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EPA awards Palo Alto nonprofit
$204,604 to study business park transit system
States News Service
July 4, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. The following information was released
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded
a Palo Alto-based nonprofit $204,604 to study a new concept
to reduce driving, provide alternative transportation to workers
and the community, and reclaim parking areas for more productive
use for the city of Pleasanton, Calif.
Cities21 will explore a "Personal Rapid Transit" shuttle system
for the Hacienda Business Park in Pleasanton that would complement
and significantly increase BART ridership, carpool, vanpool,
bicycle, and bus commutes for the business park's 19,500 people.
The elevated monorail system with many three-person, driverless,
electric vehicles travel non-stop 30 mph over the commute's
last mile.
The plan has the potential to reduce 16,500 tons of carbon
dioxide per year for Pleasanton, potentially at zero taxpayer
cost. If all 42 California suburban employment centers with
20,000 or more employees used the same system, carbon dioxide
reductions could reach 1million tons per year.
"The city of Pleasanton is excited about this grant and its
contribution to studying alternative transportation in and
around Hacienda Business Park," said Pleasanton Mayor Jennifer
Hosterman. "I'm concerned about the environment and making
Pleasanton the best possible city. I'm happy to be contributing
to this innovative research and exploring long-term solutions
with such a terrific team of partners."
"Oracle is dedicated to improving the quality of life for
our employees and our communities," said Randy Smith, Vice
President of Oracle Global Real Estate and Facilities. "We
have undertaken significant measures to decrease congestion
and pollution around our campuses and are proud to be included
in the EPA's list of top corporate commuter programs. We share
the Hacienda study's commitment to creating a sustainable
alternative transportation model in Pleasanton, that benefits
the city, our employees, and the environment."
"Increased traffic not only degrades our environment, but
our quality of life," said Wayne Nastri, the EPA's regional
administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. "Cities21
is using innovative approaches to address many key transportation
challenges for a more sustainable future transportation system."
This is the first study of a Personal Rapid Transit system
aimed at extending the reach of a BART station to provide
easy access to 20,000 people. The shuttle system is an emerging
technology under development in Minnesota, Texas, the United
Kingdom and Korea.
Other partners include the city of Pleasanton, the EPA, Oracle,
MTC, Bay Area Rapid Transit, Bay Area Council, Cambridge Systematics,
RIDES, BayCap Shuttle Group, California Center for Land Recycling,
Alameda County Congestion Management Agency, East Bay Community
Foundation's Livable Communities Project, the Livermore Amador
Valley Transit Authority, and Intrago Mobility.
The EPA's Collaborative Science and Technology Network for
Sustainability grant's program is designed to encourage innovative
thinking on practical applications of science and engineering.
For more information on the study, please visit:
http://tod.hacienda.org/PRT/epa.htm
or on the EPA grant program,visit: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/events/news/2005/news_release_051805.html
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