Innovative Mobility Expert Joins WestStart-CALSTART Team; Dan Sturges to Expand Clean Mobility Systems Work of Advanced Transportation Organization

PASADENA, Calif.--Aug. 1, 20047, 2004--WestStart-CALSTART -- North America's leading advanced transportation organization -- is pleased to announce the hiring of Dan Sturges, a nationally known expert in innovative mobility. Sturges will oversee clean and integrated mobility programs designed to give communities convenient, affordable and flexible alternatives to private automobile travel.

WestStart-CALSTART's innovative mobility program seeks to reduce congestion and expand personal mobility, with a focus on enhancing transit ridership by providing low-cost and convenient "last mile" connections to transit. To date, WestStart-CALSTART has played a leading role in facilitating creative demonstration projects aimed at this "last mile" involving station cars, clean fuel car sharing, automated bike lockers and integrated clean mobility centers.

In his new role, Sturges will work on creating new commercially viable mobility systems that provide complete transportation alternatives not dependent on the personal automobile. Sturges will be working to integrate advances in telecommunications and vehicle technologies to develop systems that will make transit more viable and attractive in the U.S. He is kicking off those expanded efforts via a conference called "Going," scheduled to take place this fall in Boulder, Colorado (see below).

"Dan is one of the leading national thinkers and developers of innovative mobility solutions," said WestStart-CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel. "He sees tremendous opportunities to link advances in telecommunications, electronics and transit services that would provide viable alternatives to single occupancy vehicle traffic. Dan's got the talent, experience and vision to help our industry partners develop these new systems and products and thereby cut oil consumption, improve air quality and relieve congestion."

A one-time car designer, Sturges left his job at General Motors in 1988 to become the entrepreneur who led the effort to commercialize the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). Today, the low-speed supplemental vehicle he designed is owned and produced by DaimlerChrysler.

In 1997, Sturges become the first car designer to work with the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis (ITS-Davis). There, he focused on coupling piecemeal transportation alternatives into improved, complete systems to better address the comprehensive problems facing national, regional and city governments from current automobile systems, as well as air quality, energy, land use and economic issues. At ITS-Davis he also launched the New Mobility Program, which received major financial support from American Honda.

ID Magazine chose Sturges as one of the country's 40 top designers, and earlier this year Popular Science Magazine tapped him as one of seven "visionaries" selected to consider the future of the automobile.

One of Sturges' current projects involves organizing the Going Conference, sponsored by WestStart-CALSTART. Taking place in Boulder, Colo., on Sept. 10, 2004, the event will aim to create regional awareness about the opportunities for comprehensive transportation improvement, and will explore establishing a "Living Mobility Laboratory" in Boulder or another "front-range" community. Those interested in more information about the conference should e-mail info@goingconference.com or call 888-706-5510.

WestStart-CALSTART is North America's leading advanced transportation technologies consortium. It is a fuel neutral, participant-supported organization of more than 115 companies and agencies dedicated to expanding and supporting a high-tech transportation industry that cleans the air, creates jobs and improves energy efficiency. WestStart-CALSTART plays a leading national role to facilitate the development of advanced propulsion systems and alternative fuels in the transit and heavy-duty vehicle industry, and in spurring integrated mobility options. Its California operating division does business as CALSTART. Visit www.weststart.org for more information.