MLGW/Bluff City Host Alternative Fuel Rally May 18

With a rally that kicks off in the Bluff City and ends in Dollywood, Memphis is showcasing its newest public refueling station for compressed natural gas.

   A fleet of 20 trucks leaves Memphis the week of May 18 for a five city rally across Tennessee with stops in Trenton, Nashville and Athens before reaching Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. The rally highlights the advantages of compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel source which is roughly 30 percent cheaper than diesel fuel and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30 percent.

   The celebration starts at 10 a.m. May 18 with the grand opening of South Center Fueling Station at 3071 S. Center Rd. The public filling station is a part of Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s South Service Center which is off Brooks Road and U.S. 61. The public is invited.

   “This is our second compressed natural gas station in Memphis and the 11th in the state,” said Michael Taylor, MLGW’s Assistant Manager of Commercial and Industrial Customer Care. “With compressed gas, it is just a cleaner fuel than diesel or gasoline. That contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air in the city.”

   In addition to dignitaries with the Tennessee Gas Association and the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, MLGW and city officials are honoring three local transportation companies – Inland Waste, Dillon Transport and Swift Transportation – which are leading the way in the local alternative fuels industry and have a growing fleet of natural gas trucks.

   Inland has a fleet of 24 garbage trucks with natural gas engines. Dillon just recently received a $500,000 state TDOT grant to help offset the cost of converting from diesel to compressed gas engines for its trucks. Swift is considered MLGW’s flagship customer of compressed gas as 70 percent of the South Center’s business is from Swift.

   “By having the rally,” Taylor said, “We are trying to educate the public about the benefits of natural compressed gas for the environment as well as your wallet.” 

MLGW Opens First Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fueling Station in Shelby County

MLGW will host a grand opening ceremony at the first compressed natural gas (CNG) public fueling station in Shelby County at 1130 Tupelo St. on Wednesday, July 10 at 10:30 a.m.

The station will provide drivers of natural gas vehicles with the ability to purchase fuel.

With more than 120,000 natural gas vehicles in the U.S. and more than 15.2 million worldwide, the use of CNG is on the rise. In the U.S., natural gas vehicles offset the use of nearly 360 million gallons of gasoline in 2011.

The price of CNG is driving the market with extreme fuel cost savings and improved air quality. Compressed natural gas is currently $1.50-$2.00 less per Gasoline Gallon Equivalent (GGE). 

“It is our role to enable the public in a multifaceted approach,” said MLGW President and CEO Jerry R. Collins Jr. “Natural gas vehicles are good for our economy, our environment and the customer’s bottom line so we wanted to make sure we have CNG available to customers in Shelby County.”

In gasoline vehicles, evaporative and fueling emissions account for a significant portion of the emissions associated with operation. Natural gas vehicles, on the other hand, produce little or no evaporative emissions during fueling and use.

MLGW has 52 natural gas vehicles and plans to expand its fleet and build four additional public CNG fueling stations around Shelby County.

MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 420,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County.

For more information on natural gas vehicles, visit www.mlgw.com/ngv. 

Electric Charging Stations

Memphis’ first solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles opened last week at Shelby Farms. "During the formal opening of the solar-powered charging station at Shelby Farms Park on Wednesday, a half-dozen shiny new electric vehicles – most with the sales pitch “98 mpg” painted on their windshields – filled the stalls of the facility.

But even the most optimistic backers of electric cars acknowledged it probably will be a while before the charging station attracts that many vehicles at one time again." (Read more here.)

Downtown has also installed twelve charging stations. "There are 12 brand new charging stations opened at 6 different downtown parking garages.

"As downtown redevelops into more of a neighborhood and more and more people live down here, electric vehicles will be a natural part of that lifestyle,” said Vice President of Operations for the Downtown Memphis Commission, Jerome Rubin." (More info here.)

