State and Local Climate and Energy Program

Houston Climate Showcase

Houston, Texas

Federal Funding: $423,069
Project Timeline: July 2010 – December 2012

Project Summary
Community Characteristics
Program Results/Estimated Results
Project Website
Media Coverage
Photos

Project Summary

Promoting Electric Vehicles and Bike-Friendly Technologies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The City of Houston has been working to complete the three initiatives of their project. After converting five hybrid vehicles into plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) as part of an emission-testing program with the Texas Transportation Institute, the PHEV conversion phase of the project is complete. The City has also leased two electric vehicles, completed the installation of four electric vehicle charging stations, and awarded a Request for Proposals for 23 additional Battery Electric Vehicles. Finally, the City has identified potential sites for bike share stations and will soon announce the award to a bidder for the Bike Share Demonstration component of the project. The Bike Share stakeholder group is exploring the idea of converting the bike share demonstration project into a citywide bike share program. Upcoming work includes managing the Bike Share program and engaging in community outreach and education.

The City of Houston faces significant challenges in terms of air quality and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from its petrochemical refining industry and port operations. Private vehicle travel within the City contributes to these environmental challenges. As part of its efforts to address GHG emissions and air pollutants, the City of Houston is launching three Climate Showcase initiatives:

A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) conversion,
An electric vehicle program, and
A bike share demonstration program.

The first component of Houston’s program is the conversion of five (5) Priuses to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). This new vehicle will undergo testing to determine emission reductions. Houston will also promote the adoption of electric vehicles by purchasing a fleet of 25 electric vehicles and installing four public charging stations at popular locations in the City. The program will establish a marketing campaign to promote electric vehicles and educate the public, and will collect data from the charging stations to learn more about public use of the infrastructure. Through a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute and Houston’s Geotechnology Research Institute, the City will also develop a “Houston EV Readiness Roadmap” to identify and overcome longer-term barriers to adopting electric vehicles.

The City is also implementing a bike sharing program, which will provide bicycles to travelers at three stations in downtown Houston. For trips under one half hour, bicyclers can use the bikes for free, after which they are rented on an hourly basis. Houston will partner with local business and developers to install the bike share station in a prominent downtown location, and the solar-powered kiosks at the station will collect data for analysis on usage and trip characteristics.

These three initiatives will provide important environmental benefits: they will reduce GHG emissions by promoting alternative forms of transportation, as well as reducing air pollutants such as particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. Efforts to increase bicycle travel will also yield health benefits to participants, facilitate accessibility to and within the downtown area, and improve quality of life in local neighborhoods. The City is also focused on developing partnerships with local stakeholders to raise community awareness and acceptance of electric vehicles and bicycle transportation. Elements such as the Houston Plug-in Roadmap, data collection efforts, and a focus on improving the deployment of electrical vehicles and bike-friendly technologies will help ensure that these benefits continue beyond the life of the program.