December Question of the Month

Question of the Month: I heard the Clean Cities website was recently revamped. What changed?

Answer: As the work of Clean Cities continues to grow, the Clean Cities team is committed to ongoing communication about the program’s resources and accomplishments. Last month, Clean Cities launched a new and improved version of its website (https://cleancities.energy.gov/), which aims to highlight the program and assist the public and stakeholders.

The redesigned Clean Cities website has a fresh new look, is easy to navigate, and includes many new features to help users learn about and connect with the program.

Below are the top five changes you should know about the site: 

Reorganized Resources: Some resources have moved with the new design. Most notably, funding information (https://cleancities.energy.gov/funding-opportunities/) and publications (https://cleancities.energy.gov/publications/) are now located in the About section, which can be accessed from the top website banner. As before, funding opportunities are separated into current and related categories, and the easily searchable publications are listed by popularity and publish date. Information about Clean Cities partnerships, such as the National Clean Fleets Partnership and the National Parks Initiative, is now conveniently accessed from the Partnerships & Projects section, , which can also be accessed from the top website banner (https://cleancities.energy.gov/partnerships/).

Selective Communication Options: It’s easier than ever to stay up to date on Clean Cities. You can now subscribe to the newsletters and updates that you want – and choose to skip those you don’t! You can sign up to receive the Clean Cities Monthly Update, the Clean Cities Now Newsletter, or Webinar Alerts (https://cleancities.energy.gov/subscribe/). The “What’s Happening?” bar on the bottom of the homepage is another easy to way to catch up on the latest events, news, blog posts, and videos.

Searchable Clean Cities Projects: Under the Partnership & Projects section, which is accessed from the top website banner, users may now view and search Clean Cities funded transportation projects (https://cleancities.energy.gov/partnerships/search). You can search by keyword or filter by the initiative or award, such as projects under the National Parks Initiative, Electric Vehicle Community Readiness, or American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Project Awards. Project descriptions include basic information, states impacted, partners involved, the Clean Cities award amount, and the amount of local matching funds.

Audience-Tailored Content: The new website design clearly separates information for different audiences. While the old website combined resources for the public and resources for Clean Cities coordinators, the new design restricts public access to the Coordinator Toolbox (located in the upper right corner of the header). The new arrangement allows coordinators to find tools and resources specific to their coalition in one place using one password, as well as ensures that all other website content is useful for and tailored to the general public. Coordinators with questions about accessing the Toolbox may refer to recent Clean Cities communication and webinars.

Clean Cities On-the-Go: Lastly, the new design has an updated, clean aesthetic. From the newly organized coalition pages (https://cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions/) to the streamlined Technical Assistance page (https://cleancities.energy.gov/technical-assistance/), the website is intuitive and easy to read. As an added bonus, the new website is mobile-friendly and responsive, so you can access Clean Cities information wherever you go.

Visit the updated Clean Cities website to see all of these features and more!

Happy Holidays!

              

Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team

technicalresponse@icfi.com

800-254-6735