MLGW to Unveil Electric Vehicles on Thursday

As part of its Board of Commissioners meeting on Thursday, MLGW will unveil four new electric vehicles that have been added to its fleet. The vehicles will be presented shortly after the opening of the 1:30 President’s Briefing, in MLGW’s 2nd Street parking lot (in the event of inclement weather, the presentation will take place in the MLGW parking garage (the entrance is on Linden Ave.).

MLGW, City of Memphis and industry leaders gathered in February 2011 to announce that Memphis had been added to the EV Project, a federally- and privately-funded $230 million venture designed to increase adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and install charging infrastructure in selected metropolitan areas in Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington, plus the District of Columbia.

Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga are Tennessee sites for private and public access EV charging stations. ECOtality, the company managing the project, will deploy nearly 14,000 charging stations in the U.S., including some 40-50 public access stations within Shelby County.

Other facts about the project:

• About 300 residential charging stations have been installed in Tennessee, with a total of 500 expected by the end of the year.

• The entire state of Tennessee and both Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt owners have been included in the EV Project.

• EVs are increasing rapidly in availability: there were nine types of EVs available in 2011, and eight more companies will introduce their EVs in 2012.

• MLGW has added four EV sedans to its fleet, and will add EV bucket trucks in 2012.

• The Shelby Farms Park Conservancy recently conducted a groundbreaking for a solar-powered station that will be built in a parking lot at the facility.

• The station will have spaces for 10 vehicles, and in addition to charging electric cars it will generate clean power for the electrical grid.

• Total cost of the solar project is about $500,000, with funding provided through The EV Project, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Completion is set for late June.

• MLGW is also collaborating with TVA and EPRI on an initiative to study incentives for adopting EVs in non-road applications

You can find out more information about The EV Project and MLGW’s initiatives here:
• www.pluginmemphis.org
• www.theevproject.com
• www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/calc/

State expanding rebate program for electric cars

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The state of Tennessee is adding a second car model to its electric vehicle rebate program, which so far has drawn fewer participants than expected.

WSMV-TV reported Wednesday that the state will soon begin offering $2,500 rebates to owners of the Chevrolet Volt, an electric hybrid car.

The rebate program in Tennessee is now only open to people who buy the all-electric Nissan LEAF.

Car owners who chose to participate in the program must agree to allow data about how they use and charge their vehicles to be collected for a government-funded study. The information is being gathered by the California-based ECOtality. The company received a $99 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The state added $2.5 million in matching grant money for the rebates.

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, TVA, MLGW and EPRI Break Ground on West Tennessee’s First SMART Charging Station for Electric Vehicles

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability, Tennessee Valley Authority, Memphis Light Gas and Water Division (MLGW) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on Tuesday (January 24 at 10am) will break ground on an electric vehicle charging station that can make electricity from sunlight, store it, and add it to the power grid as needed. Both Memphis Mayor AC Wharton and Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell will attend the groundbreaking to celebrate the new project at Shelby Farms Park.

The Smart Modal Area Recharge Terminal, or SMART station, developed by TVA and EPRI, is among the first public electric vehicle charging stations. Located at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, Tennessee, it will be capable of charging plug-in electric vehicles built by all major U.S. auto makers. The SMART station will be built on the existing parking lot next to the Park’s Visitor Center at Patriot Lake and is scheduled to open in June of 2012.

“As one of the region’s premier urban parks, Shelby Farms offers an ideal location for the newest TVA SMART station,” said Laura Campbell, TVA General Manager for Customer Services in West Tennessee. “And as an industry leader in shipping and distribution, Memphis offers a unique opportunity to explore a wide variety of potential transportation electrification applications. TVA thanks the Park, the City, MLGW and EPRI for their team effort and support in making this project become a reality.”

TVA and EPRI commissioned a prototype SMART station at EPRI’s Knoxville research lab in January of 2010. Partners for the Shelby Farms Park project include MLGW and the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy- the nonprofit organization that manages and operates Shelby Farms Park and Shelby Farms Greenline.

