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The average Twin Cities commuter puts about 2.6 tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere every year by driving alone to work.
That’s just one person. Multiply that volume of pollution times the number of people driving alone each day and it adds up to a very weighty problem.
You can lighten your impact on the environment by leaving your car at home more often and still get where you need to be. Metro Transit can help you Go Greener with an option to fit every lifestyle, whether you’re taking a bus or train, carpooling with a spouse or neighbor or biking.
Getting out of your car and sharing the ride – even one day a week – can make a difference. A ton of difference.
Metro Transit. It’s a ride you can feel good about.
Metro Transit has been working to ease pollution and road congestion for years. We’re an industry leader on delivering comfortable, reliable service and deepening our environmental commitment through:
- adding 170 new hybrid buses
- using next-generation fuels like biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur diesel
- clean diesel technologies
We’re keeping the Twin Cities moving with even less impact on our environment.
Ultra-efficient hybrid buses
Renewable biodiesel
Reduced emissions
Emission-free light-rail trains
How about carpooling or biking?
Fuel cost reductions
Just one day a week makes a difference
Clean, quiet hybrid buses.
Metro Transit unveiled its first hybrid electric bus in 2002. There are 67 hybrids in service today and we plan to have 75 in service by 2010.
All vehicles use the most fuel and generate the most pollution when they accelerate. Hybrids use less fuel and emit less exhaust because they use electric power for acceleration. Electricity is generated by the engine and by the braking action of the bus as it slows down or stops. This is why hybrids work on routes with frequent stops – like those on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.
Look at the environmental benefits of hybrid buses:
- 28% better fuel efficiency
- 85% fewer particulate emissions than the buses they replace
- Quieter operation
Metro Transit – powered by biodiesel and Minnesota agriculture
Minnesota was first in the nation to require that all diesel fuel sold here be 2 percent biodiesel, which is made from things like soybeans. This renewable fuel source is grown and produced locally, supporting Minnesota's economy. Biodiesel exhaust is significantly less harmful than petroleum diesel.1
Metro Transit surpassed the state mandate in 2006, increasing its biodiesel content to 5 percent. By August 2007, all buses were using B10, a blend of 10 percent soy-based biodiesel. In 2008, we tested a B20 blend. Going forward, Metro Transit will continue to explore the most cost-effective and operationally sound ways to use biodiesel fuel throughout our fleet.
1 Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture
The days of smoky buses are over.
When the Go Greener initiative began Metro Transit was consuming roughly 8 million gallons of diesel fuel each year. We're working to reduce that amount and make sure the fuel we use is as efficient as possible.
Since mid-2005, all Metro Transit buses have used ultra-low sulfur diesel – the cleanest fuel on the market. To further reduce tailpipe emissions, we’re buying 164 buses that incorporate the latest engine technology.
Through the Go Greener plan, we expect to save 1.6 million gallons of fossil fuels year. That’s enough that if you put that amount in oil drums, the stack would be higher than 1,010 IDS Towers.
In addition to the fuel savings, these improvements will remove 168 tons of emissions from the air every year, cutting down on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
We’ve also modified bus transmissions for better fuel economy and implemented a policy to reduce engine idling and conserve fuel.
The newest member of the Metro Transit family is also the cleanest. The Hiawatha light-rail line runs on electricity, with no emissions from the train. In 2006, more than 155,000 of the miles logged by light-rail trains were powered by renewable wind, hydropower, and biomass energy.
Live simply, ride efficiently.
Metro Transit is the Twin Cities’ provider of low-impact transportation. In addition to buses and trains, we offer resources for those who carpool, vanpool, walk or bike.
If every car carried just one more passenger, 32 million gallons of gasoline (and the pollution produced by it) would be saved each day.2 You can carpool with a spouse, neighbor or co-worker, or use Metro Transit’s interactive database to find others interested in sharing the ride. For even bigger savings, think about forming a vanpool.
For those who prefer to ride on two wheels, all Metro Transit buses and trains have bike racks so you can pedal for part of your trip and ride the rest. Also safe, weatherproof bike lockers are available for rental at more than 35 locations.
2 National Resources Defense Council
Think environmental stewardship has to cost more? By using more efficient vehicles and bio-enhanced fuels, Metro Transit expects to save more than $650,000 each year in fuel costs. Fuel savings + improved air quality = better value for taxpayers.
As little as one day a week makes a difference
Each time you don’t get behind the wheel helps, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it every day. You can reduce your impact considerably by sharing the ride just a day or two a week. Whether you choose to take the bus or train, carpool with a neighbor or bike instead of driving, you’re part of the solution.
