Read the classifieds in this issue to learn about 7 bids & proposals and 7 transit job opportunities!

Costello is a member of the Passenger Transport Advisory Board.

The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) continued its steady march toward sustainability throughout 2010. The value of committing to sustainable practices and policies cannot be overstated. The district not only behaves as a good citizen but realizes significant cost savings from instituting these practices.

The MTD put its first hybrid diesel-electric vehicles into service in late 2009. In 2010, MTD received delivery of hybrid multi-passenger vans for use in Americans with Disabilities Act and direct services and ordered 23 40-foot New Flyer hybrid buses. We retrofitted 43 older buses with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) in 2010 and all new hybrid vehicles arrive with DPFs preinstalled. With this project, the MTD fleet is clean-burning—which minimizes the impact of diesel combustion on air quality.

The installation of quick-close doors at MTD’s garage facilities in 2010 significantly reduces the amount of time the doors are open. The new doors take only five seconds to fully open or close, making it much easier to maintain temperatures and prevent freezing of sprinkler equipment. Another economical and environmentally friendly practice in the garage is to use waste oil to fuel the heater for the facility.

The district’s aging Operations and Administration Center needed maintenance performed, and in 2010 efforts were made to make these repairs with sustainable alternatives. The parking lot was in desperate need of rehabilitation, so MTD sought and received funding through federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants to make repairs.

Rather than replace the existing asphalt lot with another asphalt lot, permeable pavers were installed. This aesthetically pleasing brick surface is a tremendous benefit to groundwater replenishment because it reduces runoff and allows water to percolate through the pavers into the ground.

The building’s flat roof was also in very poor condition, with frequent leaks and areas with complete deterioration of the substrate. The district decided to install a “white roof” that will minimize energy use and lower utility bills. Some believe that white roofs can reduce energy consumption by up to 20 percent in very hot weather; the district completed its project in early fall 2010, so we’ll have to get back to you on our actual savings.

The biggest energy-saving project undertaken this year was the installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system in MTD’s Operations and Administrative Center. This project involved drilling more than two dozen 300-foot deep wells through which glycol is circulated. The glycol uses the temperature of the earth to moderate the building’s internal temperature to reduce heating and cooling costs.

MTD joined the APTA Sustainability Commitment at the Bronze Level and formed a senior staff Sustainability Committee to identify ways in which the MTD can continue to reduce its carbon footprint. A Sustainability Action Committee of operators and maintenance employees also was created; this group generates ideas among line employees with Green Teams while also identifying ways in which the carbon footprint can be further reduced.

MTD joined the Federal Transit Administration’s Environmental Management Systems training program, which is administered through Virginia Tech. The goal of the program is to qualify for ISO 14001 certifications for the agency’s facilities.

The MTD has quantified all activities’ contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and is taking steps to reduce them. An idling policy and “driver behavior” training are in place to turn off vehicles when not in revenue service. Green-certified cleaning compounds are used to clean all vehicles and facilities. Additional sustainable practices include reducing bus wash water use by more than 200,000 gallons per month; recycling scrap metals, antifreeze, aluminum cans, cardboard, paper, batteries, cell phones, and printer cartridges; using biodiesel and low-sulfur fuel to operate all vehicles; using low-mercury fluorescent light bulbs and a bulb crusher that captures waste mercury; installing motion sensors to turn lights on and off in common areas; replacing furnishings and floor coverings at the MTD’s intermodal center (Illinois Terminal) with sustainable materials; optimizing heating and cooling practices at facilities to minimize energy consumption; and switching from incandescent to LED bulbs for exterior bus lights and in the MTD’s Control Center. The MTD is researching solar and wind generators for the garage and Illinois Terminal, as well as use of solar energy in bus shelters to power lights and information signs.

As Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott stated at an October press conference at MTD: “You know, it’s easy to just go along and do things the way you’ve always done them. So you’ve got to applaud those folks and the leadership…who really work on trying to do things better… It’s that extra mile that we really not only appreciate but celebrate…”.

The MTD embraces this attitude. The addition of more efficient equipment, lower energy consumption for heating and cooling, and a commitment to continuous improvement combine to make the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District a local leader in sustainable practices.

« Previous Article

Return to Top | Return to Main

Next Article »