The facility will be compliant with safety and technical standards set by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), for vehicle charging using a standard plug (often referred to as an SAE J1772 coupler).

“This system combines a renewable energy source with battery storage and vehicle charging,” said John Halliwell, senior project manager with EPRI.

“We expect combined installations of these technologies to find wider application in the coming years and this system gives us a hands-on opportunity to study their use and impact.”

The new charging station will feature:

Ten parking spaces, each with an electric vehicle charging station supporting charging rates at up to 7.2 kilowatts.

An electric plug designated as the industry standard by the Society of Automotive Engineers that will accommodate all future plug-in vehicles made for the U.S. market.

About 2 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels per charging space.

About 5 kilowatt-hours of stationary battery to assist vehicle charging and send power to the grid during periods of peak electricity demand. The batteries also will support the local power grid by lessening the effects of charging multiple cars in one location.

Advanced measurement and controls that will collect data about system energy flows and electric vehicle charging.

The SMART station at Shelby Farms Park will be used over time to study various aspects of electric vehicle charging, including consumer behavior, the impact on the electricity system, infrastructure design and development, and testing different stationary batteries. TVA and EPRI also will assess electric vehicles’ potential to reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants.

“Shelby Farms Park is the perfect place for West Tennessee’s first SMART station,” said Laura Adams, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy’s executive director. “Environmental sustainability is one of our core values, and we are excited to be part of project that will help support solar and electric vehicle research and to provide an innovative, attractive new feature for Shelby Farms Park and Shelby Farms Greenline visitors.”

The SMART station is being deployed in conjunction with the EV Project, managed by ECOtality North America and including EPRI; TVA; the U.S. Department of Energy; the state of Tennessee; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; the cities of Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville; and regional utility partners including Memphis Light Gas and Water Division (MLGW).

For more information on TVA electric transportation programs, visit
www.tvafuelsolutions.com. More information on electric transportation research at EPRI is available at www.epri.com.

Memphis Gets CHARGED UP!

The Peabody Hotel’s charging station is the first publicly available charging station installed in the Memphis area through The EV Project.

Today, Mayor A C Wharton, Jr., Memphis Light Gas & Water, and ECOtality, a leader in clean transportation and storage technologies, will provide an update on the status of The EV Project in Memphis at 1:00 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Avenue.

The Peabody Hotel recently completed the installation of their Blink Level 2 charging station for electric vehicles (EVs.) The charging is open to the public and can accommodate the all-electric Nissan LEAF.

“We are very excited to be included in this progressive initiative,” stated Mayor Wharton when Memphis formally joined the EV Project. “The Memphis area is so integral to the commerce and transportation needs of the entire country, which means we have an environmental, economic, and moral imperative to be a civic leader in advancing the deployment of electric vehicles throughout our community.”

The EV Project is the largest deployment of electric vehicles and charge infrastructure in history.

As project manager of The EV Project, San Francisco-based ECOtality is overseeing the deployment of approximately 14,000 charging stations in 18 major metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project is funded by the U. S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“With each charging station installation, we move one step closer to establishing the rich public charging infrastructure that will drive EV adoption in Tennessee and across the United States,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “The Peabody Hotel is an ideal location for our Blink charging stations, and we are excited to continue our work with the city of Memphis to electrify the city’s streets.”

Nissan LEAF drivers who qualify to participate in The EV Project will receive a residential charger at no cost. In addition, most, if not all of the installation cost, will be paid for by The EV Project. The EV Project will collect and analyze data to characterize vehicle use in diverse topographic and climatic conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of charge infrastructure, and conduct trials of various revenue systems for commercial and public charge infrastructures. In February 2011, Memphis became the fourth major metropolitan area in Tennessee to join the EV Project.

"History will record that the birth of electric vehicles in Memphis and Shelby County took place in the year 2011. Take notice. The world of energy is changing and we are keeping pace with that change," said Jerry R. Collins, Jr., MLGW president and CEO.

