Author Archives: Megan Chiu

Posts by Megan Chiu

Annotated Bibliography – Fuel Efficient Vehicles in NYC

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Megan Chiu

To:                   Professor Samantha MacBride

From:              Megan Chiu

Date:               April 15, 2013

Re:                   Annotated Bibliography

 

Columbia University – SIPA Spring Workshop, A. “TRANSPORTING NEW YORK CITY”(2005), accessed March 5, 2013, http://mpaenvironment.ei.columbia.edu/news/projects/NRDC%20Spring%20final%20report.pdf.

This report written by students of Columbia Universities School of International and Public Affairs explores the New York City initiatives to use green transportation technology. The main option that the students explored was hybrid vehicles, which parallels my research topic. Key benefits of hybrid cars as a green alternative include fuel efficiency, as well as cost savings after multiple years of use.

One of the policy recommendations is to apply the green initiative to a subgroup of the city’s automobile population. One of the groups that can be regulated most easily is the NYC taxi fleet. The proposition is to require a certain percentage of the fleet of taxis and yellow cabs to meet minimum fuel efficiency requirements. Ideally, the proposition will allow the city to identify the most successful fuel efficient vehicle for the taxi fleet.

I am using the source as part of my research because of the detail it goes into when reviewing the different policies implemented thus far in New York City. It is directly related to my topic of fuel-efficient transportation alternatives in the city, referring specifically to cars.

 

Anonymous. “Hybrid Taxis Will Cut Emissions by 215,000 Tons in Next FiveYears.” BioCycle 48, no. 6 (June 2007): 6, accessed March 1, 2013.

This article reports on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to reduce air pollution and emissions drastically by introducing hybrid taxis. According to the article, hybrid taxis will save the equivalent of 30,000 cars’ emissions. The plan, as part of PlaNYC, is to increase the number of hybrid taxis from 375 in 2007 to 1,000 in 2008 and eventually 10,000 by 2011.

Mayor Bloomberg’s initiative is an example of how the city has tried to implement programs to reduce emissions in the city. The success, or failure, of this plan, is an indication of the sustainability and permanence of the program for New York City.

The data from this source will serve as a benchmark for the air pollution reduction standards that the city hopes to achieve within the next few years. The figures mentioned in the article will help me cross referencing the progress made in terms of increasing green vehicles with other statistics.

 

Gao, H. Oliver, and Vincent Kitirattragarn. 2008. “Taxi Owners’ Buying Preferences of Hybrid-electric Vehicles and Their Implications for Emissions in New York City.” Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 42 (8) (October): 1064–1073.

The authors explore the benefits of hybrid taxis in the New York City taxi fleet. According to the article, the brake technology in hybrid cars increases fuel efficiency, which also benefits city drivers as they are often braking. In turn, this leads to lower fuel usages and higher mileage, especially in light of high fuel prices.

The article summarizes the authors’ findings of a survey of taxi drivers’ preferences, which are important because they have the power to control the market penetration of hybrid vehicles in the taxi fleet. The surveys found that the two most important factors to taxi drivers when considering which vehicle they want to purchase next are the vehicle cost and the maintenance cost. The environmental impact of the car was the fourth most important aspect, according to correlation coefficients.

As previously mentioned, this article discusses many of the barriers to entry for green and hybrid vehicles in the market, particularly the taxi fleet. These will serve as counter-arguments to why hybrid and electric cars in New York City may not prove to be a sustainable initiative. If a large population of drivers, that is, taxi drivers, is not convinced that they should spend the extra money for a green taxi, then they will choose a conventional car for their next taxi. However, by addressing the concerns of the taxi drivers, the city can cater the initiatives to the concerns of the taxi drivers and thus convince them to purchase green vehicles.

 

“Exploring Electric Vehicle Adoption in New York City.” 2010, accessed March 31, 2013. http://nytelecom.vo.llnwd.net/o15/agencies/planyc2030/pdf/electric_vehicle_adoption_study.pdf.

The largest concern is market penetration of electric vehicles in New York City. As a part of PlaNYC, the city is researching ways to pinpoint the benefits that early supporters of electric vehicles and convince other potential consumers to convert to using Electric Vehicles. According to the city, 22% of the air pollution in New York City comes from transportation, which includes cars.

