Federal Highway Administration Invites States to Designate ‘Zero-Emission’ and ‘Alternative Fuel’ Corridors

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today called on state and local officials to nominate routes where drivers can find alternative fuels. These “zero-emission” and “alternative fuel” corridors fulfill a directive in the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” (FAST) Act. “We can’t have Smart Cities without Smart Highways,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx. “Making sure drivers with alternative fuel vehicles can use the national highway system, rather than being limited only to local areas, is the next step in advancing America’s transportation network.” The new provision – included in today’s Federal Register – requires the Secretary to solicit and designate national plug-in electric vehicle (EV) charging and hydrogen, propane and natural gas fueling corridors along major highways. FHWA’s notice invites nominations from state and local officials to assist in making such designations. In 2014, the U.S. pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 28 percent by 2025, and 80 percent or more by 2050. By supporting lower-emitting vehicles, alternative fuel and zero-emission corridors will help to reduce vehicle exhaust – a significant contributor to U.S. GHG emissions.