At a recent Regional Transit Committee meeting, the question was raised to revisit metro's fuel policy. Seattle has included language in their comprehensive plan to encourage the use of natural gas buses by Metro. There have been a number of articles and studies done recently which reconfirm the choice we made in 1995, that clean diesel provides greatly reduced emissions at a fraction of the cost of natural gas. Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Reducing burning of all fossil fuels is the goal.
Buses help reduce dependency on auto use, the main contributor to air pollution and global warming.
The emissions gap between gas and diesel is becoming smaller and smaller. It also requires huge capital investments, has higher weight penalties, increased fire hazards and increased handling dangers. Hybrid electric and fuel cell technologies are becoming more viable candidates as long-term replacements for internal combustion engines. It will likely be the dominant bus fuel well into the next century. It is my hope that we can pursue this alternative technology in the future.