Volkswagen was found guilty and agreed to pay up to $14.7 billion to settle allegations of cheating emissions. As part of the lawsuit, Volkswagen is required to establish and fund an Environmental Mitigation Trust, known as EMT. Over the next 10 years, $2.9 billion from the VW settlement will fund environmental mitigation projects that reduce emissions of NOx.
Todd Mouw・VP, Sales and Marketing, ROUSH Clean Tech
There are almost 1,000 shuttles equipped with a ROUSH CleanTech propane system operating across the nation, including Delaware Transit Corp., Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Florida’s LeeTran (pictured), and San Diego Metropolitan Transit
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In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a complaint against Volkswagen alleging that they violated the Clean Air Act. During normal operation and use, the vehicles emitted levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) significantly in excess of EPA’s compliance levels
Volkswagen was found guilty and agreed to pay up to $14.7 billion to settle allegations of cheating emissions. As part of the lawsuit, Volkswagen is required to establish and fund an Environmental Mitigation Trust, known as EMT. Over the next 10 years, $2.9 billion from the VW settlement will fund environmental mitigation projects that reduce emissions of NOx.
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This money will be deposited in a trust and allocated among state beneficiaries. Each state receives a set amount based on the number of affected vehicles sold in the state. Eligible projects include class 4-8 school bus, shuttle bus — and transit bus replacement.
Transit buses fueled by propane autogas are an ideal fit for EMT funding due to their environmental and economical benefits.
Propane reduces harmful emissions, especially NOx, when compared to conventional fuels. According to the World LP Gas Association, propane emits 96% less NOx than conventional diesel and 68% less NOx than gasoline. When compared to conventional diesel, vehicles fueled by propane emit 80% fewer smog-producing hydrocarbons and virtually eliminate particulate matter when compared with conventional diesel.
Across the globe, more than 26 million vehicles run on propane autogas. In the transit industry, there are almost 1,000 shuttles equipped with a ROUSH CleanTech propane system operating across the nation, including Delaware Transit Corp., Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Florida’s LeeTran, and San Diego Metropolitan Transit (MTS).
For more than 30 years, the cost of propane autogas has been, on average, 30% to 40% less than the cost of gasoline and up to 50% less than diesel. For example, the Delaware Transit Corp. pays $.78 per gallon for propane compared with $1.75 per gallon for gasoline to fuel its fleet of paratransit buses. MTS is saving about $5.8 million over the five- to seven-year lifecycle of the agency’s 77 paratransit shuttles and mini-buses. And Detroit’s Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation is saving almost $2 million with its 77 propane shuttles.
Propane autogas is a nontoxic, non-carcinogenic and non-corrosive fuel, which is an approved alternative fuel under the Clean Air Act. Currently, more than 90% of U.S. propane supplies come from domestic production, making propane an abundant, readily available alternative to imported oil.
EMT funds will be available once the Trustee effective date is established, the state beneficiaries have been named, the state files its mitigation plan, and the Trustee approves the plan. It’s estimated this will occur as soon as early 2018. Once plans are approved, the state then has 10 years to allocate funds.
What can you do? Learn who your state’s fund beneficiary is, and send a letter expressing your views on how EMT funding should be used.
Sustainable transit continues to be a hot topic among city leaders and transit officials, but more often than not, equitability is left out of the conversation.
Rating systems have become the currency of sustainability. The right sustainability ratings system provides an important third-party verification of your agency’s commitment to creating facilities that reduce carbon emissions, save water, create healthier work environments for your employees and have a positive impact on the communities they serve.
Everyone needs to take a mental and physical break at some point in the workday, whether they’ve been concentrating on a computer screen, the road, or the underside of a bus, truck or train car. The tricky part for transit agencies is that each of these activities takes place in different surroundings, lighting conditions, room temperature and noise levels. With that in mind, consider the following factors in your facility design.
Shifts are long and varying, and facilities are often inadequate for transit employees to truly recharge and stay sharp on the job. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The quality of the environment within facilities can be designed to support shift workers and those with jobs that don’t follow traditional 9-to-5 schedules. Two key elements that can be utilized to support vehicle operator health; creating spaces with adaptability for varied activities and quality lighting that supports the adaptability of the space.
Most transit facilities have a break room for operators to use between shifts — typically an artificially lit space with a TV, vending machines, and cafeteria-style tables and chairs. The trouble is, every person has a different way of relaxing. Besides exposure to daylight and nature, key components of wellbeing are social cohesion and a sense of empowerment. The key here then is to empower employees to choose the best way to relieve their own stress around shifts.
A health and wellness revolution is underway in America. Concurrently, there is a growing public health initiative to promote safer, more accessible recreation facilities and active transit options. Transit agencies are uniquely positioned in the overlap of these two movements. By promoting health and well-being, agencies have an opportunity to show leadership and innovation in a truly holistic approach to total worker health, while benefiting workforce productivity and happiness.
GRTC is a member of the Virginia Clean Cities (VCC) coalition, which over the years has hosted a variety of workshops, webinars and other training opportunities for fleets interested in transitioning to CNG. Another coalition member — the City of Richmond — inaugurated its fleet of CNG refuse haulers in 2011, which set the stage for GRTC’s transition. View the YouTube video to see how VCC helped the city implement its CNG fleet.
A long-time champion of cleaner, greener technologies, the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) has provided public bus service to California’s Western Riverside County since 1977.
