INSIGHTS
Solutions to Support Equitable, Community-based Transportation Electrification
In November 2022, NYSERDA launched the implementation phase of its New York Clean Transportation Prizes (NYCTP) by awarding prizes of up to $10 million each to ten projects in historically underserved communities throughout New York State. The prize solutions range from introducing electric bikeshare programs on the east side of Buffalo to electrifying medium- and heavy-duty trucks transporting goods through the Bronx. Opinion Dynamics is NYSERDA’s measurement, evaluation, and learning (MEL) support contractor for the competition.
KEY INSIGHTS
To support NYSERDA in assessing project outcomes and formalizing lessons learned, Opinion Dynamics is providing a key role to help project teams track information that will appropriately represent the range of benefits they aim to produce while ensuring that data tracking and evaluation do not distract teams from their primary goal (i.e., launching successful clean transportation interventions). Our approach balances must balance evaluation rigor against burdening awardees with evaluation and reporting requirements that take their focus away from implementing their projects and serving their communities.
In consultation with NYSERDA, Opinion Dynamics determined that rather than requiring each awardee to independently create and implement its own measurement and verification plan to demonstrate project outcomes, we would establish a set of key project benefit areas, data collection protocols, and estimation methodologies and tools.
For example, Opinion Dynamics has developed an emissions calculator tool that builds on work done by the California Air Resources Board that we will use to estimate GHG emissions and particulate matter reductions associated with the funded projects. As several of these prize projects and/or services are administered by community-based organizations that have fewer resources as it pertains to sophisticated data collection, tracking, and reporting, we designed the tool to be flexible enough to work with both detailed vehicle level data or summary information that teams can provide. The tool provides estimates for the range of clean transportation technologies funded by the prize projects (e.g., e-bikes, EVs, MDHD vehicles) and is suitable for both project planning and evaluation. We purposefully made the tool easy to use so that future project teams who apply to NYSERDA for funding can use the tool to estimate emission reductions using planning assumptions.
WHY IT MATTERS
This Prize Program represents one of the largest commitments to date focused on identifying clean transportation solutions to address inequality and improve environmental outcomes at scale in the US. Insights from this initiative represent a valuable learning opportunity for individuals, organizations, and policymakers committed to building equitable, clean transportation solutions and Opinion Dynamics looks forward to sharing insights and learnings.
Explore the program
Learn more about how the New York Clean Transportation Prizes projects, that are currently underway, are helping electrify transportation, reduce air pollution, and increase clean mobility by visiting NYSERDA’s website.
Interested in what we can do for you?
Please feel free to contact our resident expert!
Hilary Polis
Director of Transportation Electrification
hpolis@opiniondynamics.com
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