Atlanta’s Clean Air Campaign recently presented the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) with its inaugural UPS Exemplary Diesel Idle Reduction Award. The honor recognizes GRTA’s program to improve fuel economy and air quality through its cost-cutting idle reduction efforts for the Xpress commuter service fleet in metropolitan Atlanta.

UPS and the Clean Air Campaign have worked together to reduce unnecessary diesel vehicle idling since 2008, through grants from the UPS Foundation. The award specifically honors organizations that make a significant contribution to air quality by reducing idling.

“This achievement resulted from a true public-private partnership that is exemplified in this award sponsored by UPS,” said GRTA Executive Director Jannine Miller. “Businesses, whether public or private, all have to find new ways to cut costs and improve efficiency. And the results are definitive: fuel economy for the Xpress coaches is up 10-12 percent since July 2009.”

GRTA’s Xpress fleet transports thousands of commuters from park-and-ride lots to their workplaces in Atlanta. The fleet has improved its fuel economy over the past four years by reducing idling time to a maximum of five minutes, reducing top vehicle operating speeds, conducting more frequent tire pressure checks, and installing on-board vehicle performance trackers.