an integrated public Level-2 charging and electric vehicle car share network along its existing public transit system. Providing 56 charging ports across 20 locations, the system's energy use is compensated by the installation of three new solar power generators with a combined capacity of 80 kW. Green Commuter, a Los Angeles headquartered benefit corporation, was selected by CARTA to launch the state's first all-electric public car share system with the initial deployment of 20 Nissan LEAFs in Chattanooga. Offering on-demand hourly and daily rentals, Green Commuter vehicles serve the central business district, key employment and residential centers, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Southern Adventist University, and complement existing transit and bike share networks.

Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency

GreenTrips is a transportation demand management program that aims to reduce emissions from mobile sources by rewarding Chattanooga and Hamilton County area residents for taking more sustainable trips. Members earn prizes for walking, cycling, carpooling, taking public transportation, or working a compressed schedule or from home instead of driving alone. From its public launch in June 2013 through the end of December 2016, the GreenTrips program has avoided over 2.1 million pounds of airborne pollution and over 3.1 million miles of single-occupant vehicle driving. To date, over 1,700 individuals have signed up for the program and have logged over 300,000 trips. GreenTrips launched as a pilot program of the Strategic Long Range Planning department of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency (RPA). The RPA administers the program throughout the Chattanooga-Hamilton County-North Georgia-Transportation Planning Organization area (TPO). GreenTrips is primarily funded by the federal CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) Improvement Program.

City of Johnson City

The Tweetsie Trail is a rails-to-trails project traversing 10 miles of the former East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (ET&WNC) railroad between Johnson City and Elizabethton, Tennessee. After purchasing the out-of-service rail corridor in 2013, the City of Johnson City held public meetings to solicit feedback as to the best use of the corridor. The Johnson City Metropolitan Planning Organization, Carter County, City of Elizabethton, Town of Jonesborough, City of Johnson City, Washington County, Town of Unicoi, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and a team of consultants comprised of Alta Greenways, Parsons Brinkerhoff, and the Bradley Arant Boult law firm compiled a master plan, which outlined existing conditions and goals for the trail. The first seven mile segment opened in August of 2014, and the final three mile segment opened in August 2015. Financially supported through a public-private partnership, the trail serves residents of Johnson City, Carter County, and Elizabethton with a means of alternative transportation between the cities. The trail also provides access and linkages to many K-12 schools, East Tennessee State University, Sycamore Shoals State Park, many local businesses, and several residential areas. Comprised of a surface of small, packed gravel, Tweetsie Trail provides opportunities for walking, running, and bicycling; amenities along the trail include benches, informational signs describing the history and geology of the area, mile markers, pedestrian boardwalk bridges, pedestrian crosswalks, bike racks, pavilions, a quarry overlook, an outdoor classroom space, paved parking areas, and trail maps.

IdleAir and Covenant Transportation Group, Inc.

The Covenant Transport facility in Chattanooga is the site of the most recent private terminal installation of Truck Stop Electrification (TSE) equipment in Tennessee. Drivers who do not live in the region but visit the property, either to exchange loads or perform truck maintenance, frequently spend the night to comply with U.S. Department of Transportation hours of service requirements. For every hour that a truck idles, it consumes on average one gallon of diesel. Drivers typically do not have an alternative means to maintain a comfortable temperature or to get electricity for onboard appliances without idling. IdleAir provides these amenities and more to the vehicle's window by way of electrically powered off-board TSE hardware. In 2014, Covenant Transportation Group, Inc. partnered with the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition (ETCF) and IdleAir to install 20 spaces of TSE at this terminal, located on Birmingham Way in Chattanooga. A portion of the construction and TSE equipment cost was funded by a Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant, awarded to the ETCF in 2014 by EPA Region 4. To date, this project has offset 332 tons of CO2, 4.3 tons NOx, 0.1 ton of PM2.5, 1.8 tons of CO, and 0.2 tons of VOCs, totaling 338.4 tons of airborne pollutants offset. This improves quality of life for nearby residents and Covenant's drivers, while reducing ozone formation at the ground level. By adopting TSE technology and other fuel saving measures, Covenant Transport has proven itself as a leader in environmental stewardship and promotion of driver health and safety.

Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works

For years, Knox County Schools, the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works, and the Knox County Health Department have worked hand-in-hand to increase opportunities for walking and biking to over 80 schools in the 508 square mile county. Given the large number of schools and students, the variety of land use contexts, and a specific budget allocation for making non-motorized improvements, an automated process was necessary for estimating likely walk-to-school trips and determining sidewalk construction priorities. To aid in this process, the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works hired RPM Transportation Consultants to assist in the estimation and mapping of walk trips based upon their development of a unique non-motorized trip modeling process. RPM’s GIS model was specifically molded for Knox County in order to best estimate the impact of distance on walk trip probability. Using a process that incorporated fine-grained student data as well as new web-based apps, the technical prioritization and detailed needs analyses resulted in various low-cost improvements for some of the highway system's youngest users. These low-cost improvements included the addition of new sidewalk connections, construction of trails and/or greenways, identification of key parcels for requiring the installation of sidewalks as development occurs, improving pedestrian crossings, and the development of a neighborhood route and encouragement plan for specific residential areas. In turn, the data has been used to prompt further discussions surrounding adequate pedestrian accommodations around schools in the county as well as across the State.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water

In 2013, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) invested over $500,000 to convert its privately owned compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling station to the area’s first public-access CNG refueling station, enabling all businesses and residents of Memphis and Shelby County to convert from gasoline and diesel to cleaner, domestically produced natural gas. The following year, a second public refueling CNG station was built. The stations are close to high traffic industry access ways, to attract heavy-duty trucks from both local and interstate roadways. Drivers can also conveniently refuel 24 hours a day. In 2016, MLGW began purchasing 100% renewable natural gas from Clean Energy Renewable Fuels (CERF); CERF collects, cleans, and compresses the gas that is produced by the North Shelby landfill, and MLGW brings that gas to market through their natural gas distribution system. The partnership is an acknowledgment of the growing potential of biomethane as a renewable, low-emission fuel. To date, over 10% of MLGW’s fleet is powered by alternative fuels, saving nearly 53,000 gallons of gasoline/diesel annually. Total CNG usage and diesel displacement since the opening of the stations has reached over 700,000 diesel gallon equivalents (DGE).

Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority

In February 2017, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) unveiled 20 new CNG shuttle buses to service parking lots at the Nashville International Airport (BNA). These 20 shuttles join eight new BNA Express Park CNG powered shuttles that were put into service in June 2016. Based on an annual estimated consumption of 300,000 gallons of diesel (338,248 gasoline gallon equivalent), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributed to the airport’s shuttle operations will be reduced by 14%. This is a well to wheel calculation and equates to an annual reduction of 587 tons of GHG emissions. In April 2017, MNAA also opened an on-site CNG refueling station to support its CNG shuttle bus operations. MNAA plans to incrementally continue modernizing and converting its fleet annually. Information on MNAA’s CNG use will also be displayed on the airport’s “Green Screen,” an interactive kiosk inside the airport that educates customers on progress made on sustainable and green initiatives.

Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Public Works Department

The 46th Avenue and Murphy Road Roundabout and Streetscape project in Nashville’s Sylvan Park neighborhood is a Complete Streets project that balances multi-modal accessibility with aesthetic and quality of life improvements for area residents, visitors, and businesses. Prior to the construction of the new roundabout, the skewed 46th Avenue & Murphy Road intersection was difficult for drivers to navigate. The high-speed intersection layout, as well as the lack of safe crosswalks and adequate sidewalks, also created a very unfriendly environment for pedestrians. As a result of the 46th Avenue South & Murphy Road Roundabout and Streetscape project, the once confusing, signalized intersection has been replaced with an attractive landscaped, free-flowing roundabout that significantly improves traffic flow, calms traffic by reducing speeds, and enhances safety for cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists. New and wider sidewalks, separated from traffic lanes by on-street parking and native landscaping, along with attractive public seating and lighting have created an enjoyable pedestrian experience that enhances the adjacent businesses and neighborhood. This $2 million investment of public funds has resulted in a safer, aesthetically pleasing, and more pedestrian-friendly intersection and roadway, leading to significant additional business investments in the area. The Roundabout and Streetscape now seamlessly connect the community core to surrounding residential uses and community amenities, such as the Richland Greenway, McCabe Park and Golf Course, and McCabe Park Community Center.

