# Presentation: 342128

## FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION

- Transit Bus Technology Update
- Barbara A. Sisson, P.E.
- Associate Administrator for
- Research, Demonstration & Innovation
- Clean Propulsion & Support Technology Committee Meeting
- May 2, 2004

## Reason for Transit Interest inElectric Drive Technologies

- Need to Meet Emissions Standards
- Reduce Operating Cost
- Fuel efficiency – fuel is 2nd largest operating cost
- Current full size transit buses achieve only 3 – 4 mpg, less on some routes
- Reduce maintenance costs
- Consumer Acceptance
- Smoke and odor free
- Clean and quiet

**Notes:**
These are some of the key compelling reasons why we in transit have an interest in electric drive bus technologies.
Just think of the day when we can have a bus that is not only more fuel efficient but also more attractive to our customers—a bus that’s cheaper to operate and maintain as well as one that our customers will enjoy riding because of its clean and quiet nature.

## Why Transit Buses?

- Fleet Operations
- Centrally fueled and maintained
- Professional operators, mechanics, and fuelers
- Urban stop-and-go duty cycle; fixed route & schedule
- Size and Weight of Vehicle
- Federal Support for Capital Purchases
- Federal funding support
- Programs to assist introduction of new technologies
- High Visibility/High Impact
- Operate in densely populated areas
- Broader public exposure and acceptance

**Notes:**
We all realize that transit buses make an inviting test bed for the demonstration of new technologies.
FTA would like to ensure that this doesn’t overshadow transit’s basic mission of providing public mobility.
We certainly agree that transit can help lead the introduction of new technologies.  Our challenge is to ensure that we work synergistically so that we’re gaining from and sharing our experiences and technical breakthroughs with other markets with much greater volumes.  Only then can it be truly commercially viable for transit.
It’s okay for us to be on the cutting edge of new technology as long as it doesn’t devolve into the bleeding edge.

## Current Effort Characteristics

- Limited Discretionary Funding
- Congressionally directed earmarks
- Both in research and capital programs
- Void in Technology Development
- Significant Funding from Bus Capital Earmarks
- $13.4 Million in FY 03
- $16.2 Million in FY 04
- Limited Data Collection, Evaluation and Information Sharing

**Notes:**
Our current efforts are characterized by the lack of discretionary funding in both the research and bus capital programs.
This creates a real void in providing necessary support to critical technology development efforts that could enhance or accelerate the commercial viability of these technologies.
In FY 03 over $13 Million was earmarked for electric drive bus projects—battery, hybrid and fuel cell buses—from FTA’s Bus Capital Program.  In this fiscal year, we have over $16 Million in earmarks.
The earmarking also tends to create a series of isolated projects instead of a cohesive, comprehensive program.
The treatment of individual projects as one of a kind also fosters the lack of information sharing.

## FTA Direction

- Develop Business Case with Transit Industry for Appropriate FTA Role
- Manage Earmarks, Channel into Cohesive Program
- Facilitate Data Collection, Evaluation and Information Sharing
- Leverage Resources to the Benefit of Transit

**Notes:**
To move forward from our current situation, we are proposing to conduct an analysis with the transit community that will identify the appropriate FTA role for maximizing the development efforts already underway in the electric drive transit bus area including electric, hybrid electric, and fuel cell buses.  This effort will culminate in a one-day workshop in Washington, DC to present the results of the analysis.
We are aggressively managing our portfolio of earmarks for consistency with our draft strategic plan.
We are evaluating the best means to facilitate greater data collection, evaluation and information sharing so that decision-makers can make prudent choices.
As part of the bargain of transit buses being such a good test bed for the development of new technologies, we want to ensure that we leverage the development efforts to the benefit of transit.

