Posts Tagged ‘environment’

Metro Gets Points For Sustainable Construction

August 30th, 2013 Comments off

Metro’s newest facilities show commitment to sustainability.

BusWashReclaim

A bus wash reclaim room at Shepherd Parkway houses tanks that refilter water from the bus wash to be reused.

When it comes to constructing environmentally friendly facilities for employees and customers while reducing energy and lifecycle costs, Metro is taking the lead—LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, that is. As of September 2012, Metro has constructed two facilities that are LEED Silver certified— Glenmont Parking Garage and Shepherd Parkway Bus Facility – an extra effort that is well worth it.

“Sustainable facilities offer functional, comfortable and attractive environments for our employees who work there and for paying customers who use them daily,” said Edward Shepperson, Project Manager during the construction of both facilities and Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) at WMATA. “WMATA will realize benefits through energy savings, improved employee morale and expand the public’s perception of WMATA, not only as a leader in transportation, but also as a responsible custodian of the environment.”

LEED is a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) program that provides third-party verification of green buildings through a rating system. Building projects earn points based on environmental impacts and human benefits of sustainable construction practices. In constructing the Shepherd Parkway Bus facility, WMATA earned points towards its LEED Silver certification for using recycled building materials, and recycling water through a large reservoir when washing buses. Read more…

Metro’s Grounds Maintenance and Custodial Services (GMAC) Go Green

August 15th, 2013 1 comment

Health and sustainability lead to the greening of Metro’s custodial services.

Estelle Strickland, PLNT, washing the glass partitions at Twinbrook Station

Estelle Strickland, PLNT, washing the glass partitions at Twinbrook station on July 4, 2010

Metro’s Grounds Maintenance and Custodial Services (GMAC) staff are doing much more than keeping the system clean, safe and sanitary for customers and fellow employees.  They are going green and improving WMATA’s bottom line through their Green Cleaning Program—an initiative focused on cleaning for health and sustainability.

“Our efforts have included initiating cleaning practices that have a positive impact on the environment, that are less harmful to our internal and external customers and generate financial savings where possible for the Authority,” said Christopher Moore, Superintendent, Office of Plant Maintenance (PLNT).

 

The primary cleaning solution PLNT uses is a Green Seal-certified chemical that is dispensed through an automatic dilution control device, allowing a custodian to set a dial that dispenses a cleaning solution that mixes with water for cleaning carpets, glass, floors and other surfaces, each at the appropriate water-to-solution ratio.  This allows Metro to save money by stocking less chemical in store rooms and reducing handling costs.  The solution is also cold-water activated, generating substantial energy cost savings for the Authority by not requiring the use of hot water.  Read more…

Goal 1: Build and Maintain a Premier Safety Culture and System

July 4th, 2013 Comments off

Metro will create a safer and more secureDupont-Circle-escalator-062812-144 transit experience for customers and employees.

Metro customers and employees deserve and expect a safe environment – on the job, in the buses, on the trains and in the stations and shelters. Our commitment: A Metro ride is a safe ride. In 2011, eighty employees were recognized as Champions of Safety for their efforts in safeguarding Metro employees, equipment and customers. More than eighty-five percent of both Metrobus and Metrorail riders are highly satisfied with security. Read more…

Metrobus Fuel Efficiency on the Rise

September 27th, 2012 8 comments

In recent years, the fuel efficiency of the Metrobus fleet has significantly improved, reducing Metro’s fuel expenses, and improving Metro’s environmental sustainability.

Metro’s bus fuel efficiency has increased by 27% over the past eight years, reducing fuel costs and improving environmental sustainability.

Over the past 8 years, the average fuel economy of Metro’s bus fleet has increased by 27%, from 2.96 miles per gallon (MPG) to 3.76 MPG today. The chart at right illustrates this trend, using actual odometer and fuel readings which are gathered and stored by our bus technology group.(Note that these figures include the consumption of compressed natural gas [CNG], expressed as gallon-equivalents. The slight dip in FY2011 is the result of some data loss during a transition to an electronic mileage tracking system.)

What is Causing this Trend? This steady increase in fuel economy is generally the result of technological improvements in the fleet.  Metro has been replacing older standard diesel buses with newer diesel-electric hybrid, CNG, and clean diesel models.  In particular, introducing diesel-electric hybrid buses to the fleet has helped push up the average: on the streets today, our diesel-electric hybrid fleets are achieving average mileage of 4.49 MPG.  Metro purchased its first hybrid bus fleet in 2006, and today these buses provide 41% of Metro’s bus vehicle-miles.commercial jumping castle for sale

Read more…