The Peabody Hotel’s charging station is the first publicly available charging station installed in the Memphis area through The EV Project. ECOtality is working with its partners to determine the best sites for charging station installations, and is taking into account traffic patterns and the locations of employment centers, regional attractions, and retail hubs.

"The Tennessee Hospitality Association and our local association members are very excited to support green initiatives across the state such as the EV Project,” says Greg Adkins, CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality Association. “Memphis is a perfect fit for this program and it takes a lot of initiative to recognize the future demand for electric charging stations. As the second largest industry in the state, the hospitality industry is a natural market for consumers to use electronic transportation."

Bike to Work Day

Today was the second annual Bike to Work Day sponsored by the Center City Commission.



We were among the many organizations present at the expo today in front of City Hall. While MLGW did not place among the companies with the highest number of employees on bikes, we were pleased to hear that there were over twice as many participants this year as there were last year. This year's big winner was St. Jude, which had 38 employees who rode to work today. I was lucky enough to run into three of them in Overton park this morning. I rode all the way to St. Jude with them and it made the commute much more relaxing. Being in a group of four definitely felt safer than being alone.

If you missed the expo, then you missed chatting with some great organizations like MLGW, the Health Department, the Sierra Club, and the Greater Memphis Greenline. You also missed out on the opportunity to make your own smoothie in a bike-operated blender at the Live from Memphis booth!



Don't worry, there's always next year! And, just so you know, every day can be bike to work day if you let it!

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Proposed for Memphis Area

From the Flyer...

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Proposed for Memphis Area

First Memphis managed to elbow its way into ECOtality North America's six-state electric vehicle project and now it's on the verge of getting 69 charging stations.

After initially favoring Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville for the demonstration project that seeks to accelerate use of electric cars, Memphis signed on to the initiative in February. The project is funded by a $99.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and also includes Arizona, California, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

Today, members of the Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, and Memphis planning departments briefed their mayors about where they think the charging stations should be.

These are the proposed locations:

Bartlett

- Bartlett Boulevard/Malco West
- Kirby-Whitten/Stage
- Schnucks
- Kirby-Whitten/Hollywood Cinema
- Bartlett Performing Arts Center/Recreation Center
- Saint Francis Bartlett Hospital/Malco/Hotel area
- Malco Wolfchase
- Walmart

Collierville

- Town Square
- Collierville Middle School
- Collierville United Methodist Church
- Carrier Air Conditioning
- Schilling Office Park
- FedEx Technology Center
- Courtyard Marriott
- Central Church
- Baptist Memorial Hospital
- Collierville Town Hall
- Collierville Malco
- First Baptist Church
- Collierville Community Center
- Collierville High School
- W. C. Johnson Park

Germantown

- Germantown Performing Arts Centre
- Municipal Center
- Germantown Library
- Pickering Center
- Methodist Hospital
- Baptist Rehabilitation
- Forest Hill/Poplar Shopping
- Carrefour Center
- Germantown/Poplar Shopping
- Germantown Village Square
- Germantown Collection
- Exeter Village
- Saddle Creek/Saddle Creek South

Memphis

- Mississippi Greenbelt Park
- Peabody Place/Hotel
- National Civil Rights Museum
- Rhodes College
- Union at Cooper/Overton Square
- Christian Brothers University
- Tiger Lane
- Oak Court Mall/Laurelwood
- Botanic Garden/Audubon Park
- Racquet Club of Memphis
- Malco Paradiso
- Shelby Farms Park
- Wolfchase Galleria Mall
- I-40/Arlington
- FedEx Headquarters
- Hickory Ridge Mall
- Baptist Hospital
- Saint Francis Hospital
- Memphis International Airport
- Soulsville/Stax Museum
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Memphis Zoo/Brooks Museum of Art
- Pink Palace Museum
- Dixon Gallery and Gardens
- Theatre Memphis
- Lichterman Nature Center
- Medical Center/UT
- Agricenter International
- MLGW (six locations)
- Millington Library
- Frayser Library
- Raleigh Library
- Randolph Library
- Benjamin L. Hooks Library
- East Shelby Library
- Whitehaven Library
- Bert Ferguson Library

In addition to these public charging stations, anyone who buys the new Nissan LEAF electric car or the Chevrolet Volt hybrid gets a free home charger.

