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Takoma Park presents ClearPath dashboard, emissions update and pilots for EV charging and multifamily food-waste collection
Summary
The city’s sustainability office reported a 31% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2005, previewed a public ClearPath dashboard that models pathways to net-zero by 2035, and announced grant-funded EV charging installations and a multifamily food-waste pilot starting this spring.
The Takoma Park sustainability office on Jan. 14 presented an updated greenhouse-gas inventory, a new public-facing dashboard to track climate actions and several pilot programs designed to reduce emissions and increase community access to clean energy.
Sustainability manager Zoria Bridal said the city’s 2023 inventory totals about 128,000 metric tons of CO2, with the built environment accounting for roughly 36% and transportation about 54%. “We’re decreasing our greenhouse gas emissions by 31% between 2005 and 2023,” Bridal said, but she cautioned that modeled interventions still leave a sizable gap to the city’s net-zero-by-2035 goal.
Andrea, the sustainability intern, demonstrated ClearPath 2, a dashboard the office described as an accountability and modeling tool that shows emissions pathways, baseline data, and the estimated impact of local interventions. The dashboard currently shows a substantial gap—staff described a roughly 52% shortfall in modeled interventions toward the net-zero target—and team members said they plan continued data input and a public webinar to explain features.
Bridal also highlighted discrete program wins: rooftop solar now exists on at least 487 Takoma Park households (a 28% increase over 2024), a state grant fully funded solar for the new library, and staff secured over $1,000,000 in grant funding (through county collaboration) for public EV charging, including a DC fast charger at the new library and level-2 chargers at municipal sites. Separately, a $92,000 Maryland Energy Administration award will support additional chargers at 7500 Maple Avenue.
The city also will pilot multifamily food-waste collection at four larger apartment/condominium buildings this spring, using grant funds and MetroStore smart bins with fill sensors; participating buildings will receive kitchen caddies, compostable bags and targeted outreach. Staff said weekly pickups and coordinated license agreements with building managers will define each site’s maintenance and liability responsibilities.
Office staff requested continued funding for grant programs, multiyear access to the ClearPath platform (via an ICLEI membership contract), continued fellow/intern matches and budget support to update the 2019 Climate Action Plan and expand climate resilience work. Council members praised the report and asked staff for future updates on the EV fleet transition and pilot outcomes.
Next steps: staff will launch the multifamily pilot and continue to populate ClearPath; a webinar will be scheduled to demonstrate the dashboard in depth.
