June 12th, 2009 · No Comments

From Green Right Now Reports

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) Mayor Thomas Leighton won the 2009 Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards, the U.S. Conference of Mayors announced today.

The awards, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., recognizes mayors for innovative practices in their cities designed to increase energy efficiency and curb global warming. An independent panel of judges determined the winners from a pool of 140 applicants.

Conference President Manuel Diaz, Miami Mayor, said the two winners were “great examples of the local action taking place within our cities to become climate friendly.”

Denver worked with the area’s 32 metropolitan mayors and the Regional Transportation District to win support for a sales tax increase to build FasTraks, the largest transportation initiative in the country with 119 miles of new light rail.

Regionwide, 51 of the 57 new stations will have Transit Oriented Development potential – meaning the potential to reduce sprawl, and provide pedestrian- and bike-friendly environments that encourage residents to live, work, shop, and play in close proximity to transit, thus reducing their carbon footprint. Last year, Mayor Hickenlooper also pledged to make the Democratic Convention the greenest in history.

“We were able to demonstrate to residents throughout the metropolitan area how they would benefit — that even if they wouldn’t ride light rail, they’d end up with shorter commute times by getting as many people possible off the highways and onto the trains,” Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said in a statement. “FasTraks will be a crown jewel for Colorado and a clear example of what can happen when government and the communities they serve come together for a common goal.”

Wilkes-Barre initiated an efficient energy service program that lessened the city’s impact on the environment while saving an estimated $170,000 annually. The broad-based, public initiative relied on a combination of energy efficiency upgrades in various city departments. These ranged from new compact fluorescent lamps; overhead and pyramid lighting in public parking garages and public spaces; LED traffic signalization lamps; and a new HVAC system in city hall.

The project was completely financed through a 15-year bank loan to the City of Wilkes-Barre. In 15 years, the annual energy savings to the City of Wilkes-Barre will be sufficient to pay back the loan with interest.

“By winning this award, we hope to serve as a model for other communities and businesses who strive to become more environmentally conscious,” Wilkes-Barre Mayor Thomas M. Leighton said in a statement.

The following cities were selected as finalists for the awards:

Large City Finalists:

Boston; Charleston; Chattanooga; Colorado Springs; Frisco, Texas; Honolulu ; Houston; Louisville; San Francisco; Seattle; Stamford; and Tallahassee.

Small City Finalists:

Carmel, In.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Columbia, Mo.; Highland Park, Ill.; Manhattan Beach, Calif.; North Miami Beach, Fla.; and Pleasanton, Calif.