<html dir="ltr"><head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252"> <style title="owaParaStyle">P { MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px } </style> </head> <body ocsi="x"> <div dir="ltr">Colleagues:</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">I work for the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Greater Philadelphia, PA, metropolitan area.  Our region is located on the US east coast, about halfway between New York and Washington, DC.  We have about 6 million residents, and are the 5th or 6th largest region in the US. </div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">I have been asked to manage a small study looking at the "expected challenges and opportunities for the introduction to our region of alternatives to the current vehicle mix in order to inform policies that will allow our region to most effectively facilitate benefit from their introduction."</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">The project description is copied below.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">I would greatly appreciate pointers toward any research or studies that might help.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">Feel free to respond directly to me at <a href="mailto:rgraff@dvrpc.org">rgraff@dvrpc.org</a> or to the list in general.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">Thanks in advance.</div> <div dir="ltr"> </div> <div dir="ltr">With best regards,</div> <div class="BodyFragment"> <div class="PlainText"> </div> <div class="PlainText">Rob</div> <div class="PlainText"> </div> <div class="PlainText">Rob Graff Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission <a href="mailto:rgraff@dvrpc.org">rgraff@dvrpc.org</a></div> <div class="PlainText"> <div style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 2.25pt solid; mso-element: para-border-div"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> PROJECT: 10-xx-xxx  Alternative Vehicles  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> <o:p></o:p> </div> Responsible Agency:  <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Delaware</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on"> Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Regional Planning Commission<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Project Coordinator:  Robert Graff<o:p></o:p> Project Managers:  Patricia Elkis<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Goals:<o:p></o:p> This project will:<o:p></o:p> - Begin to prepare the region for the advent of a future vehicle mix which is likely to be more heterogeneous than our current mix, which is largely limited to enclosed vehicles with four or more wheels using internal combustion engines burning gasoline.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> - Catalog the expected challenges and opportunities for the introduction to our region of alternatives to the current vehicle mix in order to inform policies that will allow our region to most effectively facilitate benefit from their introduction<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Description:<o:p></o:p> Many observers expect that we are entering an era when the global supply of fossil fuel will become increasingly uncertain, with price fluctuations and a long-term increase in prices.  In addition, concerns about levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are expected to lead to regulation of carbon dioxide emissions.  Many expect the combination of these forces will lead over time to a change in the mix of propulsion systems for the vehicles that use our road network.  Currently, that mix is dominated by enclosed vehicles with four or more wheels using internal combustion engines burning gasoline.  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> This project will review readily available literature and data to seek answers to several key questions about possible future vehicle mixes, including electric vehicles:<o:p></o:p> What are current expectations about the likely types of alternatives to the fossil-fuel burning internal combustion engine? <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What are the salient characteristics of these alternatives? How will they operate differently on the road network?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What portion of trips currently made by users of our road network will be amenable to the various alternatives?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What, if any, are the implications for our region for fueling these vehicles (e.g., charging stations, distribution of alternative liquid fuels)?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What are likely to be the implications for parking systems?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What are the air quality implications for various alternative vehicles?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What are implications for the region�s economy of this emerging sector?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What role is appropriate for DVRPC to play in promoting or preparing the region for alternative vehicles?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Tasks:<o:p></o:p> 1. Data collection and interpretation, such as:<o:p></o:p> - Information on the salient characteristics of emerging vehicle types most likely to be on roads in the DVRPC region in the next decade, including vehicles currently in use here in limited numbers, vehicles in use elsewhere in the world, and vehicles being actively prototyped.<o:p></o:p> - Usage patterns of vehicles in the region today, including trip length, daily mileage, and household vehicle sharing.<o:p></o:p> - Information on where cars are currently parked at night and throughout the course of the day, including basic characteristics of those facilities.<o:p></o:p> - Other information needed to address the questions outline above.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> 2. Evaluation of measures and strategies that might be considered for promoting or preparing the region for alternative vehicles, such as:<o:p></o:p> - Opportunities and challenges for fleets, including taxis, rental cars, delivery vehicles, and government fleet.<o:p></o:p> - Opportunities and challenges for local production of entire vehicles or vehicle components.<o:p></o:p> - Implications of measures and strategies for DVRPC activities.<o:p></o:p> - Implications for county and municipal operations, including zoning and codes.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The scope of this project is primarily limited to reviewing, compiling, organizing, and summarizing existing studies and information from the DVRPC region and other regions.  If funds permit, limited original research may be undertaken.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Products:<o:p></o:p> 1. Report on the opportunities and challenges for our region of the introduction of alternative vehicles.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Beneficiaries:<o:p></o:p> Member governments; DVRPC planning professionals; state and federal agencies; municipal officials; citizens.<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> </body> </html>