Tennessee Department of Transportation

The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) Fast Fix 8 Project utilized accelerated bridge construction techniques as part of a rehabilitation of four pairs of bridges in downtown Nashville. The use of these techniques minimized roadway user cost delays, reducing fuel use and emissions tied to construction-related traffic congestion. In partnership with TDOT, Irving Materials Inc., and Middle Tennessee State University’s Concrete Industry Management Program, a high-strength, ready-mix concrete was developed; only four hours after pouring this concrete, lanes can be opened to traffic. The mix design was approved for use on the project as TDOT Class X Concrete and ultimately will be available to be utilized on future accelerated bridge projects throughout the State. The project, which would have taken 2.5 years to complete under normal construction circumstances, was completed in only 10 weekend closure periods. The use of advanced construction materials developed as part of this project also saved landfill space and reduced particulate air pollution associated with traditional construction activities. Additionally, over 2,450 tons of metal and 8,000 tons of concrete were repurposed or recycled as part of this project.

The TMA Group

The TMA Group (Transportation Management Association), a 501(c)(3) located in Franklin, is a regional leader in providing strategic, innovative, environmentally sustainable, multi-modal transportation solutions for employers and communities. Since the 1990's, TMA has operated and managed commuter vanpool fleets. Currently, under contract with Williamson County and RTA (Regional Transportation Authority), TMA operates and manages VanStar, the regional commuter vanpool program serving hundreds of commuters throughout 14 Middle Tennessee counties. VanStar participants choose an alternative to commuting alone in their personal vehicle to and from work. An average Vanstar vanpool contains 7 to 13 participants, taking 6 to 12 individual cars off of the road.  There are no paid employees needed to operate a VanStar commute van; TMA provides the vehicles, the insurance, and all the maintenance and repairs, whereas monthly commute costs are shared by the riders. VanStar participants experience an annual individual savings of up to $4,000 in personal transportation costs. As a result, in 2016 alone, these participants saved an estimated $2 million in cumulative fuel, maintenance, and wear and tear on their personal vehicles. In 2015, TMA added a Comprehensive Ridematching Software System tool (TripSpark) to the vanpool program. Through the use of TripSpark, the TMA Group collects data that supports the environmental impact of VanStar to the Middle Tennessee region. Based on this data, TMA reports that from July 1, 2015 to February 28, 2017, 890 VanStar participants have avoided 14,829,341 vehicle miles traveled, 12,104,087 tons of pollution, 11,507,569 lbs. of GHG emissions, and 593,173 gallons of gasoline used. Throughout the same time period, VanStar participants have saved $3,559,041 in related, personal transportation costs.

United Parcel Service, Inc.

The United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) has been exploring alternatives to conventional petroleum fuels to power its ground fleet for a long time. The company, which has invested more than $750 million in alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technologies since 2009,  now operates one of the largest private alternative fuel and advanced technology fleets in the U.S. Natural gas, in the form of both compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), has become the foundational fuel of UPS’ alternative fuel vehicle fleet, based on its ability to meet the demands of the heavy-duty, over-the-road trucks that connect the company’s regional hubs. In 2016, UPS opened 11 new CNG refueling stations throughout the U.S.; with these new stations, UPS now owns and operates 44 CNG and LNG stations in 21 states. In the State of Tennessee, UPS vehicles consumed over 7.5 million diesel gallon equivalents (DGE) of natural gas in 2016; over 2 million DGEs of this natural gas consumed was renewable natural gas (RNG) or biomethane, diverted from landfills. In December 2015, UPS announced that it would supply its fleets in Memphis, Tennessee and Jackson, Mississippi with an estimated 15 million diesel gallon gas equivalents of RNG as part of a multi-year agreement with Memphis Light, Gas and Water and Atmos Energy Marketing, LLC. The deal will help the company to meet its goal of driving one billion miles with its alternative fuel vehicle fleet, known as the Rolling Laboratory, by the end of 2017, an effort that will reduce environmental impact and help to advance new sustainability solutions and markets.

Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority

The Bike Chattanooga 33-station, 300-bicycle transit system enables users to conveniently access downtown Chattanooga and is the first large-scale bike share program in a mid-sized city, enhancing mobility and accessibility for the community. The system footprint makes trips possible in the central business district, the North Shore and Southside neighborhoods, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and the Tennessee Riverpark. Web and mobile applications provide real-time information and make it easy for users to determine the availability of nearby stations, bicycles, docking points, and local points of interest. The bike share program contributes to reduced traffic congestion, reduced use of fossil fuels, and reduced pressure on downtown parking. In 2015, Bike Chattanooga members completed over 163,000 trips traveling over 500,000 miles and burning more than 20 million calories. In addition to the health and mobility benefits, the potential exists for a decrease in over 300,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide emissions.

City of Athens

Athens began their Green Ways Initiative in 2013, developed to provide environmentally friendly methods of advancing commuting infrastructure. Since the start of the program, Athens has increased the total city sidewalk and walkway length by two percent annually. Several of the walkways are surfaced with pervious pavers, beneath which there are detention ponds. In addition to walkway expansion, the city has added nine miles of new multi-use trail over the last three years, taking their total trail mileage to 14 miles. Trails are open to walkers, horseback riders, and bikers. Athens is in the process of developing a mobile-friendly trail map program to increase trail system accessibility and provide mileage information. Additionally, Athens repairs their roads with a method that is more environmentally friendly than traditional methods – the Liquid Road paving method is calculated to save over 97,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide for every four-lane mile treated. The city treated eight miles of road last year.

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is developing a cost-efficient, environmentally friendly fleet. Espar heaters with 15-minute timers have been installed in 34 of the county’s school buses. These timers warm both the engine and bus interior but prevent the bus from sitting and idling for large amounts of time while warming. This heater retrofit is estimated to save 1,000 gallons of diesel each winter. The school system has also recently implemented use of idle management systems in 250 of their buses. The system shuts the bus off after 15 minutes, preventing unnecessary idling and saving approximately 7,500 gallons of diesel each winter. Lastly, the school system has purchased and put into service one propane school bus and has plans to buy more. The propane bus is quieter and reduces the typical carbon dioxide and fine dust emissions of a diesel bus, which, in turn, reduces children’s daily exposure to air pollution. Additionally, the propane bus requires less maintenance, decreasing long-term operating cost. The combination of the heater installation, idle management system, and propane bus has resulted in an approximately 11,000 gallon decrease in annual diesel use.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Making park transportation more environmentally friendly is a key tenet of the National Park Services’ 2012 Green Parks Plan, which commits the National Park Service to reducing its carbon footprint by 10 percent by its Centennial in 2016. As part of this goal, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has installed two public DC Fast Chargers and two Level II electric vehicle charging stations at their two visitors’ centers. They are also integrating alternative fuel vehicles into their fleet with the purchase of six new propane trucks, a hybrid Ford Fusion, and the installation of propane fueling stations in two maintenance areas. Signage displaying the message “Be Our Idol, Don’t Idle” has also been installed in visitor parking areas throughout the park to help spread the message to the public.

JNJ Express Inc.