Electric Car Charging Station at Shelby Farms Park

From today's Commercial Appeal...

MLGW official favors electric car charging station at Shelby Farms Park

Richard H. Bowker says he'd like to see a solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles in Shelby Farms Park, possibly near Patriot Lake.

Bowker, who is Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division's point man on electric-vehicle issues, says the decision will be up to the Tennessee Valley Authority.

"I told TVA that I think this is absolutely the best place," he said, adding that he likes the location because it would have educational value -- it's an area that attracts many bikers, joggers and other active types who might be interested in electric cars.

He said an agency representative has indicated that the organization will make a decision within 12 months.

The charging station would have six covered parking spaces with solar panels on a roof and could also be powered by MLGW's electricity-distribution grid, he said.

A similar station unveiled in Knoxville in January can make electricity from sunlight, store electricity and put electricity back in the power grid when needed, TVA said in a news release.

The equipment is related to the EV Project, a federally backed effort to build infrastructure for electric cars and study how people use them. Officials recently said that Memphis would be included.

Bowker said that by September, the Memphis area will have publicly accessible charging stations capable of handling 40 to 50 vehicles. There will also be some charging stations for private use.

Electric vehicles are currently rare and difficult to obtain. As of several weeks ago, people in the Memphis area had placed 45 orders for the Nissan Leaf, the only commercially available all-electric vehicle in the state, Bowker said.

The idea of placing the electric-vehicle charging station at Shelby Farms is still very preliminary.

Bowker says he hasn't talked about it with the people who run the sprawling park in East Memphis, though he has brought it to the attention of MLGW board member Rick Masson, former head of the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, which runs the park.

"I think it's a good fit because it's centrally located," Masson said.

Bowker also mentioned other possible locations for charging stations, including BP gas stations and parking spaces outside MLGW's headquarters near FedExForum in Downtown Memphis.

Electric Vehicles in Memphis

All Tennessee residents are now eligible to participate in The Electric Vehicle (EV) Project, including customers in the Memphis area. Memphis will also receive public charging infrastructure as a result.

As the project manager for The EV Project, ECOtality will oversee the installation of commercial and residential charging stations in 18 cities and major metropolitan areas in six states and the District of Columbia. The project will provide an EV infrastructure to support the deployment of 8,300 EVs. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant of $114.8 million, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The grants are matched by private investment, bringing the total value of the project to approximately $230 million.

MLGW will be heavily involved in this initiative.

• As part of its commitment to Green and renewable energy initiatives, MLGW supports the inclusion of the Memphis area in The EV Project, which includes other Tennessee cities such as Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.

• The EV Project will study the electric vehicle environment, collecting data that characterizes the utilization of charging infrastructure, the interaction between vehicle use and charger availability, the effectiveness of public charging models, the interaction of charge infrastructure with the electric grid and the effectiveness of various charge infrastructure locations.

• MLGW will work with the municipalities to identify and install charging stations at different locations in Shelby County.

• Charging stations should be installed by September 2011.

• MLGW is working with the City of Memphis, TVA, and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to study how the new vehicles would affect the power distribution network.

• The EV Project is scheduled last through June of 2013.

• MLGW is purchasing five electric vehicles in 2011 for company use.

• MLGW plans to simplify charging needs of our customers by providing and maintaining all charging stations.

• MLGW encourages the expanded use of electric vehicles as alternatives to petroleum-fueled vehicles for area residents, businesses and organizations. Customers that operate delivery services are especially well-suited to take advantage of the benefits of electric vehicles.

Electric Car Preparations

From Saturday's Commercial Appeal...