## Business Case for FTA Role

- Data Collection and Evaluation
- Greater coordination nationally and internationally
- Continued coordination with DOE/NREL
- Accelerate the Commercialization of Hybrid Electric Buses
- Ways to increase market volume
- Exploring funding incentives
- Hybrid Electric Bus Certification
- Engine vs vehicle based
- Working group approach

**Notes:**
The analysis will examine the feasibility and utility of greater coordination nationally and internationally especially in fuel cell bus demonstrations.  It will examine whether our current collaborative effort with the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is the best approach.
We want the transit community’s input on what are the most appropriate ways for FTA to spur the commercialization of hybrid electric buses.  What are ways that we can increase market volumes for this technology to reduce prices?  Are there appropriate incentives to accomplish this?
The analysis will also address how best to certify hybrid electric buses for emissions.  Developing a process that would enable the use of truck engines in hybrid systems could help to reduce costs.  Verification of the emissions benefits for the generation of emissions credits may also help to offset higher initial capital costs.
The Hybrid Electric Bus Working Group composed of industry, transit agencies, and government regulators may be the best approach given its previous success in developing interim certification procedures.

## Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Bus Program

- Heavy-Duty Fuel Cell Bus
- Santa Clara VTA – Ballard, Gillig
- AC Transit, SunLine Transit – UTC, Van Hool
- CUTE Program
- Automotive-Based Fuel Cell Hybrid Bus
- Hickam Air Force Base – Hydrogenics, Enova
- Alabama Birmingham – Ballard, DaimlerChrysler
- New Haven – TBD
- Ann Arbor - TBD
- Hydrogen ICE Hybrid Bus
- SunLine Transit – ISE Research
- UniTrans – UC Davis

**Notes:**
FTA’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Bus Program is an example of our effort to manage earmarks into a cohesive program.
Three vehicle concepts are being developed and demonstrated.
Most of us are familiar with the Heavy-Duty Fuel Cell Bus approach exemplified by the Clean Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) program and the 7 fuel cell buses to be demonstrated in California.
We feel that a promising approach is using a smaller fuel cell unit, say an automotive based unit, in a hybrid configuration.  This approach could leverage the technology development investments from the automotive industry.
The hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) hybrid approach offers a less expensive approach to offer transit operators to gain experience with the safe use and maintenance of hydrogen fueled vehicles.
All of these projects represent congressionally directed effort except for one—the hydrogen ICE hybrid project with SunLine.  Although FTA’s share is relatively small ($100,000 out of a $1 Million effort), we are still able to reap the benefits of these projects as they apply to hydrogen fuel cell buses.

## Data Collection, Evaluation,Information Sharing

- Fuel Cell Bus Working Group
- International Fuel Cell Bus Workshop
- European Fuel Cell Bus Scanning Tour
- Electric Drive Bus Program Review
- Outreach to FTA Regional Offices

**Notes:**
We have a number of activities underway and proposed.  The US Fuel Cell Bus Working Group in fact will meet at the conclusion of this Committee Meeting.
We are planning to hold a 2nd International Fuel Cell Bus Workshop to follow-up the highly successful inaugural event last November in Long Beach.  We are coordinating our efforts with the European Union to identify a suitable time and place.
I recently completed a scanning tour of the Clean Urban Transport for Europe fuel cell bus demonstrations and learned valuable first-hand information about that effort.  WestStart-CALSTART, the organizers of that tour, will be making a presentation about the tour at the US Fuel Cell Working Group Meeting following this meeting.
On Thursday of this week, FTA in conjunction with APTA will be conducting its first Electric Drive Bus Program Review.  20 different projects will be presented in a poster session to enable interested participants to engage in a one-on-one dialogue with the project teams.  The morning period will cover battery and hybrid electric projects and the afternoon will cover fuel cell projects.  I invite everyone to stop in and talk with the project teams about some of the latest developments in this area.
We are actively working with our Regional Offices to assist them in the management of electric drive transit bus projects.

## Leveraging Resources

- Air Force
- Hickam Air Force fuel cell hybrid bus
- Heavy-duty hybrid system with Mack
- Army’s National Automotive Center
- Synthetic diesel
- Fuel cell, hybrid electric technology
- Department of Energy
- Hydrogen, fuel cell, infrastructure
- International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy
- Data collection and evaluation

**Notes:**
The Hickam Air Force Base fuel cell hybrid bus is one example of a collaborative effort that leverages resources to transit’s benefit.  We are also engaged in plans with the Air Force on a $2.5 Million effort for the development of a heavy-duty hybrid system with applications to both trucks and transit buses.  This has special appeal since it offers the market volume of trucks to make the technology truly affordable for transit.
Similarly, we are developing efforts with the Army’s National Automotive Center in a number of technology areas where we have common interests including fuel cells, hybrid vehicles, auxiliary power units, and synthetic diesel.
As a former DOE person, I welcome its efforts in the hydrogen and fuel cell area and its potential benefits to transit.  DOT is working closely with DOE on the IPHE.  We believe that fuel cell buses can provide an early example of the tremendous benefits that can be derived from greater international cooperation.
I also welcome DOE’s support through NREL for the data collection and evaluation efforts.

