The Village of Oak Park won the “Best Performing Municipality” award from the Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC) coalition for its efforts to reduce the carbon foortprint of the village’s fleet. Oak Park recently installed five electric vehicle charging stations in the village hall parking lot. Photo courtesy of Mark Burger.
The Village of Oak Park won a green leadership award at the Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC) coalition annual meeting on Thursday, Dec. 5. The awards are given each year to local organizations and individuals that take actions to reduce petroleum consumption and improve air quality, such as by using cleaner-burning alternative-fuel vehicles, electric vehicles (EVs) or other advanced technologies.
The Village of Oak Park received the “Best Performing Municipality” award for the many steps it is taking to lower the carbon footprint and emissions of its vehicle fleet.
Oak Park recently installed five electric vehicle charging stations at its village hall on Madison Street. There are three stations with six ports for charging municipal vehicles and two charging stations with four ports for charging by EV owners. Along with the installation, the municipality deployed five new all-electric 2019 Nissan LEAFs.
In addition to EV charging stations and EVs, the village expanded its use of telematics to coach and educate fleet drivers on proper usage of equipment by decreasing idling, and reducing speeding and excessive acceleration. The education in these areas will decrease the use of fossil fuels. Oak Park also added a hybrid-electric bucket truck, which allows use of the bucket with a battery instead of the vehicle’s engine.
Oak Park is a member of CACC, the B20 Club and is a longtime user of low-emissions biodiesel fuel for the village’s diesel fleet vehicles. B20 biodiesel generates fewer tailpipe emissions and reduces lifecycle carbon emissions.
Oak Park’s green fleet is one of many sustainability efforts underway in the village.
“Oak Park has always been at the forefront as a green community,” said Ken Crowley, superintendent of fleet services for the Village of Oak Park. “We place a high priority on environmental stewardship. We do everything we can to keep the air we breathe as clean as we can, and our use of biodiesel and electric vehicles are very important initiatives.”
Additional Sustainability Award Winners
The Forest Preserves of Cook County took home the prestigious 2019 Clean Fuels Champion award, which is an honor given annually since 2001 to an individual, organization or business that promotes sustainable transportation solutions. Besides Oak Park, other winners of the CACC leadership awards include the Village of Downers Grove, the Greater Chicago I-55 Truck Plaza, and Ozinga.
Tom Thompson, maintenance supervisor for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, was recognized for his Leadership in Public Service. Chicago resident Neda Deylami also was awarded a Community Leadership Award for her efforts to help Chicago transition to environmentally friendly electric vehicles.
“The individuals and organizations we are honoring are terrific examples for others to follow to learn about the advantages of clean-vehicle and alternative-fuel technologies,” said Samantha Bingham, coordinator of CACC. “Their efforts serve the Chicago community by reducing harmful emissions from vehicles. That helps to reduce air pollution, making the air we breathe cleaner and healthier for all.”
About Chicago Area Clean Cities
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Chicago Area Clean Cities is a nonprofit coalition focused on promoting clean vehicles and clean-air solutions for transportation in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. CACC is one of nearly 100 coalitions across the country affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program, which brings together stakeholders to increase the use of alternative fuels and clean-vehicle technologies, reduce idling, and improve fuel efficiency and air quality. To find out more information or get involved, visit chicagocleancities.org