FHWA 41-16
Friday, July 22, 2016
Contact: Doug Hecox
Tel.: (202) 366-0660

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

New initiative will help drivers know where to find alternative fuels nationwide

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.

“By identifying where alternative fueling stations can be found we can accelerate the use of innovative next-generation vehicles, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure our transportation network meets the needs of 21st-century drivers,” said Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau.

The designation effort will develop a process to make formal corridor designations – including identifiable national signs like the red, white and blue “shield” signs used on U.S. Routes – once established criteria are met.

Initial nominations for corridor designations are due to the FHWA no later than August 21, 2016, or 30 days after the publication of this notice. In the months ahead, the agency will develop a process for future nominations and designations. For more information, please see Docket Number FHWA-2016-0017 at https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-17132

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