New York City Parks & Recreation Department
on the Cutting Edge of Green Revolution

New York City Parks & Recreation Department vehicles at Midland Beach in Staten Island, NYC.

The New York City Parks & Recreation Department is leading a Green Revolution in the Big Apple. It was the first city agency to pilot biodiesel in 2005 and continues its commitment to "greening" its fleet through the use of biodiesel.

The agency maintains more than 29,000 acres in New York City, including such well-known venues as Central Park, Battery Park, Flushing Meadows, Coney Island and much more. This enormous task requires a very large fleet – more than 2300 vehicles - 850 of which are diesel-powered. The diesel fleet alone includes more than 40 different types of vehicles and equipment – everything from landscape and parks maintenance to road construction, snow removal and waste management. Since 2006, the Parks Department's diesel fleet has run on a 20 percent biodiesel blend (B20) supplied by Sprague Energy. Sprague Energy is certified through BQ-9000, the industry's voluntary quality assurance program.

Keith Kerman, Assistant Commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, said that making the switch to B20 has been extremely positive. He pointed to some of biodiesel’s benefits including reduced emissions and the fact that it's a renewable resource and a domestically produced fuel. In fact, things have gone so well, the Department ran a B50 pilot program last summer in 45 vehicles.

"Our B50 trial was very successful and we hope to move to a B50 blend in all but the very coldest months in the near future," Kerman said. "We view B20 as a stepping stone that will help move us toward New York City's goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent by 2030."

New York City Parks & Recreation Department minipacker runs on biodiesel.

In addition, this winter, the Department is using a B5 blend in heating systems and boilers. "Because of the dense population in New York City, emissions from buildings are a bigger problem than emissions from vehicles," Kerman explained. "Using biodiesel in heating applications is a very important part of what we're trying to accomplish in lowering emissions. If all goes well, we would like to move to B20."

The Parks & Recreation Department recently received Fleet of the Year Award from Fleet Owner Magazine and was honored last May with the National Association of Fleet Managers Greenest Fleet award for being the most environmentally friendly fleet in the country. In addition to using biodiesel, most of the department's non-diesel fleet runs on some sort of "green" power, such as compressed natural gas, electric or solar. In addition, the agency uses hybrid electric vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape. The Department is also buying smaller sedans to replace less fuel efficient SUVs wherever possible, and is replacing older vehicles like never before.

New York City Parks & Recreation Department Freightliner Packer runs on biodiesel.

Each spring, the Parks Department hosts a Fleet Show at Flushing Meadows Corona Park where more than 100 vendors showcase green technologies, vehicles and equipment. The show offers other city agencies and local municipal fleets an opportunity to see first-hand the latest developments in green fleet technology. According to Kerman, that's where he was first introduced to biodiesel and he hopes it will help other city agencies realize the benefits of biodiesel as well. The New York City Departments of Transportation and Sanitation have already followed the Parks Department's lead and are using biodiesel blends.