Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities (YTCC) brought transit agencies, fleet managers, resort operators, fuel providers and local leaders to Jackson on November 19th for its Clean Transportation Summit. Over 50 attendees looked at how the region can move people and goods with cleaner fuels and vehicles, from electric delivery and regional transit to hydrogen and renewable diesel.
Morning: electric delivery and regional mobility
Jackson Mayor Arne Jorgenson warmly welcomed attendees to town with an introduction to the work of the Town of Jackson and an invitation for questions. I then gave an overview of Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities, what we do and our recent successes, then YTCC Project Manager Haley Whittaker introduced our new Charging Smart program.
Our first panel focused on electric delivery. Meghan Quinn, Executive Director of the Teton Village Association and Teton Village Resort District, joined Kolby Ward, VP of Business Development at 106West Logistics. Meghan emphasized how this was an idea 16 years in the making and they are thrilled with the results.
Our Regional Mobility Panel then offered a snapshot of transit and transportation across the region, along with opportunities ahead. A key takeaway here was that funding, particularly at the federal level, is inconsistent and when there are new funding opportunities or sources, support from the community is especially helpful. Additionally, it was touched upon that individual choices and behavior is a large factor in ridership, how can we get folks out of their comfort zone of a single occupancy vehicle to contribute to the greater good by taking a form of transit or shared mobility?
Mike Toronto, Transit Director, START (Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit)
Kade Marquez, Transportation Coordinator, Greater Idaho Falls Transit
Charlotte Frei, Transportation Manager, Teton County
Commissioner Emma Bode, Bozeman
Afternoon: from mobility solutions to shared ideas
After lunch, the Mobility Solutions Panel looked at practical approaches to moving people. Speakers were Dave Bergart, a transportation demand management expert and Vice President of Sales at Wayleadr; Jeff Brown, Fleet Operations and Logistics Manager at Idaho National Laboratory; and Lizzie Peyton, Executive Director of Big Sky SNO. A discussion about a shared regional platform to foster carpooling was discussed, with a focus on the large employers in the region to really capture the most well-trodden commuter pathways. An unpopular idea of paid parking was discussed as one of the most effective methods to reduce single occupancy vehicles. Stay tuned for opportunities to be involved with programs as a result of this discussion.
Fuels: hydrogen and renewable diesel
Matt Murdock, CEO and Founder of Raven SR and Mayor of Pinedale, spoke about the company's work in hydrogen, which is a unique and interesting option to be offered in rural Wyoming. The bulk of Raven’s transportation work is currently in California with several interesting opportunities in Wyoming.
The renewable diesel session opened with an overview from YTCC Project Manager Jesse Therien. Local perspectives came from Steve Parker, Fleet Manager at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort; Erik Kimball, Sustainability Coordinator for Teton County; and Natacha Sagal of Big Sky Resort. Daniel Sigler of Conrad and Bischoff added a fuel provider's view. A key takeaway from this panel and YTCC’s work in RD in general is that having a low-level blend of RD in your fuel is an easy way to significantly reduce emissions while allowing operations and maintenance to remain exactly the same.
Projects, funding and what comes next
Natacha Sagel, Sustainability Specialist at Big Sky Resort, and Jac Stelly, Environmental Manager at Jackson Hole Airport, provided an overview and funding sources for their respective projects.
I closed the program with a regional EV infrastructure snapshot and forecast, overview of current funding opportunities and presented this year's awards. Join us in celebrating this years award recipients.
The day ended with a happy hour and EV car show at The Virginian.
Thank you
Thank you to our speakers, panelists, RIVIAN, Teton County Library for hosting our event and everyone who attended. Don’t hesitate to reach out to YTCC staff for support on any of your alternative fuel vehicle, infrastructure or sustainable transportation projects. We can’t wait to help you turn your ideas into action.