JNJ Express Inc., a truckload carrier based out of Memphis, recently purchased over 300 new trucks equipped with diesel particulate filters that enhance clean fuel burn, drastically reducing emissions. They also purchased an additional 150 trailers that are equipped with the latest aerodynamic technology including side skirts. All of the new trucks and trailers have wide-based tires that are 12 percent more fuel efficient than the previous type of tire used. Trucks are equipped with electric, battery-powered auxiliary power units that enable drivers to be 90 percent idle-free. JNJ reduces drag on trucks by trimming the mud guards to exclusively cover the tread portion of the tires and installing wheel covers to facilitate smooth air flow. Eight hundred of their trailers are equipped with trailer tails, which in conjunction with side skirts increase fuel efficiency up to 10 percent. Lastly, JNJ provides extensive driver training that makes drivers up to 30 percent more fuel efficient through learned techniques such as progressive shifting and momentum gaining shifting procedures.

Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority

Metropolitan Transit Authority in Nashville has a history of providing environmentally-friendly transit options. This past year, they expanded their fleet to include nine Proterra Inc. electric buses. These buses run virtually silent and emit zero tailpipe emissions. The buses are used for the cost-free Music City Circuit, which runs from the Nashville Farmers’ Market through the busy business, tourism, and arts district of downtown, all the way into the Gulch area. The buses are quick-charging at just 10 minutes for a full charge. Because they have 30 percent fewer parts than a diesel vehicle and require fewer repairs, lifetime maintenance costs are expected to decrease by about $135,000. In 2015, the Music City Circuit’s electric buses provided more than 300,000 rides for residents and visitors in downtown Nashville, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 56,000 pounds and resulting in a decreased diesel usage of 34,000 gallons.

RPM Transportation Consultants and Metropolitan Government of Nashville Department of Public Works

RPM Transportation Consultants and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville Department of Public Works’ 11th Avenue complete street project took a 100-year-old industrial corridor and created a multi-use, attractive main street through the Gulch neighborhood. The aging roadway had limited sidewalk availability, lacked bicycle infrastructure, and didn’t adequately accommodate transit service. Project elements addressed deficiencies with the addition of a multi-use path with separate bike paths and wide sidewalks, 800 linear feet of greenway and urban mini-park, hundreds of new trees and shrubs, a signalized pedestrian crossing, roadside bioretention zones, and bike racks. The new corridor blends aspects of the neighborhood’s industrial uses and warehouses with the trendy, modern design of new developments in the neighborhood. To celebrate the completion of Nashville’s newest complete street, former Mayor Karl Dean hosted the community’s first Open Streets Festival in June 2015. Over 2,000 people participated in the festival and took advantage of all that the newly developed street has to offer.

Sharp Transport, Inc.

Sharp Transport, Inc. for-hire freight carrier has increased their overall trailer fleet efficiency by 11 percent over the last four years. Sharp has updated nearly 100 tractors with selective catalytic reduction technology engines; implemented low rolling resistance tires over the entire tractor fleet and over 300 trailers; purchased new, lighter weight trailers equipped with side skirt aerodynamic devices to reduce wind drag; and installed automatic tire inflation devices on all trailers. In April 2013, Sharp implemented onboard recording systems that monitor every aspect of fuel economy and calculate idle time, use of cruise control, RPM management, and speed control. These data are used to provide financial incentives to drivers for achieving fuel economy milestones. Sharp also equipped a number of trailers with trailer tail aerodynamic devices, resulting in an improvement of average efficiency by three to five percent. Recently, Sharp Transport, Inc. became the first carrier in the United States to be awarded the EPA’s Smartway Elite certification, recognizing their overall trailer fleet efficiency.

Tennessee Department of Transportation, Structures Division and Environmental and Planning Bureau

The Edward R. Talley Bridge on State Route 70 over the Clinch River was built in 1928 and by 2014 had become structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. The recent bridge replacement had to be carefully planned and executed. First, the bridge spans an environmentally protected part of the river.  The shoal area near the bridge crossing is a mussel sanctuary with 20 federally listed species of mussels and two federally listed fish species. To avoid adverse impacts to the river habitat, the bridge needed to be replaced without touching the water. Second, the bridge is located in Hancock County, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, and many residents used this bridge to commute to other towns for work. Had the Talley Bridge been closed for repairs, excessive detour times to the other river crossing and the associated increase in fuel costs would have made it impossible for some workers to continue their jobs in other towns. Through coordination with various resource agencies and careful planning, the Department of Transportation was able to replace the bridge without any damage to the natural environment while providing a convenient and reliable crossing of the Clinch River.