As a supporting point for whether or not the idea is sustainable and the goals achievable, the federal government is a supporter of the PlaNYC Drive Electric NYC initiative as well. One of the drawbacks found in the city’s research is the lack of publication and information about electric vehicles. New York drivers are reportedly less familiar with electric vehicle performance, costs, and emission levels. The article states that by addressing the education issue, New York will be able to accommodate and welcome a new fleet and influx of consumer electric vehicles. The point about the drawback mentioned in the briefing will be important to consider when determining the longevity of the initiative.

 

Rahman, Hashim. 2011. “NYC Taxi Ruling May Make Cities Tread Carefully.” Planning 77 (6) (July): 8.

This article reports on one of the roadblocks officials face in implementing hybrid vehicle taxi fleets. According to the courts, the initiative to mandate the purchase and use of hybrid and green air technology vehicles as part of the NYC taxi fleet is illegal as it is trying to regulate clean air and fuel. However, there are already federal policies regulating clean air and fuel consumption, the Clean Air Act and the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

These federal regulations have major impacts on New York City’s ability to adopt a green fleet. Since the courts feel that the hybrid initiative oversteps the boundaries of the federal government’s regulations, requiring taxi drivers to purchase new hybrid vehicles will be a challenge for PlaNYC programmers. This article will be useful in arguing against the sustainability and potential of a creating a hybrid fleet.

 

Carpenter, Tommy, Andrew Curtis, and S Keshav. “The Return On Investmentfor Taxi Companies Transitioning to Electric Vehicles,” accessed April 12, 2013. https://cs.uwaterloo.ca/research/tr/2011/CS-2011-20a.pdf.

This research paper concludes that after conducting a cost-benefit analysis of using electric vehicles as part of taxi fleet, it is actually beneficial to a city to convert its fleet. However, the survey, which was conducted in San Francisco, does not necessarily mean that it will absolutely have the same results in New York City, though the findings do suggest success. Some of the issues raised in the case study are ideal powering stations for electric vehicles and a total restructuring of the transportation industry.

This is an interesting source to use because the case study takes place in a city similar to and on a similar scale as New York City. California is much more proactive in terms of its air pollution reduction and regulation policies. This is an example of the type of information that can persuade taxi drivers and fleet owners to consider switching over to green vehicles.

 

“Fact Sheet for Alternative Fuel System Conversions – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.” 2013. Accessed April 16. http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/89537.html.

This fact sheet summarizes the legal changes that can be made to vehicles in order to make them more fuel efficient and compliant with federal regulations such as the Clean Air Act. One of the important points of this fact sheet is that the New York policies are based on California’s laws, which demonstrates the power of influence and high standards California has set in the field of clean air technology.

These pieces of legislature will be important to my research paper because they are compliant with the federal regulations that oversee environmental and air pollution initiatives. Compared to the blanket policies that New York City tried to implement by imposing a mandate to convert all taxis to hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicles, the policies stated in this fact sheet may be better guiding principles for new environmental policies.

*Citations made using Chicago Manual of Style, Author-Date formatting

Memo 2: The Development of the Hybrid Car

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Megan Chiu

To:       Professor Samantha MacBride

From: Megan Chiu

Date:   March 18, 2013

Re:       Timeline – Hybrid Cars to Mitigate Climate Change

 

Date                                                                Event

1800   Alesandro Volta discovered a way to chemically store electrical energy, improving on Luigi Galvani’s experiments with electrical currents (Høyer, 2008)

1821   Michael Farraday of Great Britain experimented with the electric generator as a motor for cars using Volta’s research (Høyer, 2008)

1831   Farraday developed the foundation for electric motors by experimenting with electrical induction, currents, and magnetism (Høyer, 2008)

1835   The first prototypes of electrical cars appeared in the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands (Høyer, 2008)

1859   Gaston Planté of Belgium invented the lead-acid battery, which is still used in modern electric cars and internal combustion engines (ICE) (Høyer, 2008)

