By Todd Burley
Seattle recently embarked on a renewed effort to reduce our carbon emissions and prepare for our changing climate through the updated Climate Action Plan. As the third largest City department and manager of the majority of public green spaces, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is a key part of this process.
Most emissions in Seattle come from transportation, buildings, and waste. One area where SPR continues to make significant progress on our climate goals is in the expansion of our fleet of electric vehicles. Already 100% of SPR’s sedans are electric, the first step in enacting the City’s Green Fleet Action Plan.
A more challenging goal is to shift our medium and heavy-duty trucks, which are used for most of our park maintenance, to electric versions. Technology is just catching up to the point where we can integrate these EVs into our fleet, and SPR is doing so. To date, we have purchased 33 Ford F150 Lighting trucks. Our plan is to purchase an additional 25-30 in 2026.
To support all these EVs, SPR has installed 60 charging stations at our crew headquarters in the last year. We are planning ahead to ensure we have the infrastructure in place to support our expanding EV fleet.
Beyond these “typical” vehicles, SPR has invested in other alternative fuel vehicles, including a hybrid lift truck for our tree crew, an electric forklift, and electric mowers. Wherever possible, we are seeking electric and alternative fuel vehicles to reduce our carbon footprint and move toward Seattle’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
SPR looks forward to amplifying our climate change actions in the coming year as part of the Climate Action Plan update and doing our part to live up to Seattle’s nickname: The Emerald City.