The Construction Source America

City of San Antonio | 13 throughout the city. As the project leader for transporta- tion initiatives, Bill Barker provides exam- ples of several developments that further distinguish City sustainability efforts. One case involves a partnership with Austin En- ergy to create an infrastructure for electric fueling stations along the Interstate 35 cor- ridor between Austin and San Antonio, es- sentially allowing anyone to have access to pumps for travel purposes. He says the big- gest challenge is creating a system that allows for drivers to fuel their vehicle and pay for it through a mechanism that sends the bill to the appropriate energy provider, or have it added to the respective person’s monthly utility bill. Developing the business model is more difficult than installing the electrical pump. Barker points to other initiatives in- volving fleet operations. The City has made use of 600 cleaner fuel vehicles, including compressed natural gas, propane, electric, and hybrid technologies. A Green Fleet Ac- quisition Policy requires City fleet purchases to use a total cost of ownership approach in- cluding environmental impacts in assessing which vehicles to acquire. In addition the City is also testing all-electric trucks manu- factured by Boulder Electric Vehicle. San Antonio will also soon be one of the few cit- ies in America to have an electrical-powered bus for their public transportation system. The reliance on such vehicles helps mitigate what Barker says are key issues of the future: air quality, water quality and wa- ter shortage as a result of climate change. Boulder Electric Vehicle