The Union Cab Experience

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

John McNamara, MMCCU

Business Manager (Union Cab of Madison)

PhD Candidate (St. Mary’s University)

gm@unioncab.coop

All Taxicabs are “green”

• Each cab replaces 18

or more car trips

• Avg. 1.45 pass/trip

not incl. driver

• Work in conjunction

with Mass and

Intercity Transit

Union Cab of Madison Coop

• Worker Owned Cooperative

– All “employees” are owners with equal

vote

– Safe and humane work environment

• 9-member board

– Elected from membership

– Power to make all decisions

Steering

TeamBoard of

Directors

Peer

Review

Policy

Code

Audit and Finance

Committee

Education

Committee

Elections

Committee

HR Policy

Committee

Governance Policy

Committee

Strategic Planning

Committee

Finance

TeamGreen

Team

Member Admin

Support Team

Street Marketing

Team

Operations

Team

Mediation

Council

Steward

Council

Behavior Review

Council

Accident Review

Council

Attendance

and Shortages

Workers

Council

Directors

Council

the membership

the membershipthe membership

President

Business

Manager

Human

Resources

Council

Vice

President

“At a certain point, the policy manual becomes the boss.”—Melissa Hoover, USFWC

Embracing Good Stewardship

• Propane Experiment in 1990’s

• Core Values early 2000’s

– Membership Forums and Plebiscite

– “We are dedicated to operating our cooperative in an environmentally responsible

way.”

• Creation of Green Team

– Mission to implement Core Values

– Tasked with finding an alternative test vehicle

– Created Buy-in

• No Idling Program

• Encouraged better driving habits (10% increase in fleet mpg)

Final Steps

• Exploration of Alternative Fuels

– Spent a year researching fuel options

– Several months test driving different vehicles

– First Taxi Prius in Madison on June 1, 2010

• Financial Crisis in 2011

– WI Changed to Broker System for NEMT in 2011

– Accelerate Retirement Plan

– Replaced all 35 remaining sedans

– Saved almost 8,500 gallons of fuel per month (refueling moved from every 12 days

to every 27 days)

– Savings:

• Approximately $30,000 per month

• Increased fleet mileage from 16.7 mpg to 24.77 mpg

• Reduced carbon footprint by 4,000 tons/year

Bob Frick General Sales Manager for Badger Cab Co., Madison, WI Office: 608-237-8024 Cell: 608-239-5678

rfrick@badgercab.com Employed at Badger Cab since 2005. Responsible for Commercial sales, hiring, training and retention of

drivers at Badger Cab. Prior experience as Vice President Sales, International Sales

Manager, and Territory Sales for Automotive Aftermarket Driveline Component, engine, and transmission remanufacturers.

Originally from St. Charles, IL, Higher Education at University of Wisconsin – Whitewater; Madison resident since 1991, married to my wife Susan since 1980, 2 sons, Andrew and Thomas, Andy a senior at Carroll University, Waukesha, WI, and Tom a senior at UW Whitewater.

Badger Cab Company

700 Cottage Grove Rd. Madison, WI 53716