Transit agencies go ‘green’ … incrementally
On this particular below-zero February day in Milwaukee, the thought of a more mild winter definitely sounded appealing. But as my warm-weather-loving friend wondered aloud if she’d live to see the day of warmer winters and less snow, I was reminded of a conversation I’d had with Caltrain Executive Director Mike Scanlon.
I spoke with Scanlon back in November for Progressive Railroading’s 2008 Outlook story. Most execs discussed funding issues, upcoming fare increases and capital projects. But Scanlon had environmental concerns on the brain — he talked about how we’re destroying our planet and reflected on the role that public transportation can play in helping to address global warming.
“There are great opportunities that will come to railroading, passenger railroads, public transportation because of the increased awareness of the reality of global warming – the way we’re living and the very real threats to the well-being of the planet and future generations,” Scanlon said. “We have an opportunity and responsibility to start addressing this stuff.”
Caltrain is trying to do its part through the agency’s 2025 plan, which calls for electrifying the commuter-rail corridor and, ultimately, operating electric multiple units instead of diesel locomotives.
But Scanlon added that it doesn’t take decades to make an environmental difference.
“You can make incremental improvements and start reaping the benefits much sooner,” he said.
Many transit agencies have been taking the incremental route of late. Bay Area Rapid Transit is building its (and maybe the nation’s) first solar-powered station as part of the Union City Intermodal Station project. New Jersey Transit is installing a solar-power system at its Kearny locomotive and rail-car maintenance facility. On Valentine’s Day, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority offered free rides on the Tri-Rail commuter-rail system for passengers to “show they love the environment.” And Sound Transit recently obtained a certificate of approval from Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance stating the agency’s environmental management program has met internationally recognized ISO 14001 standards.
“Expanding mass transit is the single biggest thing we can do to reduce greenhouse gases and combat global warming, but simply providing transit isn’t enough,” Sound Transit Board Chair and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said in a Feb. 12 press release. “Government needs to lead by example when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Well put. And kudos to those transit agencies that are going the extra mile to make an environmental difference.
Posted by: 
Angela Cotey | Date posted: 2/22/2008
Comments
Posted by Dave Smith on 2/22/2008 7:38:52 PM
Fraud is fraud, even if it is committed for a "good" cause. This idea that man is causing global warming (and subsequently should do something about it) has no scientific basis. It is purely a political B.S. job. No wonder the transit promoters have hitched their wagon to this cult. By the way, solar activity drives climate, and most solar scientists are predicting a cooling trend based on this information. It'll be interesting to see how the climate fraudmongers attempt to save face (and avoid some serious prison time) when their catastrophic warming predictions fall flat!
Posted by James Swidergal on 2/26/2008 2:44:10 PM
Agreed Dave- But doesn't global warming actually produce or can produce Ice Age results. I thinks thats where most folks get it wrong. Even in the text of this story Wisconsin as warm as Kentucky? Global warming actually should (at least what I've read) be causiisng extremes on both ends of the climate scale. Our winters will be like the winters when I was 40 years ago,lotsa snow,cold and blustery, summers hot and muggy,typical Chicagoland. But what blows is that all too many political,and scientific (researchers are much like politicians) to do is want us commoners to think the sky is falling when what actually is happening the earth is cleansing itself, and going thru a natural cycle much like the oceans and the lakes do every year. What are we to do?
Posted by serial catowner on 3/2/2008 11:12:43 AM
Leaving aside the deniers, who "will always be with us", the rail industry needs to brace themselves for the deluge. If there's one constant in a democracy, it's that people will deny the problem until it's almost too late, and then demand to know why something wasn't done sooner. It's no big secret that too much freight is moving by truck that should go by rail. Even bigger savings come when you can move commuters by rail instead of private cars. The rail community needs to be arguing now for changes toward rail, because, whether we're reducing our dependence on foreign oil, reducing the waste that flow from our highways to our waterways, or reducing the pollution we put in the air- it's the right thing to do.
Posted by Dave Smith on 3/3/2008 8:09:12 PM
In response to catowner, are you aware that the earth has had a slight cooling trend since 1998, or are you a "denier" of this fact? And don't forget that coal accounts for 40% of rail freight traffic. What do you think will happen to the rail industry if we decrease our use of coal for energy in a misguided attempt to stop climate change? We have a 300 year supply of coal, and if we are serious about reducing our dependence on imported oil and natural gas, we'll need to aggresively develop coal-to-liquids and coal gasification technologies, not tax the use of our coal via pointless carbon regulations. Most of the freight hauled by trucks moves in the shorthaul corridors of less than 300 miles. How do you propose moving this freight to railroads when railroads typically shun aggregated short haul moves? How do you think commuters will get from their homes to the nearest rail station, or from their jobsite to the nearest rail station? Unless a commuter rail line runs in close proximity to a person's commuter drive route, that same person will probably end up doing more driving (and use up more precious time) trying to implement commuter rail into his/her regular commute. My view of urban congestion is that, hey, if an employer doesn't like the traffic, move to a smaller town! In short, climate fraud is economic lunacy, not fit for participation by the rail industry or the transit crowd. To quote the great Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, "Climate change is a non-problem. The correct policy to address a non-problem is to have the courage to do nothing."
