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• »Climate change

KCDOT is fighting global warming

The Department of Transportation is at the forefront of King County’s effort to slash its greenhouse-gas emissions to 80 percent below current levels by 2050. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse-gas pollution in King County, and has a lot of potential for reducing emissions.

The county’s Climate Plan has many goals concerning transportation. Some of them are listed below, along with actions taken by the county and the Department of Transportation:

Promote alternative modes of transportation

• DOT is implementing Transit Now, a ballot measure to expand and improve Metro Transit service that was approved by voters last November. DOT is adding bus service and planning new Bus Rapid Transit service, called RapidRide, and has a contract to order 500 new diesel-electric hybrid buses.
• The county is promoting Flexcar, a car-sharing service. Transit can become a more attractive option if riders also have access to a car when they need it.

Promote climate-friendly community design

• A DOT project, HealthScape, is using the findings of King County’s Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality and Health study. The study found connections between neighborhood design, health and air quality. HealthScape is developing tools that local governments can use to plan communities and transportation that will promote public health and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Promote the use of climate-friendly transportation by county employees

• The county provides free bus passes and incentives for walking and biking.
• Flexcar is offering free membership to county employees this year.

Use fuels and technologies that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from county fleets

• The Metro Transit fleet uses clean-burning Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. Many buses use a 20-percent blend of biodiesel and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel.
• The county entered into a partnership with Washington farmers to purchase 2 million gallons of homegrown biodiesel to help power Metro Transit buses.
• The Fleet Administration Division purchased 136 hybrid passenger vehicles for the employee motor pool, plus two heavy-duty hybrid trucks.

Foster regional use of renewable fuels and efficient transportation technologies

• The Fleet Administration Division founded the Northwest Hybrid Truck Consortium. By combining the purchasing power of local and state government agencies to purchase medium- and heavy-duty hybrid work trucks, the consortium is building the market for these vehicles.

Lead the development and use of technologies, materials and waste-reduction practices that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions

• DOT’s Road Services Division won an Excellence in Building Green award for its 148th Avenue NE Pedestrian Improvement Project. The project used slag as a partial substitute for cement, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by over 14,000 pounds.

Promote greenhouse-gas accountability and reduction of emissions in regional transportation investments

• King County Executive Ron Sims issued an order requiring that adverse climate impacts be described for all projects that must complete State Environmental Protection Act documents, when the county is the lead or is permitting a project in unincorporated King County.

Last update: November 20, 2007