APTA to honor public transit agencies, businesses for sustainability efforts

Yesterday, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced that nine public transportation systems and businesses will be recognized for their "outstanding sustainability achievements."

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) will receive Platinum recognition in APTA's Sustainability Commitment program for its efforts to reduce energy, water use and waste. LACMTA was a founding signatory of the Sustainability Commitment program in 2009 and since has implemented a full-scale sustainability program under which the agency converted its vehicle fleet to be powered 100 percent by clean fuels, employed an ISO 14001: 2004 certified environmental management system and created a green construction policy.

The sustainability program has saved LACMTA more than $2 million per year and enabled the agency to reduce air pollutants by 38 percent per passenger mile traveled; fuel use, by 15 percent per passenger mile traveled; and greenhouse gas emissions, by 9 percent per passenger miles traveled.

Gold recipients include Hampton Roads Transit, which has opened its first light-rail line, procured hybrid buses and expanding its internal recycling program since 2008; and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority, which has implemented a "comprehensive focus on mobility" that has helped increase unlinked passenger trips by 6.8 percent from 2007 to 2012, while personal vehicle miles traveled have fallen by 2.7 percent, according to APTA.

Meanwhile, Visual Marking Systems (VMS) — which provides decals, overlays and displays for the transportation industry — will receive Gold recognition for its focus on green production and procurement policies that have helped the company reduce electricity and water use by 15 percent, greenhouse gas emissions by 9 percent and solid waste by 4 percent per line item produced. VMS also has instituted a recycling policy that helped the firm save nearly $75,000 in 2011.

APTA also will recognize engineering and consulting firm CDM Smith as a Silver-level recipient, while Amtrak and Dallas Area Rapid Transit will receive Bronze-level recognition.

The organizations and others will be honored at APTA's Sustainability and Public Transportation Workshop, which will be held July 29 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.