RTD aggressively pursues new technologies an innovative ideas to reduce emissions, conserve resources, address environmental issues and improve the air quality of the metropolitan area.
Last year our Boulder Operating Division was recognized by the "Business Partners for a Clean Environment" as a leader in pollution prevention. The Division was recognized for implementing procedures and measures to reduce waste, increase saf ety, and cut costs.
Our District-wide environmental programs include:
- A joint program of RTD and the Colorado School of Mines
- Only high altitude test lab for heavy duty engines in the world
- Using chassis and engine dynamometers, the lab evaluates new engine technologies and fuels under real conditions.
- RTD rebuilds engines in-house, and we have to clean the engines prior to rebuilding them.
- The old method used a caustic detergent for cleaning
- Now an oven bakes off and completely burns all oil and grease resulting in
- No harmful fumes from the caustic detergent
- No hazardous waste disposal problem
- Safer work environment for employees
- Replaced toxic cleaning solvents with petroleum-based low flammability solvent with a filtration system.
- Filters remove particulates from solvents and can be used for a year resulting in:
- Drastically reduced hazardous waste generation
- Safer for employee handling
- All buses are tested annually to insure they meet State and RTD standards
- RTD standards are twice as strict as State standards
- Supervisors are trained to make on-street visual evaluations which may result in:
- Bus is immediately removed from service if State Standards are exceeded
- Scheduled for repair within 5 days of reported violation
Engine Replacement / Upgrading
- RTD pioneered the use of electronically-controlled engines & transmissions in order to provide:
- More efficient equipment operation
- Reduced exhaust emissions
- We are replacing older engines with advanced clean-burning, low emission electronically controlled engines from Detroit Diesel and Cummins. These engines:
- Reduce particulate emissions by 70%
- Allow RTD to meet EPA standards without using particulate traps, which can cut fuel mileage
New Vehicle Paint & Improved Painting Techniques
- We now use Low Volatile Organic Compound paint (water base) which:
- Reduces emissions from paint
- Paint booths use air, not water, filtration systems which:
- Eliminates contaminated waste water, reduces hazardous waste generation
- RTD was the first in the transit industry to use a refrigerant recovery system to capture and recycle freon for reuse
- We were the first in the transit industry to buy new buses using HFC-134a in our air conditioning systems
- All of our buses previously equipped with Freon R-12 have been converted to HFC-134a or FR-12. Both of these refrigerants are environmentally friendly
- All maintenance service trucks are equipped with these units
- Allows drivers to immediately clean up spills of antifreeze, oil, etc., preventing environmental contamination from accidental spills
- RTD has been testing alternative fuels for nearly ten years
- CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) has proven to be:
- Less reliable, and more expensive than diesel fuel
- $0.59 per mile vs. $0.16 per mile
- Methanol Fuel has proven to be:
- Less reliable, and more expensive than any other fuel
- More costly to operate, $0.69 per mile vs. $0.22 for diesel control buses
- Premium diesel fuel is used during high pollution months (October thru March)
- Low sulfur and aromatic content
- Reduces smoke, improves air quality
- State-of-the art
FREE MallRide facts - RTD pioneered transit use of electric vehicles in 1982 on the 16th St. Mall
- The original fleet is still in operation today
- The Battery powered fleet has not been expanded due to the limited operating time (3 - 4 hours) between recharges (takes 8 hours)
- RTD will replace the existing Mall Shuttles with new hybrid-electric buses
- The electric-hybrid technology consists of a clean-burning CNG fueled engine which drives an electric generator. The generator provides electricity to recharge a set of batteries and to drive two electric drive wheel motors mounted at the rear wheels. The batteries provide supplemental electrical power for bus acceleration and climbing hills.
- RTD uses low-maintenance, low-water-using landscaping at its park-n-Rides
- RTD recycles newspapers, office papers, computer paper, and aluminum cans in offices
- Special bins have been set up at major bus stations for commuters to recycle newspapers
Copyright © 2002 RTD