Memphis Light Gas and Water getting set for arrival of electric cars

Electric cars are rare today, but Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is betting that they'll be much more common in the future.

"The electric vehicles are absolutely, positively coming," said Richard H. Bowker, who took charge in December of electric vehicle planning for the utility.

In a presentation Friday, Bowker said the utility is buying some electric vehicles for its own use and working with other agencies to study how the new vehicles would affect the power distribution network.

In the longer term, the utility plans to begin identifying sites for public chargers, Bowker said.

In Knoxville this week, TVA and the Electric Power Research Institute unveiled a prototype electric vehicle charging station, said TVA spokesman David Boruff.

And federal tax dollars will help build charging stations in some Tennessee towns and cities as part of the "EV Project." West Tennessee was left out of this effort, but it's unclear why.

Bowker said MLGW's plans for electric-vehicle infrastructure are closely tied to another concept: Smart Grid, which is the use of technology to monitor electricity consumption both at the household level and elsewhere in the power system.

Planners hope that in-home monitors and other devices will help people identify exactly how much power they're using and encourage them to conserve it. About 1,000 Memphis-area households are receiving "smart meters" as part of an ongoing demonstration project.

Both MLGW and TVA, the wholesaler that provides its electricity, have long-term plans to introduce time-of-use metering, which is the concept of charging different power rates at different times.

The goal is to reduce the strain on the power grid by encouraging people to run washing machines and other appliances during night hours when demand for electricity is lowest. TVA wants to avoid the cost of building power plants that would operate only at times of peak electricity demand.

Planners hope to persuade people to plug in their electric cars late at night and reduce strain on the system, Bowker said. He said they also want to work with companies that will operate fleets of electric vehicles.

One Memphis corporate giant is doing this now. FedEx Corp. said in its most recent annual report that it already had the largest fleet of hybrid electric trucks and that it had worked with other companies to develop a new, all-electric delivery truck that it is using in London and Los Angeles.

"As the capital costs of these electric vehicles come down -- and their battery capacity and range go up -- we'll be able to convert more of our fleet," the report said.

Auto makers are introducing hybrid vehicles that use both fossil fuel and batteries as well as vehicles that only have batteries. They're still expensive: the new Chevrolet Volt has a base sticker price of $40,280, according to The Associated Press.

The federal government backs the electric car as a way to cut pollution and oil use. In the State of the Union speech Tuesday night, President Barack Obama said America could become "the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015."

China's award winning public art

Treehugger has a great recap of China's award winning public art project to promote walking over driving. Check it out.

Fill your tummy and your tank at Cracker Barrel

Interesting story from WMC-TV about Cracker Barrel adding electric vehicle chargers to restaurants across Tennessee...although it isn't clear whether it will include the Memphis location.

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) - Cracker Barrel, modeled to represent a slower time of rocking chairs on old wooden porches, will soon feature a very modern technology - electric vehicle chargers.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. has launched a pilot project in which it will install Blink electric vehicle chargers, provided by ECOtality Inc., at 24 restaurants across Tennessee.

The pilot is part of a broader effort by ECOtality to get charging stations in more places across the country.

Cracker Barrel restaurants are mostly located near major highways where travelers can get to them, and back on the road, easily. ECOtality says this makes them an ideal fit for the charging stations.

Guests will be able to get a full charge in under 30 minutes.

Bikesharing

With the Shelby Farms Greenline set to open any day, and with tons of people already using it (including myself), I can't help but get excited.

A couple of years ago, I blogged about a short term bike rental program in Paris. Today I learned that a friend of mine in the DC/Arlington area just started using a similar program called Capital Bikeshare.

Throughout the city there are bike stations where you can pick up and drop off bikes. (When all is said and done, they will have 106 stations!) The bikes are designed to fit a wide range of body sizes and are adjustable. Patrons can get a 24 hour pass or pay a monthly fee for unlimited use.

