King County Metro Transit taking strides to help the environment
King County Metro Transit is proving its dedication to conservation and the environment with its recent purchase of over 200 hybrid-electric buses and through its new pilot program to test biodiesel fuel. Both programs reduce pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help to increase fuel efficiency. Not only will this save money for Metro Transit, but it will protect the air that we breathe, and preserve our pristine skylines.
"Washington, and the Puget Sound region specifically, remains a leader in environmental stewardship and protection thanks to programs like these." says Earth Share of Washington Executive Director, William Borden.
Read an excerpt from the press release from King County Metro Transit and an article from the Seattle P-I about the biodiesel pilot program:
Metro orders more than 200 hybrid buses
King County Metro Transit has signed a contract to take delivery on 213 new hybrid diesel-electric buses. The order also includes another 22 hybrid buses for Sound Transit.
The two transit agencies are looking to replace more than 200 dual-mode buses that now operate in the downtown Seattle bus tunnel, as well as the surface streets throughout King County. The agency's current fleet of Breda tunnel buses is aging, and a new bus was needed that could operate in the tunnel alongside a future light rail line.
"We needed a large bus that was clean, efficient, and met some unique operating needs," said King County Executive Ron Sims, who also chairs the Sound Transit Board. "We are currently designing ways to make our downtown transit tunnel work for both buses and light rail. We needed a bus that could take us in a new direction."
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New fuel scheduled for bus test
King County Metro Transit is starting a pilot project to test biodiesel fuel in its bus fleet.
The transit system believes that use of the fuel, which is 80 percent diesel and 20 percent vegetable oil and functions the same way 100 percent petroleum fuel does, could reduce reliance on fossil fuel by as much as 1.7 million gallons a year. Biodiesel is being tested on about 10 buses this fall.
Permanent, fleetwide use of the blend would depend on results from the pilot project and the oil industry's ability to make the blend affordable and available in large volumes, the transit agency says. Some city vehicles in Seattle and Tacoma already run on the fuel. It is also in use at local military installations, and Washington State Ferries is testing the product.