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University offers many alternative transportation options to its 36,781 students, staff, and faculty, including bus, rail, biking, carpooling, and shuttles. Vanderbilt makes taking the bus easy by fully subsidizing the commuting cost for all employees and graduate, professional, and medical students. They also pay for 60 percent of the cost to ride the Music City Star commuter train. The university provides carpool opportunities through a ride match system available to anyone with a Vanderbilt email address. The university also coordinates an on-campus shuttle service, as well as several off-campus shuttles that provide transportation to supermarkets, shopping centers, and the airport, all at no-to-low cost to students. Additionally, Vanderbilt has a robust bike infrastructure with abundant bike racks around the campus, semester and year-long bike rentals, and online maps showing the location of all bike racks and bike resources around campus. The impact of the Vanderbilt Alternative Transportation Program saves 9,219 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents annually, which is equal to removing almost 2,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

Black Bear Solar Institute 

With a mission to address poor air quality caused by tourists’ vehicles at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as a need to educate guests and find more sustainable travel options for park visitors from rural East Tennessee, the nonprofit organization Black Bear Solar Institute built a public educational facility and installed various electric vehicle charging stations, forming the Green Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains.

The educational facility, located in Townsend, Tenn., has displays, programs and demonstrations on solar energy, alternative transportation, alternative fuels and electric vehicles. The facility offers visitors the chance to test drive a Nissan Leaf, so they can get first-hand exposure to an electric vehicle. Since its first electric charging station was installed in December 2011, the Green Gateway now extends from Townsend to Cherokee, North Carolina, with charging locations found at businesses, a college campus and an airport.

The success of the Green Gateway led to the State partnering with Black Bear Solar Institute to install electric vehicle charging stations in six Tennessee Parks. The Institute is also working with an electric vehicle manufacturer to select other Tennessee locations that will become future sites for electric charging stations.

City of Kingsport

Since March 2014, more than 500 vehicle trips have been avoided in the City of Kingsport thanks to the Downtown Employee Bicycle User Group (DEBUG) program, which provides bikes and helmets to city employees for free.  Instead of taking a car, employees now have the option to ride bicycles to meetings, luncheons and business events. Bicycles can also be used by employees for after-work activities. As more people joined the group, new bicycle lanes were built in the city.

Other organizations began to see the benefits of the program, as the bicycle trips produced greater benefits to the local economy. Partnerships with DEBUG have grown to include the Downtown Kingsport Association, Healthy Kingsport, the Kingsport Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Kingsport Association, Kingsport Bikes, The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Clean Air, Urban Synergy, Bike Walk Tennessee and the City of Kingsport.

CoLinx, LLC

CoLinx LLC, a Crossville-based company that manages logistics and e-commerce links within supply chains for manufacturers, created a web application called Dockview. The application consolidates small shipments from various shippers into combined, single pallets, to better utilize truck space and to minimize the number of trucks on Tennessee highways. The application has resulted in fewer trucks dispatched, higher truck utilization, lower cost for shippers and dependable damage-free delivery results.

CoLinx, LLC partnered with Baldor, Gates, Schaeffler, SKF, Timken and has the support of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the City of Crossville and the county.

FedEx

As the premier carrier of high-priority goods in the U.S., FedEx created EarthSmart Innovations to engage in sustainable practices and to involve team members, customers, suppliers, vendors and the communities where they operate to reduce the environmental impact of their daily business practices.

In January 2006, FedEx formed its EarthSmart program, which now includes paperless processing, utilization of zero-emission, all-electric vehicles, extended range electric vehicles and low-emission, hybrid-electric vehicles, the FedEx Paper Recycling Program, carbon-neutral envelope and efficient container shipping, the use of zero-emission tricycles, solar facilities and a LEED-Certified facility, and the use of a fuel efficiency and aircraft performance management tool called Fuel Sense.