From the website:

Washington D.C. and Arlington's system of bike trails, lanes and routes rank among the best in the country! Nationally recognized as Bicycle Friendly Communities by the League of American Bicyclists, Washington D.C. and Arlington are the perfect place to travel and explore by bike. The region is laced with an extensive and growing network of off-street trails, on-street bike lanes, separated cycletracks, and sharrows. There are even bike lanes on one of the most iconic streets in America, Pennsylvania Avenue!

Looking for ideas on how to use Capital Bikeshare?

* Run errands and skip on the cost of parking
* Get your exercise on your way to work and save on trips to the gym
* Go to business meetings during your work day
* Expand your reach for lunch options by riding to nearby neighborhoods to grab a bite
* Ride to a ball game (Nationals, Capitals, DC United, Wizards are all accessible!)
* See and be seen at your favorite nighttime hot spots
* Enjoy the National Mall and Monuments up close and personal

Who knows, maybe Memphis will have something like this one day.

Electric Cars in the Mid-South

Good news in today's Commercial Appeal...

Wharton, suburban mayors want to make Memphis leader for electric vehicles
By Wayne Risher

Mayor A C Wharton and his suburban peers are advocating Greater Memphis as a proving ground for electric vehicles and charging stations.

They believe the region can win out as one of 15 demonstration communities nationally for an electric vehicle initiative under consideration by Congress.

Mid-South CHARGE (Council to Help Advance the Regional Growth of Electrification) touts Memphis as a global logistics hub "uniquely positioned to take advantage of this opportunity."

In letters Tuesday to congressional delegations, the council wrote, "(T)he Mid-South is well-prepared, willing and eager to adopt electric vehicles once laws are in place to make their development, purchase and regular use more attainable."

Also signing were Shelby County Mayor-elect Mark Luttrell, Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner, Germantown Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy, West Memphis Mayor Bill Johnson, Hernando Mayor Chip Johnson, Memphis Light Gas and Water Division President Jerry Collins, Greater Memphis Chamber President John Moore, Workforce Investment Network Director Desi Franklin and University of Memphis President Shirley C. Raines.

Wharton convened the leaders at a recent meeting to discuss a unified application for the initiative. They met with FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith, a champion of the electric vehicle's role in enhancing economic and national security.

Wharton said, "The energy policy and transportation policy of this region and our nation is not going to be perfected on a county-by-county and city-by-city basis. It's going to be regional, particularly when it comes to the technology needed to make electric cars and other non-fossil fuel sources of energy available to the masses."

The Promoting Electric Vehicles Act is under review by House and Senate committees. Deployment communities would be chosen from competitive applications, and grants would help them develop charging stations, offer consumer incentives and shift government fleets to plug-in electric vehicles.

"If we could get grants to do the infrastructure in this Memphis metropolitan area, it would prove to the entire nation it could be done anywhere," said Hernando Mayor Johnson. "We're probably the last place on Earth people think would embrace electric cars."

Goldsworthy agreed that freedom from foreign oil has bipartisan appeal. "A regional approach affords the mass, density and support to demonstrate the viability of vehicle electrification."

In the News

The Commercial Appeal's "25 Years Ago" feature had this MLGW tidbit which I found to be rather odd:

25 years ago: 1985

WASHINGTON -- Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division officials like to brag that the city's "genuine pure artesian" water is "renowned for its excellent clarity and taste." But they're being denied a chance to prove it in a taste test of water from eight cities here tomorrow. A campaign by Rep. Harold Ford of Memphis and LG&W, however, has secured a promise from the American Water Works Association for Memphis water to be considered for the contest next year in Denver. And there is solace in the fact that the defending water champion, New Orleans, has Memphis water, of a sort, because it takes its supply from the Mississippi River, into which Memphis empties its treated sewage.

Taking solace in sewage water?

There was some other odd news, but odd in a good way....FedEx's Fred Smith calls on Congress to spur development of electric vehicles!

Dump the Pump

The Flyer's Mary Cashiola gives us the scoop on this year's Dump the Pump Day on her In the Bluff blog. It's copied below...

