All Aboard the Green Fleet:
Denver’s Pioneering No-Smog Strategy

Take a step outside. Gaze up at Denver’s sunny blue skies. Breathe in the fresh Colorado air. It’s true: the air pollution problems that exist in many major cities are, for the most part, mysteriously absent in the Mile High City.

Or perhaps it’s not that mysterious.

Since the early 1990s, Denver has been on the cutting edge of environmentally-conscious urban technology, and has remained committed to ensuring that the city is as “green” as a city can be. Nowhere is this commitment more apparent than in Denver’s Green Fleet.

Alternatively fueled or powered vehicles currently make up 43 percent of the city’s entire fleet, part of a gradual greening program that began on Earth Day in 1993. Jumpstarted by former mayor Wellington E. Webb (later revised in 2000), the program calls for a reduction in carbon emissions and fuel expenditures. How can a city the size of Denver minimize its carbon footprint? By adopting a number of environmentally-friendly strategies, including purchasing smaller vehicles, encouraging the use of alternative modes of transportation, minimizing total vehicle miles, and investing in alternatively fueled vehicles.

In 2001, the city purchased 39 hybrid electric Toyota Prius sedans for the city staff. This initial purchase was such a success that today Denver’s fleet includes 138 hybrid vehicles, including three Ford Escape SUVs, one of which is Mayor John Hickenlooper’s official ride around town. When these vehicles are used normally around the city, they average more than 40 miles a gallon – substantially higher than standard gas-powered automobiles. The Fleet includes the hybrid electric Free MallRide shuttles that whisk passengers from one end of the 16th Street Mall to the other.

Meanwhile, Denver has been thoroughly exploring the benefits of alternative fuels, like Hythane, a mixture of 15 percent hydrogen and 85 percent compressed natural gas, and biodiesel, an alternative fuel made from natural renewable resources such as new and/or recycled vegetable oils and animal fats. In 2004, the city began testing 50,000 gallons of B20 biodiesel, a mixture of biodiesel and petroleum diesel, in 60 of its standard diesel vehicles.

The advantages of using biodiesel are enormous: it reduces emission levels of carbon monoxide, particulate matter and unburned hydrocarbons, all of which cause the build up of ozone and smog. Biodiesel also produces much lower emissions of sulfates, which are potentially cancer-causing compounds. Finally, biodiesel is domestically produced, reducing dependence on imported oil.

After 15 years, the greening of Denver is well underway – and the Green Fleet is leading the way.

More Green Denver Stories: 
Green Denver Attractions
The Greenest Democratic National Convention of All Time
A Green Denver Top 10
The Green Frontier Fest
Get Around Denver Without A Car