[Editors] News Advisory: 23 enviro-friendly vehicles at MIT Friday

Mon Sep 13 16:39:18 EDT 2004

Catherine et al.  ... they know EXACTLY what they're doing... creating a 
traffic jam that will be covered by every network TV and radio station in 
town, if not nationally....  :)

smart marketing.

kay

At 03:47 PM 9/13/2004, Catherine Avril wrote:
>Did they think it through about having a 5-mile caravan making the trek 
>during a Friday evening rush hour???!!  It seems very likely to ADD to 
>traffic congestion.
>
>
>
>At 3:01 PM -0400 9/13/04, Elizabeth Thomson wrote:
>>MIT News Office
>>Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>>Room 11-400
>>77 Massachusetts Avenue
>>Cambridge, MA  02139-4307
>>Phone: 617-253-2700
>>http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/www
>>
>>======================================
>>News Advisory: Caravan of 23 enviro-friendly vehicles to travel to MIT 
>>this Friday
>>======================================
>>
>>For Immediate Release
>>MONDAY, SEP. 13, 2004
>>
>>
>>==========================================
>>Editors/Reporters: You are invited to cover this event and attend a 
>>reception for the media that will include speakers from MIT and elsewhere 
>>talking about environmentally friendly vehicles.
>>
>>When: Friday, Sept. 17, 5-5:45 pm; caravan will travel from the Larz 
>>Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline to MIT's Kresge parking 
>>lot. Reception for media and public address at 6pm, Kresge Lot.
>>
>>For more information go to www.altwheels.org. or contact Alison Sander, 
>>617-868-1582, info at altwheels.org or Elizabeth Thomson, MIT News Office, 
>>617-258-5402, thomson at mit.edu
>>==========================================
>>
>>
>>CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--New England's first alternative transportation caravan 
>>with more than 23 vehicles powered by alternative, hybrid and other more 
>>efficient, sustainable fuel systems will wind its way from the Larz 
>>Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline to MIT in Cambridge this 
>>Friday.
>>The caravan, which will be escorted by an alternatively fueled state 
>>police car, kicks off this weekend's AltWheels Festival, the region's 
>>largest alternative transportation festival. This year the event is 
>>co-hosted by MIT, home to several laboratories working on environmentally 
>>friendly alternative vehicles.
>>
>>The five-mile caravan route will end at MIT's Kresge parking lot, where 
>>the public is invited to come free of charge to learn about the latest 
>>innovations, as well as some historical examples, in alternative 
>>transportation.
>>
>>"The goal of the Friday caravan and weekend AltWheels festival is to 
>>demonstrate to the public that alternative transportation is being 
>>deployed and is flourishing throughout New England," said AltWheels 
>>Festival organizer Alison Sander. "Not only is this region a hotbed of 
>>research and technology in developing sustainable clean fuel sources, but 
>>vehicles deploying these technologies are being put to practice by some 
>>of the larger fleets in the region."
>>
>>The AltWheels caravan is currently scheduled to include the following 
>>vehicles:
>>
>>-- State Police escort from a Ford Econoline E250 CNG (Compressed Natural 
>>Gas) van
>>-- A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle built in New England- actually designed 
>>and built on a $25,000 bet with the EPA!
>>-- A Mass Highway Ford F-150 pickup truck fueled by CNG. Mass Highway has 
>>one of the largest alternative fleets in New England
>>-- A 2004 Toyota hybrid Prius operated by PlanetTran-New England's first 
>>alternative taxi service. The Prius is a gasoline/electric hybrid capable 
>>of getting up to 52MPG in city driving
>>-- A Harvard University biodiesel vehicle.  Harvard has committed to 
>>switching its transit fleet to biodiesel
>>-- A 1997 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser powered by CNG operated by the Sgt. 
>>James Rooney of the Somerville Police Department
>>-- Boston Public Health Commission's 2002 Toyota Prius--the Commission 
>>operates a fleet of 5 Toyota Prius passenger cars
>>-- Project Biobus, a yellow diesel 1991 GMC 71 passenger school bus 
>>fueled by biodiesel/used vegetable oil.  This bus was converted by 12 
>>Middlebury College students and will begin a 17 city tour with this 
>>Boston visit.  A previous bus converted by the group to get back to 
>>school last year was featured by CNN, NPR and USA Today
>>-- The Solectria Citivan, an electricity-powered delivery vehicle
>>-- American Honda GX, the top selling CNG vehicle
>>-- A Massport CNG passenger bus
>>-- Councillor at Large Felix Arroyo driving his biodiesel vehicle
>>-- An MBTA Clean Diesel passenger bus.  The MBTA has now become the 
>>largest alternative fuel user in New England
>>-- The Tufts Nerd Girls solar car
>>-- The MIT solar car club vehicle
>>-- The New England Aquarium CNG fueled outreach van
>>-- The Zipcar Mini Cooper
>>-- A Massport electric truck
>>-- The City of Keene New Hampshire biodiesel F-350 truck representing 
>>Granite State Clean Cities
>>-- Ford's 2005 Hybrid SUV, Escape-one of the first hybrid SUVs
>>-- The DaimlerChrysler Smart car, one of Europe's best selling 
>>alternative vehicles
>>-- The William Ellis Corbin Sparrow electric car
>>-- And -- a real blast from the past -- the Stanley Steamer steam-powered 
>>vehicle, model circa 1890
>>
>>Recent traffic studies show that Boston ranks in the top 10 most 
>>congested cities in the U.S. and Massachusetts is rated by the E.P.A. as 
>>one of the non-attainment states for air quality. The idea of clean 
>>sustainable fuels is beginning to catch on in New England -- from private 
>>individuals buying more hybrid-fuel passenger cars, to large public 
>>transit providers using eco-friendly vehicles, to major conversions to 
>>altfuel fleets by municipalities, universities and businesses.
>>
>>Major universities such as Harvard, MIT and Tufts have taken steps to 
>>reduce auto emissions in and about their campuses. Public agencies such 
>>as Massport, Mass Highway, the MBTA, the City of Keene, the Boston Public 
>>Health Commission and others have taken leadership positions in 
>>addressing the need to reduce harmful transportation-related pollutants 
>>in their fleets.
>>
>>The Altwheels festival is a one-stop showcase for the best alternative 
>>transportation options available in New England - including fleets that 
>>use alternative vehicles, concept vehicles and commercially available 
>>options. The inspiration for the Festival grew from a New England 
>>regional environment study by Connect-us, an AltWheels co-host. The 
>>survey found that one of the highest impact environmental improvements in 
>>the near term would derive from greater public understanding of our 
>>transportation choices and a shift to lower hydrocarbon emission options. 
>>The AltWheels Transportation Festival was created as a first step towards 
>>achieving this goal and is today sponsored by more than 70 organizations, 
>>sponsors and participating companies.
>>
>>--END--
>>
>>
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>
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****************************************************
Kay Walsh
Assistant to Professor Leona Samson, Director
Center for Environmental Health Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bldg. 56-235
Phone: 617-253-6220 Fax: 617-452-2066
kaywalsh at mit.edu
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