Dakota County’s Fleet Department maintains and operates a variety of vehicles and equipment to maintain county roads, provide public safety and preserve park land. Dakota County’s fleet continues to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact by:
- Increasing the number of hybrid and flexible–fuel vehicles in the County fleet, increasing the fuel economy and saving the County money on fuel. Dakota County’s fleet includes 58 flexible-fuel vehicles and 16 hybrid vehicles.
- Using grant funds to install catalyst devices to reduce diesel emissions, reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Converting strobe lights and arrow boards to LED lights, improving energy efficiency and reducing fuel use.
- Implementing a “right-sized” vehicle program that focuses on increasing fuel efficiency while providing the right-sized vehicle to complete the task.
- Using grant dollars to purchase four solar-powered message boards for work zone safety that includes communication of work crews ahead and traffic conditions replacing fuel use with renewable energy.