CASTLE ROCK, CO – Reducing vehicle emissions and increasing fuel economy — while saving money — are the primary goals of the Castle Rock’s new green fleet policy, approved by the Castle Rock Town Council, according to http://denver.yourhub.com.

The policy is part of the Town’s broader Project Green environmental initiative.

In addition to goals of reducing emissions by 10 percent and increasing fuel economy by 10 percent between 2009 and 2014, the policy includes these goals:

· Replacing fleet units with alternative-fuel vehicles — biodiesel, electric vehicles, hydrogen, natural gas, and hybrids — when the lifecycle costs of the alternate vehicles are equal to or less than that of a standard unit to reach a goal of having 10 percent of the Town’s light-duty vehicles being alternative fuel-powered by 2013.

· Having a pool of vehicles accessible by all departments to eliminate the need for departments to maintain units for occasional use. 

· Encouraging employees to use alternate modes of travel such as public transit, bicycles, or walking when feasible and scheduling travel efficiently so multiple tasks can be accomplished with one trip.

· Not allowing Town vehicles to idle for more than 30 seconds when parked unless required.

By implementing all components of the policy, the Town is expected to realize a cost savings of $100,000 or more over the next three to five years, the report said.

The Town’s fleet is expected to travel 2.4 million miles in 2008 and will consume about 208,000 gallons of fuel, which translates to 4.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide. Meeting the goals outlined in the green fleet policy will reduce that by about 500,000 pounds per year.