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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMore than 35% of U.S. Public Transit Buses Use Alternative Fuels or Hybrid Technology
from the American Public Transportation Association:
More than 35% of U.S. Public Transit Buses Use Alternative Fuels or Hybrid Technology
Public Transportation is Leading the Way in Green Vehicles
In celebration of Earth Day, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reminds us that taking public transit is among the most effective ways of reducing our daily carbon footprint because of its ability to take cars off the road. In fact, when APTA examined the bus fleet alone, more than 35 percent of U.S. public transportation buses use alternative fuels or hybrid technology, as of January 1, 2011. This is a striking contrast to the 1.3 percent of automobiles that used alternative-fuels in 2010, according to the Energy Information Administrations (EIA) Annual Outlook.
Public transportation is leading the way with environmentally efficient vehicles, said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy. The public transit vehicle fleet is the proving ground for environmental technology that may some day become a part of the nations automobile fleet.
APTA statistics for early 2011 show that 18.6 percent of U.S. transit buses used compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and blends. Almost 9 percent (8.8%) of public transit buses were hybrids and nearly 8 percent (7.9%) of public transit buses used biodiesel.
Todays modern public transit bus is increasingly either a hybrid or is powered by fuels that are good for the environment, said APTA Chair Flora Castillo. The public transportation industry is a green industry and is committed to improving the environment. ........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.apta.com/mediacenter/pressreleases/2013/Pages/130422_Earth-Day.aspx
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More than 35% of U.S. Public Transit Buses Use Alternative Fuels or Hybrid Technology (Original Post)
marmar
Apr 2013
OP
frazzled
(18,402 posts)1. Yup, CTA (Chicago) pretty green
Buses
The CTA maintains a fleet of more than 1,800 buses, which carry about 60 percent of all CTA rides. We are continuing to increase the energy efficiency of our bus fleet and reduce emissions.
We converted our entire bus fleet to ultra-low sulfur diesel in March 2003, well before the US Environmental Protection Agency mandated its use in October 2006. All buses delivered since 2007 have clean-diesel engines and particulate filters that meet EPA emissions standards.
Between 2007 and 2011, emissions of key pollutants from CTAs bus fleet decreased by the following amounts; emissions are expected to decrease further by 2015 with planned bus fleets retrofits and replacements:
Nitrogen oxides: 36 percent reduction
Hydrocarbons: 82 percent reduction
Carbon monoxide: 55 percent reduction
Particulate matter: 53 percent reduction
CTA currently operates more than 250 hybrid buses, which make up nearly 15 percent of the total bus fleet. Hybrid buses achieve at least 20 percent greater fuel efficiency than standard diesel buses.
We have completed our first winter season using outdoor power cords to plug in hybrid buses during cold weather. The power cords will allow buses to reduce engine idling, while maintaining customer comfort and operator safety.
In 2011, CTA received a $2.2 million federal grant for the purchase of two all-electric buses, which will produce zero tailpipe emissions. The buses are expected to be delivered in late 2013, and CTA will test the buses for approximately one year.
Also in 2011, CTA received federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) grants for installing two bus fuel-efficiency technologies: $900,000 for Topodyne transmission software and $6.2 million for all-electric cooling fans.
http://www.transitchicago.com/goinggreen/vehicles.aspx#bus
The CTA maintains a fleet of more than 1,800 buses, which carry about 60 percent of all CTA rides. We are continuing to increase the energy efficiency of our bus fleet and reduce emissions.
We converted our entire bus fleet to ultra-low sulfur diesel in March 2003, well before the US Environmental Protection Agency mandated its use in October 2006. All buses delivered since 2007 have clean-diesel engines and particulate filters that meet EPA emissions standards.
Between 2007 and 2011, emissions of key pollutants from CTAs bus fleet decreased by the following amounts; emissions are expected to decrease further by 2015 with planned bus fleets retrofits and replacements:
Nitrogen oxides: 36 percent reduction
Hydrocarbons: 82 percent reduction
Carbon monoxide: 55 percent reduction
Particulate matter: 53 percent reduction
CTA currently operates more than 250 hybrid buses, which make up nearly 15 percent of the total bus fleet. Hybrid buses achieve at least 20 percent greater fuel efficiency than standard diesel buses.
We have completed our first winter season using outdoor power cords to plug in hybrid buses during cold weather. The power cords will allow buses to reduce engine idling, while maintaining customer comfort and operator safety.
In 2011, CTA received a $2.2 million federal grant for the purchase of two all-electric buses, which will produce zero tailpipe emissions. The buses are expected to be delivered in late 2013, and CTA will test the buses for approximately one year.
Also in 2011, CTA received federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) grants for installing two bus fuel-efficiency technologies: $900,000 for Topodyne transmission software and $6.2 million for all-electric cooling fans.
http://www.transitchicago.com/goinggreen/vehicles.aspx#bus
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)2. This is one major reason why the RW HATES mass transit
(when publicly owned) - they see it as traitorous against their beloved oil companies.
Our Metro buses here in L.A. have all run on natural gas for at least 15 years. I am SO glad they aren't diesel anymore - they stank horribly and always provoked coughing fits in me if I got stuck in my car behind one.