THE NATIONAL CLEAN BUS NETWORK

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2003 Clean Bus Leaders

Pierce Transit Agency, Tacoma , WA

Pierce Transit Agency in Tacoma , Washington has been operating natural gas buses for seventeen years and is one of the most experienced clean bus operators in the United States . In 1986, dedicated natural gas bus engines were not available, so the transit agency was forced to use fairly crude technology to take advantage of the cleaner-burning fuel. In 1991, the transit agency finally partnered with Cummins Engine Company to develop one of the first dedicated natural gas engine models. These make up 75 percent of the current fleet, which should be powered 100 percent by natural gas in the next few years. The Department of Energy presented the transit agency a Clean Cities National Partner Award in 1999 for leadership in promoting the use of alternative fuels.

City of New Haven and the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition

On August 12, 1998 , at the request of Mayor John De Stefano, Jr., the City of New Haven, Connecticut, in conjunction with the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition and the Greater New Haven Transit District, began the process to procure an electric bus trolley fleet for downtown New Haven . The city experiences high levels of asthma, especially among children, and has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as part of a non-attainment area for ground level ozone and particulate matter (PM-10). With federal funding support, the city took ownership in 2002 of four 22-foot electric trolley replicas to provide free, zero-emission transportation to local citizens. The Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition is exploring the option to expand upon this success and further deploy hybrid-electric or fuel cell buses in the area. Fleets of dedicated electric buses are in operation across the country, including those in Santa Barbara , CA ; Chattanooga , TN ; and Miami Beach , FL.

Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition, Las Vegas, Nevada

The Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition has been deeply involved in the procurement of alternative fueled vehicles in the region, and worked to establish the largest biodiesel school bus fleet in the world. In 2002, Clark County School District , a member of the coalition, began using biodiesel in its more than 1,200 buses to reduce harmful emissions. The biodiesel is produced locally using frying oil taken from local hotels and casinos. Children are among the most susceptible to diesel-particulate emissions, and have been shown to be at higher risk of contracting pulmonary diseases like asthma while riding in diesel-powered buses. The coalition has also been active in the procurement of a clean bus fleet to be operated by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), another coalition member. Two years ago Citizens Area Transit, the public transit agency operated by RTC, was mostly diesel-powered. Since then 9 CNG buses have been put into operation and 48 more are on order. In the next five years RTC expects to purchase up to 600 more buses, but is dedicated to the adoption of low emission fuels and technologies.

SunLine Transit Agency, Thousand Palms, CA

SunLine Transit Agency has been a consistent national leader in the use of cleaner burning fuels since 1994. At that time, the diesel-powered bus fleet was switched virtually overnight to a 100 percent natural gas-powered fleet, making SunLine the first public transit agency to dedicate its fleet to cleaner burning natural gas and also the first to do so with such rapid action. The transit agency continues to lead in the use of other fuels as well, including hydrogen. In November of 2002, SunLine began operation of a fuel cell bus and made it the first ever to operate in revenue service. The hydrogen fuel for the bus is produced on-site using renewable wind and solar electricity and produces no harmful emissions from the tailpipe.

MTA New York City Transit, New York City, New York

New York City Transit has been a leader in the development of hybrid-electric buses since 1998, setting out to design, build, test and operate in revenue service one of the nation’s largest hybrid-electric bus fleets. By mid-2000, ten Orion VI hybrid-electric buses were in revenue service in New York City . The demonstration of these buses led to the development of a newer, cleaner diesel hybrid-electric bus model to be delivered in the fall of 2003. Testing has shown significant reductions in hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions in addition to improved fuel economy. By 2006 the transit fleet will consist of 385 diesel hybrid-electric buses and 646 compressed natural gas buses, bringing its combined clean bus total to 1,031 or 24 percent of the entire fleet.

Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Since 1992, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) has been operating pollution-free electric buses on two routes serving the downtown Chattanooga area. The buses have been extremely well-received by the community and have saved 8 to 10 percent on maintenance costs while improving the city’s air quality. Parking fees collected from two city parking garages fund operation of the buses, allowing the city to offer rides along the two downtown routes for free. Demand for electric buses in Chattanooga spurred the creation of two independent entities, Advanced Vehicle Systems (AVS) and the Advanced Transportation Technology Institute (ATVI, formerly the Electric Transit Vehicle Institute). AVS was initially founded to fill Chattanooga ’s order for 12 electric buses in 1992, but has since grown to satisfy electric bus orders from domestic and international customers. ATVI is a non-profit organization educating the public about the benefits of electric propulsion technologies and publishes the monthly newsletter Clean Fuel Solutions. CARTA has contributed to the development of clean electric and hybrid-electric buses, and through its dedication to clean bus technologies remains a national leader.

Five Seasons Transportation and Parking, Cedar Rapids , IA

Five Seasons Transportation and Parking (FST&P) has run the gamut as far as clean buses are concerned. The average age of the current bus in the fleet is 25 years, but Director Bill Hoekstra has used a combination of fuels and technologies to make them operate as cleanly as buses leaving today’s production lines.  The transit agency started by modifying the tailpipes of the bus fleet to point them skyward, redirecting noxious gases from the breathing level of local patrons. Then in 1986 a local manufacturer of emissions control technology partnered with FST&P to install fuel and emissions control technology on the fleet using federal funding. In 1993, the transit agency partnered with the Iowa Soybean Board to use B20, a biodiesel fuel mixture. B5 and B10 are now regularly used in the bus fleet to lower emissions and improve engine lubricity. In the mid-1990’s Five Seasons also partnered with a local utility company, Westinghouse and Bluebird to demonstrate a small fleet of hybrid-electric and electric-powered buses. Eighty percent of these buses are still in operation. The use of creative alternatives has proven key to Five Seasons’ clean bus success.