Transportation Alternatives

the challenge

Within the Region, residents rely heavily on personal automobiles for their transportation needs, creating an underutilized public transportation system. Additionally, there are a limited number of alternative fuel vehicles within the region and few, if any, filling stations to support these vehicles.

While there are a small number of protected bike lanes within the region, bicycling as a mode of transportation, including bike commuting, is very limited even though there are substantial benefits: exercise, money-savings, and helping to alleviate congestion, noise and pollution.

Government regulation, environmental pressures and market competition have spurred accelerated research and development into transportation and fuel alternatives.

The challenge to the community is to increase the utilization of alternative transportation and fuels to improve air quality, reduce emissions as part of becoming a more sustainable community.

CEI today

Utilizing an EPA grant and assistance program called Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE), CEI focused on reducing exposure of school children to diesel emissions. The work raised awareness of alternative transportation technologies and specifically resulted in installation of particulate emission controls on seven Rochester City School District refrigerator trucks.

CEI's future

CEI is seeking funding to develop programs that introduce the community to the benefits of alternative transportation modes and fuels. CEI can provide the leadership and know-how and be the driving force to help the Region transition by:

• Educating the public and other stakeholders about the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels for transportation, as well as the availability of alternatives fuels.
• Promoting the R&D initiatives of advanced technology vehicles, such as electric hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles that are being researched and developed within the Region.
• Accelerating the identification and adoption of alternate fuels and technology by collaborating with businesses, colleges and universities. CEI can promote awareness of the advantages of these products and investigate and evaluate additional alternatives.
• Identifying, applying for funding for, and implementing alternative transportation and fuel-related demonstration and pilot projects by working with the Genesee Transportation Council, Monroe County Planning, Clean Communities and other regional environmental committees and associations.