FedEx also has partnerships with the Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, the World Resources Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency and Global Environmental Management.

Gibson County Utility District

In May 2015, the Trenton-based Gibson County Utility District is opening what they hope to be “the greenest” and cleanest compressed natural gas refueling station in Tennessee – the Gibson County Energy Complex. The station will be the only public/private compressed natural gas refueling station between Memphis and Nashville.

The Gibson County Energy Complex will provide cleaner, domestic, abundant, lower-cost fuel for inbound and outbound material supply, public and private service organizations and public transportation agencies. The station will also help reduce the area’s dependence on foreign oil imports.

The station is environmentally sustainable, with power largely derived from a natural gas gen-set unit and a bank of batteries replenished by a solar array. A detention pond will be installed to handle storm water runoff. Environmental grasses will be planted as landscaping around the station, so that no mowing will be needed and no pollution created. 

Midwest Energy Solutions Inc. will provide the design, engineering, equipment specification, procurement and installation, site preparation, commissioning, certification, and ongoing maintenance of the complex. Constellation Energy, which supplies Gibson County Utility District with natural gas, is also a proud partner in the project.

Marvin Windows and Doors of Tennessee

Marvin Windows and Doors of Tennessee in Ripley, Tenn., is a Green Star Company that produces custom made-to-order doors for residential and commercial use. The company uses wood from Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Forest Stewardship Council certified forests.

In 2007, the company began using traffic management and planning to better map out their tractor trailer trucks’ routes. This resulted in the avoidance of additional trips and allowed them to save on freight costs and avoid tons of CO2 emissions in the process. They also equipped their trucks with Environmental Protection Agency engine controls to reduce emissions and new trailers are equipped with aerodynamic skirts to increase fuel efficiency.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory/UT-Battelle, LLC 

In 2009, Oak Ridge National Laboratory was awarded funds by the Department of Energy for the installation of 125 solar-assisted electric vehicle charging stations across Tennessee. The award was then matched by contributions from Nissan North America, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Electric Power Research Institute and the State of Tennessee.

The Laboratory installed its first charging station at its facility in 2011 and eventually added 25 solar-assisted stations and 19 non-solar charging stations. The Laboratory hosts presentations and tours of the charging stations to educate people about the technology. Roughly 41 employees at the Lab drive electric cars and there are two electric cars in the Lab’s fleet. Data is also collected from the charging stations to allow researchers to better understand the station’s utilization. The output of the 47-kilowatt solar stations on campus, which are part of the project, exceeds the energy used by all of the electric vehicles on an annual basis. The Lab’s solar-assisted charging station reduces carbon emissions by 47.2 metric tons per year. The station has also aided in the Laboratory’s Sustainable Campus Initiative.

In November 2013, this initiative was awarded the Presidential Good Neighbor GreenGov Award, with part of the recognition coming from ORNL’s support for the Tennessee EV Project, which helped to install electric vehicle charging stations and encouraged the development of a charging corridor across Tennessee. This state-wide effort was led in part by the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Advisory Council, Tennessee representatives from the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Coalition program, electric vehicle manufactures and dealerships, and Car Charging Group, Inc.

Overton Park Conservancy 

The Hampline gives Memphis residents a safe, two-mile transit route from Memphis’ Shelby Farms Greenline western terminus to the trail network within Overton Park. This multi-use trail allows pedestrians and bicyclists access to schools, a police station, community center, public library, spiritual and medical facilities, the arts district and Overton Park. The Hampline has also helped reconnect many low-income residents with much-needed amenities and services.

The project, initiated in July 2011 by the Broad Avenue Arts District, Binghampton Development Corporation, Overton Park Conservancy and the City of Memphis, has inspired more than $25 million in investments for building renovations, new businesses, community services and public art. In addition, $10 million in the planned developments are committed for the immediate future.

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

All 15 of Tennessee’s Welcome Centers, which have 13 million visitors annually, became green certified in October 2014. They received the certification for reducing energy, water and material usage as well as increasing recycling at its centers since January 2014.