As part of this year's Dump the Pump day, MATA will be offering 7-day passes for $10 from June 14th to 18th. The new unlimited-ride weekly FastPass, started as part of MATA's elimination of its problematic transfer system, usually costs $15.

For persons who are seniors or have disabilities, the weekly pass will cost only $5 during the Dump the Pump celebration.

National Dump the Pump Day encourages people to ride public transportation to save money, protect the environment, and reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.


"The whole point of the FastPass is to encourage people to ride MATA more," said MATA spokesperson Alison Burton.

As part of its monthly meeting yesterday, MATA board members also approved a $77,000 route scheduling software package from Trapeze. Using current data, the "Blockbuster" software will create the best route scenario, and allows automation of cutting runs and testing alternative scenarios.

"We're doing that manually now," said MATA president William Hudson.

Thoughts on Biking to Work

I rode my bike to work on Friday in honor of National Bike to Work day. I had done a test ride on Sunday and mapped out my 5 mile course. I found that traffic was way different on Friday than it was on Sunday, but I made it to work just fine. Everyone asked how sweaty I got. It was kind of cloudy and windy, but I did manage to work up a decent enough sweat to change my shirt when I got to work. (I am pretty active, so riding my bike wasn't too physically taxing, I attribute the sweat mostly to the weather.) Also I should add that I don't wear make up or fuss with my hair, so I didn't care much about that. I did get a nice helmet head though and my face felt like it was coated in dust.

It took me about 45 minutes to get to work, rather than my usual 15-20. However, I did get to see some birds up close, smell a giant hydrangea bush, make eye contact with and smile at several drivers and pedestrians. My favorite was a man near LeBonheur who put his thumb out like he was going to hitch a ride from me.

Once at work, it was cool not having to worry about parking. The guard told me to bring my bike up to my office since we don't have any bike racks. I definitely raised a lot of awareness of Bike to Work day by hauling mine up the elevator, through the halls, and having it parked next to my desk!

I really liked having it when it was time to go to the expo at Court Square. I just zipped right over. And when it was over, I zipped right back.

When it was time to go home, I had to give myself a little pep talk. I was tired and not looking forward to the "long" ride home in Friday afternoon traffic. I decided to take a new route--actually one of two official bike routes from Downtown to Midtown that I learned of at the expo--North Parkway to Bellevue to Overton Park.

North Parkway, despite being nice and wide, is very trafficky. So much so that I opted to ride on the sidewalk rather than the street. (I also learned at the expo that the ordinances were recently changed to allow bikes on sidewalks as long as they yield to pedestrians.) The sidewalks on North Parkway are actually pretty nice until you pass Danny Thomas. Then it got crazy bumpy and I feared my little lunch sack would fly out of my basket.

Once I cut over to Bellevue and then Overton Park, everything was smooth sailing. I think the best part of my ride home was the big whiff of Cozy Corner that I got midway.

Now, the big question. Would I do it again? I think so. Maybe not everyday, but I'd like to try once a week. Probably not on Friday though.

For those of you who don't have bikes, you can rent them at Mud Island. It's a fun place to ride and it will give you an idea of what it would be like to have your own bike. My bike is a beach cruiser which means it has a big seat and peddle brakes like a kid's bike. It's fun and easy to ride, but I think the lack of gears may make me a little slower than someone on a moutain or street bike.

Based on this calculator everyday that I ride my bike I save $4.44. That's $22.20 per week and $88.80 a month!

Two Birds; One Stone

Exercise and Commute at the Same Time!


This Friday is downtown Memphis' first Bike to Work Day! It is being sponsored by the Center City Commission. There are several meet up spots for Friday if you want to ride to work with a group. There are also lots of events this week and over the weekend in conjunction with National Bike to Work Week. (See the full listing here.)

In addition to riding to work on Friday, I'll be manning the MLGW booth at Court Square on Friday from 11:00-1:30. Ride over and say hi!