Business Watch: Taxi Fleets

Burbank taxi fleet full of hybrids
Compressed natural gas vehicles are also gaining strength in numbers.
Burbank Leader: December 1, 2010 by Bill Kisliuk

The taxi fleet in Burbank is getting greener, and soon those greener pastures will make their way to Glendale.

The City Cab lot near Bob Hope Airport sports roughly 110 taxi cabs and minivans. Forty-six of those vehicles, or 42%, are now either gas-electric hybrids or Ford Crown Victorias that run on compressed natural gas.

Martin Shatakhyan, general manager of the City Cab fleet, said the company plans to have 75% of the fleet converted within four years.

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Burbank does not mandate conversion of the taxi fleet, but the Burbank City Council and Traffic Commission have established a policy encouraging taxicab companies to be as green as possible, according to License and Code Services Administrator Terre Hirsch.

"The proposals that are being most favored include a substantial amount of green cabs," Hirsch said. "Currently, there are 130 taxis in the city, and approximately 50% of those are green." READ MORE !

Public Works: Refuse Fleet

City of Burbank Refuse Fleet Goes 100% CNG
Government Fleet: January 2010 by Shelley Mika

The City of Burbank, Calif., recently placed into service a new 2009 solid waste rear-loader collection truck powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). This small addition to the City’s 485-unit fleet is significant as it completes the goal of a 100-percent natural gas-powered solid refuse fleet

David Rodriguez, fleet superintendent, said the switch to CNG has been relatively easy, aside from the up-front costs. Each unit costs roughly $65,000 more than diesel-powered vehicles, and a capital dollar investment is required to build the infrastructure for retrofitting repair shops and building fueling sites.

“The City’s stance has always been that we understand the technology costs money, and it’s our responsibility to use our money wisely,” Rodriguez said. “We feel it’s more prudent to pay extra initial capital outlay and give our citizens and geographical area better air quality.”

Immediate Payback Seen
The City is seeing immediate benefits from the use of CNG. With vehicles running all day, emissions reduction is significant. CNG costs about $1 less per gallon than gasoline and diesel fuels, which means big savings for the City.

“Take a refuse truck that’s driving eight hours a day, five days a week, and gets about 5 miles to the gallon. That means a lot of savings, not only in the carbon footprint, but in dollars to us,” said Ari Omessi, assistant public works director.

With the switch to CNG, Burbank’s fleet has also realized reduced maintenance and repair costs. READ MORE !

Business Watch: Bob Hope Airport

Airport to Test Drive Bus with Engine Retrofit: Natural gas vehicle could pave the path for more retrofits, but cash may become strained. Burbank Leader: July 7, 2009 by Mary O’Keefe

BURBANK — A newly reorganized Burbank- Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority wasted no time delving into a smattering of issues, from pricey low-emissions buses to falling parking fee revenues and a decision to lobby against a proposed law that would require quicker response times for airport fire departments.

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The commission approved a project to reduce emissions from the airport’s fleet of buses. Ashley Moore, consulting professional from E2 ManageTech Inc., formerly known as Essentia Management Services, made a presentation to the authority on the process and results from a study on the most efficient and financially sound approach to reducing emissions in their fleet of 14 buses.

The commission on Monday voted to move ahead with a pilot program to retrofit one of its 14 buses to operate on compressed natural gas as part of a 2006 policy to cut down on emissions at the airport. READ MORE !