Photos by Josh Southwick/Metro
Did you know that by riding public transit for one day, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 20 pounds? Metro’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bus fleet is the largest in the nation, and more than 92% of air toxic pollutants have been reduced with the use of CNG compared to the use of diesel buses in the last decade. Total pollutant emissions from bus and rail together decreased 20% between 2010 and 2011.
In addition to running a clean bus fleet, Metro has installed solar panels at bus facilities in Chatsworth, Sun Valley, Carson, El Monte and downtown L.A. These solar panels produce clean, renewable energy that reduced Metro’s carbon footprint by about 16,500 metric tons in 2010, the equivalent of removing 3,200 cars from L.A. roadways.
Metro also uses LED lighting stoplights and looks to install LED light fixtures in its office buildings and even use them on buses. LED lights use half the wattage of traditional fluorescent lights, providing the same amount of light for much less energy.
Metro’s commitment towards sustainability has even gotten recognition by APTA. To learn more about Metro’s green policies and programs, click here.
Categories: Best Practices
I like the solar powered lantern style street lights that are being added to bus stops. They add atmosphere to what used to be just benches.