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What sustainable practices have you adopted?

See GM's response to this question.

by Janna Staric
September 30, 2009
3 min to read


  • Operate a CNG fl eet. Our Transportation Department's Equipment

Maintenance & Fleet Services Division has been certifi ed as a Green Model
shop for automotive maintenance and repair facilities by the Department
of Toxic Substances Control from the state. We use lead-free tire
wheel weights in all fl eet vehicles.

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  • Recent fl eet replacement program included latest technology to further

reduce NOx emissions. We recycle our engine oils, coolants, e-waste, paper
products, etc. We are also setting up an internal "green" educational
program to show all employees how to protect the environment both at
work and at home.

  • We use biodiesel, we compost, we recycle everything and we started a

Green Team to develop other sustainable initiatives.

  • Initiated 'green' program in our administrative and operating divisions.

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This includes reducing waste at the source, recycling and operating more
effi ciently.

  • We are renovating our main operations facility and including waste oil

burners, daylighting, possible solar and geothermal heating/AC.

  • We built a new CNG facility to replace the original, built in 1995. Eliminated

the last of diesel buses from fl eet. We operate a 100 percent CNG fl eet.

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  • Purchase of hybrid buses, recycled paper for schedules, push for electronic

customer information; installed more effi cient HVAC systems; use
of biodiesel; introducing paperless shop.

  • Switched to hybrid buses.

  • Have an all-CNG fl eet, use solar energy and special lights.

  • We are ISO 14001 registered. We recently went through a successful reregistration

audit.

  • Expansion of light rail system; promoting development around stations.

  • Using CNG, experimented with Hydrogen-CNG blend, recycle to the extent

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possible (oil, fi lters, coolant, metals, etc.) and use environmentally
friendly products where possible. We also work closely with the local university
and city offi cials to include transit needs in development proposals.

  • Procurement currently under way for hybrid buses for projects that help

congestion mitigation; also applied for grants to install energy effi cient lighting
at facilities. Promoting use of park-and-ride facilities.

  • Using biodiesel in one-third of fl eet. Designing new paratransit facility,

which will include environmental improvements such as solar and geothermal
power.

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  • Reduced water usage, changed building lighting, changed all cleaning

products to environmentally friendly products.

  • Put hybrid vehicles in service on BRT line; pushing recycling with staff and

customers; applied for TIGER grants to improve energy effi ciency.

  • Using low sulfur fuels, particulate fi lters, hybrid electric buses, solar power

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on rooftops, LEED certifi ed new facilities.

  • Switched to CNG fuel.

  • Implement policy to make all future bus purchases hybrid electric; experimented

with biodiesel but found it too expensive; implemented a program
that wherever possible, to use products that are green and sustainable, i.e.
cleaning solvents, etc.

  • Particulate fi lters on buses; use premium ULSD fuel. In winter we burn

used motor oil in furnace instead of recycling waste; bus idle policy to reduce
emissions; with stimulus funds we are replacing HVAC system and
lights to more energy effi cient and controlled system.

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  • Signatories to the UITP Sustainability charter and the APTA Sustainability

Accord; seeking ISO 14001 rating; building LED Gold operating facility;
building LRT; hybrid buses.
•Converting to hybrid fl eet as new buses are ordered.

 

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