As I look out my window on the fifth floor of McCoy, I see the Hopkins security vehicle idling. It has been there for two hours. Only 20 feet away passes the Red Line of the Blue Jay Shuttle for the fifth time today. I know this is not an uncommon scene, as these vehicles have many routes that require them to sit and observe or, in the case of the Blue Jay Shuttle, simply follow the same route every half hour.
It is without a doubt that these vehicles, their operators and their administrators are providing invaluable services to the school and Charles Village community. They serve as the foundation for the Hopkins community by creating a security envelope that should make most, if not all, students feel safe. By transporting students to locations when it is late or when the students do not feel secure or able to respond to any medical or security emergency in a timely and precise manner, the Blue Jay Shuttle and campus security patrol vehicles are a powerful duo. Their success in being able to keep the campus moving and secure should not, however, serve as an excuse for them to rest on their laurels.
These vehicle's routes and operational patterns make them major consumers of gasoline and major polluters. Moreover, as a student from Detroit — the headquarters of American automobile manufacturing — I have a genuine appreciation for the advancement of automotive technology, especially when it comes to sustainability. I know we can do better than this.
With the huge leaps in sustainable transportation technology in the last decade, there are vehicles that could serve as viable replacements for the Honda CR-Vs. The first reaction is often something along the lines of fright, as the security officers do not want anything to do with something that will diminish their capabilities as a security force. This was indeed the reaction when campus security purchased a Toyota Prius. This purchase was made with good, if not great intentions that were a step in the right direction towards sustainability. But this vehicle, because of its low ground clearance and low visibility among other problems, is rarely used and amounts to nothing but a battery pack in the parking lot.
It is time for Hopkins Campus Security and the Blue Jay Shuttle to come up with a plan to fundamentally change the way they operate and move to reduce overall gasoline consumption. For campus security, replacing the CR-Vs is a matter of comparing the different fuel economies of vehicles along side the different dimensions and engine sizes. By no means is the Honda CR-V the most fuel efficient small SUV on the road in America. In fact, that crown is held by Ford's Escape Hybrid, followed by many other American — made models. No doubt there is a cost premium for the more fuel-efficient vehicles, especially when attempting to replace the definition of an "appliance" automobile such as the Honda CR-V (cheap and does only what you need it to). These premiums are especially difficult to justify in times of economic crisis such as these. However, there is a certain point at which our University must recognize its responsibility as a global citizen. While huge hikes in the cost of a vehicle cannot be justified, the administration should grow to consider the sustainable alternative with moderate premiums.
It appears to be more difficult to convert to a sustainable alternative for the Blue Jay Shuttle as there are simply not any feasible hybrids that are large enough and have the carrying capacity of the E-350s that are currently used. While the administration could consider switching to smaller vehicles, depending on route usage or for point-to-point service in the future, there is a better, less common solution. With the natural gas cogeneration facility on campus and the natural gas lines crisscrossing the entire campus, there is a good possibility that the vans can be converted to run as compressed natural gas vehicles. For example, Ford has a unique system called the Universal Powertrain System that explicitly allows the E-series line of vans to run on compressed natural gas. A conversion to compressed natural gas such as this could displace thousands of gallons of gasoline over the course of the vehicles and could save the University thousands of dollars, as there is a huge price differential between compressed natural gas and regular gasoline.
Now is the time for the Hopkins administration to put us on the map as one of the most forward thinking institutions in the country. We have a great opportunity to lead our peer institutions in environmentally friendly light duty vehicles. Rather than idling, let us move forward for a sustainable future.
