Applied Research Center Of Alabama

TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND THEREFORE IMPROVE THE SOCIAL WELFARE OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA.

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING:THE CENTER CONTINUED ITS ONGOING PARTICIPATION IN THE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS FOR JEFFERSON AND SHELBY COUNTIES WITH ITS CHAIRMAN SERVING ON THE TRANSPORTATION CITIZENS COMMITTEE OF THE BIRMINGHAM METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION. THE CENTER ALSO CONTINUED ITS INVOLVEMENT IN A COALITION TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE BENEFITS OF COMPLETING A MAJOR HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, THE NORTHERN BELTLINE (BELTLINE). THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED IN OCTOBER 2008 AS AN ALABAMA NONPROFIT CORPORATION, THE COALITION FOR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION (CRT), AND THE CENTER'S CHAIRMAN SERVES ON CRT'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THE BELTLINE, A LIMITED ACCESS EXPRESSWAY FROM I-59/20 WEST OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM AROUND THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF THE BIRMINGHAM METROPOLITAN AREA TO I-59 NORTHEAST OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, HAS BEEN CONSIDERED SINCE THE 1960'S WHEN THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN THE REGION WAS DEVELOPED. THE BELTLINE IS DESIGNATED AS AN APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION DEVELOPMENT CORRIDOR (CORRIDOR X-1) AND IS PROPOSED TO BE A PART OF THE NATION'S INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AS I-422. THE BELTLINE WILL PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE REGION, TRAFFIC CONGESTION RELIEF, AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS AND PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREA. CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELTLINE WILL PROVIDE A SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT HIGHWAY FACILITY WHERE NO CONVENIENT EAST-WEST ACCESS CURRENTLY EXISTS IN NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS:THE CENTER PROVIDED OFFICE SPACE TO AND REMAINED ACTIVE IN THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE ALABAMA CLEAN FUELS COALITION, INC. (ACFC), A PARTICIPANT IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S CLEAN CITIES PROGRAM. ARCA'S CHAIRMAN SERVES ON THE ACFC BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THE VALUE OF HIS TIME ASSOCIATED WITH ACFC MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION IS DONATED TO THE ORGANIZATION. THIS PROGRAM PROMOTES THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS (AF) AND ALTERNATIVE FUELED VEHICLES (AFV) TO EXPAND THE MARKET, CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, IMPROVE AIR QUALITY, AND TO REDUCE DEPENDENCE OF FOREIGN SOURCES OF ENERGY. ACFC WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 AS AN ALABAMA NONPROFIT CORPORATION. ACFC AND ITS MEMBERS WORK PRIMARILY WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION ON THE BENEFITS OF AF AND TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL AFV USES AND AF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS WAS SIGNIFICANT IN ALABAMA IN 2020 AND PROVIDED A REDUCTION IN THE USE OF PETROLEUM OF MORE THAN 9.3 MILLION GALLONS OF GASOLINE GALLON EQUIVALENT (GGE) AND 55,679 TONS OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. THIS EFFORT WAS LED PRIMARILY BY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE ACFC. DURING 2020, ALTERNATIVE FUELS (E85 ETHANOL, B20 BIODIESEL, AND PROPANE) CONTINUED TO BE INCLUDED ON THE STATE FUEL CONTRACT. IN ADDITION TO BEING AVAILABLE TO STATE AGENCIES, THESE ALTERNATIVE FUELS CAN BE PURCHASED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON THE STATE CONTRACT FROM APPROVED VENDORS IN ALL 67 COUNTIES IN ALABAMA. USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN THE FLEETS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN ALABAMA CONTINUED TO BE USED IN 2020: THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION USED 89,513 GALLONS OF B20 BIODIESEL AND 207,970 GALLONS OF E85 ETHANOL; THE ALABAMA STATE DOCKS USED 1,005 GALLONS OF PROPANE; THE ALABAMA STATE MOTOR POOL USED 38,927 GALLONS OF E85 ETHANOL; THE MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER USED 19,700 GALLONS OF E85 ETHANOL; THE BIRMINGHAM SHUTTLESWORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT USED 8,533 GGE OF CNG; THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM USED 60,468 GALLONS OF E85 ETHANOL AND 168 GALLONS OF PROPANE; CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS USED 60,468 GALLONS OF PROPANE; THE BIRMINGHAM-JEFFERSON COUNTY TRANSIT AUTHORITY (BJCTA) USED 842,613 GGE OF CNG; THE ACFC DEVELOPED PUBLIC ACCESS CNG STATION AT THE BJCTA FACILITY DISPENSED 48,099 GGE OF CNG TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC; THE CITY OF MOBILE USED 21,271 GALLONS OF PROPANE; MOBILE COUNTY SCHOOLS USED 169,077 GALLONS OF PROPANE; THE CITY OF DAPHNE UTILITIES USED 119,614 GGE OF CNG; FRANKLIN COUNTY SCHOOLS USED 44 GALLONS OF PROPANE; THE LEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE USED 6,671 GALLONS OF PROPANE; THE TOWN OF GORDO USED 1,840 GGE OF CNG; THE CITY OF ATHENS USED 45,891 GGE OF CNG; RUSSELLVILLE CITY SCHOOLS USED 11,367 GALLONS OF PROPANE; THE CITY OF TUSCALOOSA/TUSCALOOSA TRANSIT USED 20,602 GALLONS OF PROPANE; TUSCALOOSA CITY SCHOOLS USED 152,004 GALLONS OF PROPANE; THE CITY OF ALABASTER USED 2,860 GALLONS OF B20 BIODIESEL; LAWSON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE USED 50 GGE OF CNG; THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY, AND THE CITY OF MOBILE OPERATED ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THEIR FLEET WHICH REDUCED 42,930 GGE OF PETROLEUM; AND WASTE VEGETABLE OIL TO BIODIESEL INITIATIVES CONTINUED AT THE CITY OF ALABASTER, THE ALABAMA INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND, WHERE THESE PROGRAMS PRODUCED 1,547 GALLONS OF B100 BIODIESEL. ACFC PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVE FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND INCREASED THE AVAILABILITY OF CLEANER BURNING FUELS TO THE PUBLIC IN ALABAMA DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2020 AND BEYOND. INCREASING AVAILABILITY OF THESE FUELS WILL IMPROVE AIR QUALITY. IN ADDITION, OTHER POTENTIAL PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE FUNDING AND/OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THESE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES SERVE TO LESSEN THE BURDENS OF GOVERNMENT AND ALSO FURTHER A CHARITABLE PURPOSE BY IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH PROMOTES SOCIAL WELFARE.