STEP FIVE:

Outlining the Green Fleets Strategies To Be Employed By the City or County

The ordinance or executive order should clearly outline the strategies that will be taken to achieve the stated goals. These strategies should include some combination of the following:

• “Right-sizing” vehicle fleets by downsizing and eliminating vehicles.
• Optimizing vehicle travel, operation, and maintenance.
• Substituting other travel modes, or reducing the need to travel.
• Purchasing fuel efficient, alternatively fueled, and electric drivetrain vehicles.

Ideally, the ordinance or executive order will include prescriptions and policies for achieving each of these actions. At a minimum, the ordinance or executive order should include:

• • A directive to include fuel efficiency standards in procurement specifications.
  • A process by which vehicle requests are reviewed and modified if more fuel-efficient vehicles than those requested will be able to perform the same tasks.
  • Minimum emission standards for new vehicle purchases, including requiring the purchase of some vehicles with no tailpipe emissions.
  • Requirements that employees use fuel-saving practices such as minimizing idling, optimizing routes, carpooling, and using transit where appropriate.

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Examples

From San Francisco

(a) Passenger Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks. Except as set forth in subsection (e), beginning 90 days from the effective date of this Chapter, all City departments shall purchase or lease only models of passenger vehicles and light duty trucks that are rated as ultra-low emission vehicle or zero emission vehicle. Commencing July 1, 2000, at least ten percent (10%) of all passenger vehicles and light duty trucks purchased or leased by the City within any fiscal year shall be zero emission models. The Mayor’s Office and the Director of Administrative Services shall review annual and supplemental vehicle funding requests from City departments to ensure that this requirement is met each fiscal year.

From Denver’s Original Green Fleets Executive Order

Fleets shall address the following strategies in designing their annual Green Fleets Plan:

A. Reduce Fleet size (excluding DIA);
B. Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled; and
C. Downsize Vehicles to Increase MPG.