1881   France’s Trouvé invented an electric-powered tricycle. It was the first vehicle powered by electricity. Trouvé also invented an electric-powered boat. (Høyer, 2008)

1893   Six types of electric cars are presented at the World Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois (Høyer, 2008)

1897   Thirteen electric automobiles are introduced in New York (Høyer, 2008)

1900   Start of the “Golden Age” of electric car development. Electric companies developed and installed charging hydrants in New York City to charge electric-powered cars (Høyer, 2008)

Ferdinand Porsche introduces the hybrid car, a gasoline and electric car, at the Paris Exposition (Høyer, 2008)

1901   Thomas Edison invents the nickel-iron battery, capable of storing 40% more energy per weight unit than the lead-acid battery (Høyer, 2008)

French automobile company Jenatzy develops a parallel hybrid car, featuring a “petrol engine and an electric motor” (Høyer, 2008)

1912   The total number of electric cars in the United States reaches 30,000. Electric car sales top other car sales (Høyer, 2008)

1916   The American “Woods gasoline-electric car” makes its debut in the United States (Høyer, 2008)

1965   General Motors implements an “electric car development programme” and develops prototypes of zinc-air battery operated cars (Høyer, 2008)

1989   New York state government urges Washington to implement legislature to combat the high emission levels and air pollution in the city (“New York’s Air, Washington’s Duty,” 1989)

1993   President Clinton implements the “Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles” initiative, supporting the use of “clean cars” (“New York’s Air, Washington’s Duty,” 1989)

1997   Toyota introduces its Prius hybrid car sedan in Japan; Audi introduces its Duo hybrid car (Høyer, 2008)

1999   Honda introduces the first hybrid car in the United States, the Insight (Høyer, 2008)

2000   Toyota introduces its Prius hybrid in the United States (Høyer, 2008)

2003   Honda introduces its second hybrid car, an electric hybrid, the Civic Hybrid (Høyer, 2008)

2004   Ford introduces its Ford Escape hybrid, a “sport utility vehicle” (Høyer, 2008)

The American Lung Association of the City of New York reports that “’high levels of ozone and particle pollution caused by the cars, buses and trucks that clog our streets make the mere act of breathing dangerous for the residents of New York City.”’ This prompted research into emission reduction solutions for urban areas, using New York City as a focal point. (Columbia University – SIPA Spring Workshop, 2005)

2005   New York City vehicular traffic produce 11% of particulate matter (PM) emissions (Charles-Guzman, 2012)

Shell reports its intent to install a hydrogen service station to refuel hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles (Kaul, 2005)

2006   The federal government offered an income tax credit under PL 109-58 of up to 50% of the purchase price of an alternative fuel vehicle. It also offered an additional 30% worth of credit if the emission levels of the car were within a certain targeted range.  The tax credit was available from January 1, 2006 until December 31, 2010. (Underwood, n.d.)

New York City implements the Solid Waste Management Plan, which “calls for strategies to reduce the impact of diesel fumes” in the city (Underwood, n.d.)

2007   NYC Truck Show – NYC Parks and Recreation Department presents its fleet of hybrid cars and alternative fuel vehicles. The Parks and Recreation Department vowed to purchase 48 new trucks with reduced fuel emission technology. The department also has 480 alternative-fuel vehicles. (Mele, 2007)

European Commission sets a standard to lower carbon dioxide missions by 2012 from 170 grams per kilometer to 130 grams per kilometer (“HYBRID-FUEL CARS – Hybrid,” 2007)

PlaNYC is introduced. Mayor Michael Bloomberg vows to make New York City the “greenest in the US by 2030” in part by using hybrid (fuel and electric) taxis (Grimes & Pimlott, 2007)

As part of PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg vows to reduce emissions by 30% in New York City. (Rahman, 2011)

Mayor Bloomberg announces that New York City’s entire taxi fleet will be composed solely of hybrid taxis by 2012. (Anonymous, 2007)

2010   New York City Parks and Recreation Department receives its first shipment of medium-duty hybrid trucks, beginning its transition to a green fleet (Anonymous, 2010)

2011   Federal and appellate courts ruled against New York City’s plan to create an all-hybrid taxi fleet. (Rahman, 2011)

2012   New York City approves the Nissan “Taxi of Tomorrow” initiative to eliminate half of the hybrid taxi fleet (Mann, 2012)

Kizzy Charles-Guzman of University of Michigan conducts a case study on New York City’s efforts to reduce air pollution (Charles-Guzman, 2012)

30% of New York City’s yellow taxi cab fleets have converted to hybrid or clean-fuel cars (Charles-Guzman, 2012)

 

Bibliography

Anonymous. (2007). NYC Taxi Fleet Fully Hybrid by 2012. Government Procurement, 15(3), 12.