## What is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?

- BRT is fast, reliable, convenient, affordable, accessible, and aesthetically distinguishable from “standard” bus service
- BRT may incorporate the following features:
- Express service
- Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS)
- Off-board fare collection
- Dedicated or exclusive rights-of-way
- Improved vehicles

## BRT is a Flexible & Integrated Package of Rubber-TiredTransit Solutions

- BRT Components:
- Running Ways
- Stations
- Vehicles
- Services
- Route Structure
- Fare Collection
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

**Conventional**
**Bus**

**Conventional**
**Fixed Guideway**
**Transit**

**  ****BUS RAPID TRANSIT**

**Notes:**
BRT is achieved with a flexible and integrated package of rubber-tire transit components.  BRT spans the spectrum of transit options between conventional bus services and fixed-guideway transit systems, such as light rail, in terms of both level of service and cost.  At the high-end of the spectrum, BRT combines dedicated roadways, modern stations, high-tech vehicles, and frequent service that are characteristic of rail systems, but at a lower cost.  BRT, however, also shows promise as a means to create real improvements in conventional bus services.

BRT, in essence, is a menu of transit options that can be categorized by seven components.  In principle, decision-makers can choose the most appropriate options for their communities from this comprehensive menu of BRT components.  

## Benefits of BRT?

- For Transit Users
- Improve services (frequency, reliability, access)
- Lower travel times (operating speed, wait times)
- Time savings range from 29-32% on city streets to 47% on busways and reserved lanes
- For Transit Operators
- Increase ridership
- U.S. BRT systems report 20-80% ridership increases
- Better utilization of resources
- More economical to build than rail (BRT costs average $.5-15M/mile)
- Higher operating efficiency than conventional bus
- Allow incremental development and customization
- For the General Public
- Reduce congestion, emissions, and energy use
- Promote and reinforce positive land uses

**Notes:**
BRT offers a variety of benefits to transit users, transit operators, and the general public.

From the perspective of the user, the key is convenience in the form of more frequent, more reliable, more accessible, and faster services.  In turn, transit operators can benefit from the consequent ridership increase, and the general public may see a decrease in overall congestion and emissions.

For transit operators, BRT may also offer the right balance between the flexibility and cost of bus and the quality and capacity of rail.  It can be more economical for fixed guideway operation than rail.  At the same time, it can be more efficient to operate than fixed route bus, especially in urban corridors with high demand and congestion.

## Goals of FTA’s BRT Initiative

- Demonstrate BRT as an Effective, Low Cost Transit Solution in Selected Corridors
- Provide Better Bus Service for Existing Riders
- Attract New Riders to Improved Bus Service
- Improve Transit Operational Efficiencies
- Leverage BRT to Introduce Technological Improvements into Revenue Service
- Change Perception that Bus Service is Slow, Inconvenient, & Uncomfortable
- Develop the *Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit* (CBRT) Document to Guide Decision-Makers Interested in BRT as a Local Transit Option

## Characteristics of BRTDocument Will:

- Present BRT Information in an Easy to Use Format
- Provide Cost/Benefit Information to Help Support Business Case for BRT
- Develop a Consistent Framework for Assessing System Performance of BRT components
- Empower Planners with Tools to Make Investment Decisions that Best Respond to Local Needs
- Fully Incorporate BRT into the Larger Context of Transit System Planning

## Contact Information

- Walter Kulyk
- Director, Office of Mobility Innovation
- 400 7th Street, SW
- Mail Code:  TRI-10
- Washington, DC  20590
- (202) 366-4991
- walter.kulyk@fta.dot.gov