sustainable transit operations: a small-to-mid-sized case study
DESCRIPTION
Presentation on Sustainability Case Study for small-to-medium transit agency. Given at the American Public Transportation Association 2011 Sustainability WorkshopTRANSCRIPT
Sustainable Transit Operations:A Small-to-Mid-Sized Case StudyAmerican Public Transportation Association Sustainability Workshop 2011Angela K. MillerChief Technology and Sustainability Officer, North County Transit DistrictFelipe ZaratePresident, TrustElement
Sustainable Transit Operations:A Small-to-Mid-Sized Case Study
•Have only .25 FTE dedicated to sustainability•Business Case for Sustainability needed to be determined•APTA Sustainability Commitment•Lessons from APTA Sustainability Leaders led to belief we could do it too•Needed partners in program•TrustElement engaged for initial baseline assessment
The Case Study Facility: SPRINTER Light Rail Maintenance and Operations
• Facility with the highest power consumption in the District• Second highest mobile emissions contributions in the District• Inherently water and power intensive operations
Simple Operational Changes
• Recycling, Lighting Changes, Equipment Operations Procedures• Health, Safety, and Wellness Policies• All cleaning – both facility and vehicle – biodegradable supplies• Bombardier Maintenance Team just achieved 5 years accident-free
Simple Operational Changes
• Environmentally-Friendly Landscaping, Watering saves resources\• Site team became engaged in the challenge to save resource• Engaging the employee and contractor teams with visible reminders
Capital Investments
• Installation of Solar Panels Offsets more than 60% of power• Remediation of Bioswale leads to better runoff control• Installation of performance monitoring tools lead to discovering where resources
were wasted or inefficiencies existed• Emissions controls installed on vehicles
The Case Study Results
• Starting Small with your sustainable operations plan is effective• Use simple changes to build business case for higher investment• Taking the time to measure results shows accountability and potentially
saves resources and money• Investigating possible application for EMS and LEED for Operations
The Case Study Results
If NCTD can do it with .25 of a person and some help from our external partners, then any agency can do it.