Anonymous. (2010). NYC Parks take delivery of hybrids. Fleet Owner, 105(7), 21.

Charles-Guzman, K. M. (2012). Air Pollution Control Strategies in New York City: A Case Study of the Role of Environmental Monitoring, Data Analysis, and Stakeholder Networks in Comprehensive Government Policy Development. University of Michigan. Retrieved from http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/handle/2027.42/94532

Columbia University – SIPA Spring Workshop, A. (2005). TRANSPORTING NEW YORK CITY. Retrieved from http://mpaenvironment.ei.columbia.edu/news/projects/NRDC%20Spring%20final%20report.pdf

Grimes, C., & Pimlott, D. (2007, May 23). Hybrid taxis latest step in New York’s bid for greenest city status: [LONDON 1ST EDITION]. Financial Times, p. 10. London (UK), United Kingdom.

Høyer, K. G. (2008). The history of alternative fuels in transportation: The case of electric and hybrid cars. Utilities Policy, 16(2), 63–71.

HYBRID-FUEL CARS – Hybrid: the motor of change? (2007). Marketing Week, 22–23.

Kaul, B. (2005, February 18). New Generation Fuel Cell Technology; GM, Shell hydrogen to introduce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, refueling station. News India – Times, p. 16. New York, N.Y., United States.

Mann, T. (2012, September 20). New Cab Plan Curbs Hybrids. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition, p. A.19. New York, N.Y., United States.

Mele, J. (2007). NYC shows off green technology. Fleet Owner, 102(7), 10.

New York’s Air, Washington’s Duty. (1989, August 10). New York Times. New York, N.Y., United States. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/abiglobal/docview/110264900/abstract/13CE58F35BA75E33155/11?accountid=8500

Rahman, H. (2011). NYC Taxi Ruling May Make Cities Tread Carefully. Planning, 77(6), 8.

Underwood, J. (n.d.). FUELING A GREENER FUTURE. Retrieved from http://energy-vision.org/images/2008/04/ev-fueling-a-greener-future.pdf

 

Approaches to Planning

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Megan Chiu

New York City has seen an influx of new structural and architectural initiatives, particularly in light of Hurricane Sandy. Cornish discusses different strategies to planning such initiatives. He discusses forecasting and backcasting, two approaches to account for the numerous variables that contribute to scenario planning.

How should architects and government officials, such as those who are part of Lightstone Group, integrate concerns of climate change into their designs? How should we, as New Yorkers, plan for the future? Should we forecast the future, and predict where we will be in X years based on where we are now? Or, should we backcast, in which case we would develop goals and work to achieve those goals?

Proposal – Air Pollution from Transportation Methods in New York City

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Megan Chiu

To:                   Professor Samantha MacBride

From:              Megan Chiu

Date:               February 10, 2013

Re:                   Research Paper Topic Proposal – Air Pollution from Transportation Methods in New York City

For my paper, my overall research question is, how has air pollution in New York City changed as new forms of transportation have emerged and improved? I want to research the development of the modes of transportation in New York City. Specifically, I want to look at the history and increase in use of cars, trains, and buses throughout the city. This will help bring awareness to New Yorkers about how impactful or harmful certain types of transportation are to the environment and bring light to the technological efforts companies and agencies are making to reduce emissions.

My research data will be comprised of statistics directly from different agencies. I will look to the MTA for information on train and bus emissions and commuter statistics. I will look to the New York City Department of Transportation for its “Citywide Congested Corridors Studies” and similar studies for information about vehicular emissions. I want to examine the emission levels from cars over time.

