City of Surrey: Gold-Rated Fleet (2011)

“The City is proud of the work we’ve done to upgrade our fleet and reduce our carbon emissions, and we’re very pleased to be recognized as a leader in Canada.”

— Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts

Photo: Fraser Basin Council Executive Director David Marshall presents Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and Surrey City Council with an E3 Gold Rating Award on May 9, 2011 to mark the City's achievements in fleet management.

The City of Surrey has been recognized as having one of the top-rated green fleets in Canada, becoming one of four fleets in the country to receive an E3 Fleet Gold Rating from the Fraser Basin Council.

Surrey's Gold Rating recognizes the City's reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, an investment in low or no-carbon vehicles and energy efficient technologies, as well as a commitment to staff development and management excellence.

“It’s important for municipalities to set an example, and our staff have done an exceptional job,” said Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts. “Surrey is the only municipality in Canada to host two municipal hydrogen fuelling stations, and we’re introducing a number of alternative vehicles, including hydrogen, electric and Canada’s first natural gas municipal waste collection truck.”

The City of Surrey’s achievements include:

• an 18% reduction in GHG the past two years
• year-over-year gains in fleet fuel efficiency, averaging a 1.3% efficiency gain per year
• the purchase of fuel-efficient and alternative-technology vehicles
• a commitment in its fleet action plan to reduce vehicle carbon emissions by 20% by the year 2020
• training for staff, including fuel-efficiency training for drivers
• an idling reduction policy, which includes employee training and implementation of auto-shut-off technology
• systems for automated fuel data management
• regular and consistent vehicle maintenance, including emissions testing and waste management
• route optimization and use of automatic vehicle location (AVL) technologies for snow and ice control operations
• efficient and optimal use of vehicles.

What’s ahead? The City of Surrey Engineering Department has announced it is working on a number of additional fleet-related initiatives:

• Surrey is the only municipality in Canada to host two municipal hydrogen fuelling stations, both funded by the Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association.
• The City is operating two zero-emission Ford Focus hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and is working toward expanding that number through a partnership with Powertech Labs.
• Over the course of 2011, the City will introduce a number of 100% electric vehicle as part of a pilot project
• The City will introduce Canada’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) municipal waste collection truck for residential curbside service (a nominal number of CNG deployments have already occurred in Canada but for commercial services only).
• In partnership with SFU’s School of Mechatronics (Surrey campus), the Engineering Department is co-sponsoring a post-doctoral research project focused on developing a tool that will help the City better assess the pros and cons of low-carbon alternatives to gas and diesel municipal fleet vehicles. It will evaluate the City’s alternative fuel vehicles and compare full life-cycle costs (capital, operational, depreciation costs), environmental pros and cons, operational and logistics benefits and limitations.