Requested Agenda Date:
4/20/2021
Requested Agenda Title:
Title
Approval of Electric Bus Air Quality Monitoring Interlocal Agreement
Body
Requested Agenda Item Description: Description: Michael Shea is a requesting approval and signature for Ebus Project ILA. Project Proposal: The project goal is to use an emission less mobile platform (Ebus) to provide real time air quality monitoring data for criteria pollutants PM2.5, ozone, and nitrogen oxides. The data collected from this project will inform strategies used to improve air quality. Project Background: Air quality monitors have been used in SLCo since 1963 to help scientists, policy makers, and the public better understand the types and various levels of particulates in the air that are unhealthy to breathe. In the past, air quality monitors were only at fixed locations. In December 2014, the University of Utah partnered with UTA to place air monitoring equipment on electric powered TRAX trains that cover 45 miles of rail lines. This created the first mobile non emission platform in the United States that collected real time air quality data with research grade sensors. The research yielded valuable insights into the complex nature of how harmful particulates interact with the Wasatch Front airshed across Salt Lake County. This has led to a better understanding of which areas in the Salt Lake Valley are at a greater risk of breathing unhealthy air that has high levels of particulates. Project Summary: Building on success of the TRAX monitoring platform, the project is proposing to place air monitors on 3 electric buses within the Salt Lake City Business Unit UTA fleet. This project is being conducted as a proof-of-concept model which can be scaled up to increase coverage to provide real time air quality monitoring.
Requested Action: Discussion - Vote Needed
Presenter(s) (with titles): Michael Shea, Environmental Manager, Regional Development
Time Needed: 10 MINS
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