I also want to see if there is any correlation between new “green” movements in transportation technology and overall air pollution levels. Furthermore, I plan to look for government agency reports, primarily from the United States Environmental Protection Agency if they are available, for information on the overall air quality and its relationship to climate change.

week 2 – Engage

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Megan Chiu

Rosenzweig discusses public works projects such as PlaNYC in her article. How successful, if at all, would Jane Jacobs consider these projects in regards to city planning to improve New York City?

 

 

 

Comments by Megan Chiu

"I agree with Chris that our waste management system needs to be changed. Generally speaking, our attitude towards waste management and environmental sustainability is very lax. There is little urgency in protecting the environment and finding sustainable processes. It seems like NYC has adopted an "out of sight out of mind" mentality when it comes to waste management, especially because we ship away our problems. It shouldn't be a poorer country's responsibility to deal with our problems and our garbage. We need to be more socially responsible, which is why the budding issues cannot be put off for another few years. Is it worth the risk to underestimate the true negative implications of our waste management practices, or is it better to be proactive and make the changes now?"
--( posted on Apr 15, 2013, commenting on the post Too Much Garbage )
 
"How would you feel if you had to clean up someone else's trash, when you had no involvement in contributing to it? Why should you be responsible for doing so? I think that states should be responsible for disposing of their own waste. It is not fair to be socially and environmentally irresponsible and just ship away our problems just because we have the financial ability to do so. This type of mentality eliminates accountability for garbage, because states may think that once garbage is out of its borders, they no longer have to care for it."
--( posted on Apr 15, 2013, commenting on the post Where do we send the garbage? )
 
"I think that upgrading the electrical grid is definitely worth the investment. However, determining who should fund the improvement depends on the type of improvement. If the improvement is to increase the transmission capacity of electricity to the city, I think that should be a cost to the customers. The reason for this is that it is a direct improvement to the service and as a customer, if I can receive better service, I am willing to pay a little bit more each month. As a customer, I would also be very unhappy if I had to pay for the improvement and it later failed, because my money would have been wasted. However, if the improvement is to waterproof and protect the grid, which would be one way to protect the grid, I think the city should pay most if not all of the cost. As a customer, I would be opposed to paying the entire cost of the improvement, because it is a contingency plan but does not necessarily improve my service. There is also the possibility that it will fail. I think the city should cover the majority of this cost because it is the government's responsibility to keep its systems up and running to serve the citizens. I think what the NYC Task Force should do is develop a budget to fund improvements in response to the climate change and stronger storms that we see today. This money could be used to protect the electrical system, or make it stronger."
--( posted on Mar 3, 2013, commenting on the post NYC’s Electrical System )
 
"Waterproofing is a contingency plan against natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy. I think that the city is responsible for covering the costs of waterproofing and maintaining the city's electrical grid. The improvements are an investment that would, in the long run, decrease the cost of upkeep for the system. The cost should not fall on the citizens of New York City, because they are paying for their individual usages, not to run the electrical system itself. If the system were to improve electrical transmission, that would be a cost that consumers could bear, because they pay for the transmissions. It would not be fair to have customers pay for an upgrade to a system when they do not receive any benefits to their service. I am not sure whether sharing the cost between the city and the residents and businesses will be fair either, because, again, it is more of a maintenance cost for the system and again, does not directly improve the electrical flow to customers. This maintenance upkeep seems more like a business' cost and not a customers' cost. There is also the possibility of the waterproofing failing, if the storm is stronger than expected. With the atypical and unexpected weather we are starting to see in New York City, it may become harder to predict the severity and overall impact of the storms. In the case that customers do, at least in part, pay for the waterproofing and the waterproofing does fail, customers would undoubtedly be angry for having to pay more but still lose their power."
--( posted on Mar 3, 2013, commenting on the post Engage: Who’s footing the bill? )
 
"Narrowed topic - How stable and adaptive is the NYC bicycle system? How does it improve public health (air pollution and exercise)? How well does the system mitigate climate change (reduces overall air pollution output from New Yorkers - cleaner air)."
--( posted on Feb 19, 2013, commenting on the post Proposal – Air Pollution from Transportation Methods in New York City )