Right Size, Then Electrify
In this presentation, Greg Spotts, Director of Seattle’s Department of Transportation (Washington State, USA), addresses the pressing need to innovate fleet equipment choices amidst growing concerns about carbon emissions, air pollution, and bike/pedestrian safety. Drawing from his extensive experience in fleet management, Spotts shares real-world examples from Seattle and his tenure as Chief Sustainability Officer at Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services.
Aligned with Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s 2022 Transportation and Climate Justice Executive Order, Seattle is conducting 4-6 pilot programs in 2023-2024 to advance fleet electrification and reduce greenhouse gases. These initiatives involve deploying cutting-edge green technologies for vital services like cleaning protected bike lanes and constructing asphalt/concrete street elements, while enhancing safety for vulnerable travelers including people walking, rolling, and biking.
This session offers attendees a unique opportunity to learn about Seattle’s recent progress and gain valuable insights to advance their agency’s climate, safety, and sustainability goals.
Biography
Greg Spotts joined the Seattle Department of Transportation as Director in September 2022, after a 14-year career at the City of Los Angeles. Greg is passionate about co-creating projects with communities to help Seattle become more walkable, bike-able, transit friendly, safer, greener and climate resilient.
During his first nine months at SDOT, Greg participated in more than 100 listening tours: walking, biking and riding transit with Seattleites to see what’s working and what needs improvement. On arriving at SDOT, Greg directed staff to conduct a rigorous review of the Vision Zero program which was published in February 2023, along with five early momentum actions to improve safety on Seattle streets.
A champion of public sector innovation throughout his career, Greg has articulated a new vision for SDOT’s large fleet of vehicles: “right-size, then electrify.” A top priority for Greg is invest in underserved communities while implementing the strategies in SDOT’s first-of-its-kind Transportation Equity Framework; this equity focus led to SDOT providing 10,000 free transit cards to residents of Seattle Public Housing in early 2023. Greg has a political science degree from Yale and a Masters in Public Policy from UCLA.