As the Welcome Centers serve motor vehicle travelers and tourists, its green certification leads by example and enables visitors to be more sustainable as they traverse our state. Visitors can recycle the cans, bottles, and papers that they have from their road trips, make pit stops that use less water thanks to low flow toilets and faucets, have a picnic under a PV array, and learn about how to be more sustainable at home.

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association, and the independent environmental consulting company Skye Con, worked with the welcome centers to complete the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association’s Green Certification Program. Prior to this, welcome centers have never been considered for the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association Green Certification. The associations worked together to create green certification requirements based on EPA regulations specifically designed for welcome centers.

A few sustainable activities implemented since January 2014 include updating centers with energy efficient lighting, installing insulation and weather stripping, installing rain barrels for landscaping use, recycling products and setting up visitor recycling areas. The centers monitor electrical and water usage to measure their results. In addition, the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development is providing center employees with continued education about green product training and sustainable best practices. The organizations hope to be a model for other state visitor services, inspiring them to also become more sustainable.

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and the Tennessee Department of Transportation are displaying their green certification marketing materials at each center, posting messages on center bulletin boards and utilizing energy smart screens to educate visitors and to create public awareness about the sustainable practices being done. Future plans are to utilize these marketing tools to educate visitors on electric vehicles, charging stations and sustainable transportation. Through their efforts, the welcome centers hope to spread best practices and inspire individuals and businesses to be more sustainable in their own endeavors.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

The Center of Energy, Transportation and the Environment at the University of Tennessee-- Chattanooga  is focused on applying research to develop clean, renewable energy systems for transportation that will reduce the harmful effects of emissions and promote energy conservation and independence. Along with the University, the Center’s partners are the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, EVAmerica, the Federal Transit Authority and the Electric Power Board Chattanooga.

The Center’s research activities include electric vehicle testing with the Tennessee Valley Authority, demonstrations on hydrogen as a motor fuel, the conversion of a Saturn Vue car to run on ethanol, and research on wireless charging of vehicles through an inductive power transfer process from coils buried in the pavement.

Waste Industries of Tennessee

Waste Industries of Tennessee in Nashville is the first and only company in Tennessee to use diesel hybrid collection vehicles that produce less CO2 emissions and are fuel and energy efficient.

The company’s two diesel hybrid vehicles, in use since 2012, consume about 50 percent less diesel fuel, emit 55 less tons of CO2 emissions on an annual basis, include brakes that last for the full lifetime of the truck and have an engine that runs at peak efficiency. The vehicles also have RunWise technology, which uses energy from the engine as well as from captured brake energy to propel the vehicle.

Waste Industries GIS department and staff also use Route Smart geocoding and routing programs that allowed them to eliminate more than 1,000 service routes over seven states since 2007, thus reducing fuel consumption, emissions and street wear and tear.

Waste Management, Inc. of Tennessee

Waste Management Inc. of Tennessee in Nashville has a mission to reduce fuel consumption and reach a goal of Zero Tailpipe Emission Vehicles. They have used natural gas collection vehicles since 1992. In October 2013, they began incorporating compressed natural gas collection vehicles to create a Green Fleet. The greenhouse gas savings from the 44 compressed natural gas collection vehicles in their fleet equated to removing 170 passenger vehicles from the road. 

By the end of 2015, Waste Management’s goal is to have 85 percent of its collection vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. A longer term goal is to have all collection vehicles power by CNG. When completed, the impact of the fleet conversion will translate to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achieved by removing 280 passenger vehicles from the road.

Waste Management also has its own CNG refueling station, constructed in 2014, that fills up to 80 company trucks while they are parked overnight. This reduces operational costs for electricity and labor. Vehicles also save fuel and reduce emissions because they are now programmed to shut down automatically after idling for five minutes. In addition to updating their vehicles, Waste Management has incorporated route optimization software to manage routes and reduce driver times by several million hours each year. Waste Management Inc. of Tennessee has partnerships with the Tennessee Gas Association and Clean Cities of Middle Tennessee.