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<br /> board made a commitment to require
<br /> Behind the Wheel and Ahead of the Curve zero - emission buses starting in 2008 ,
<br /> it punted the decision on near- term
<br /> Boston 's transit authority has been testing two hybrid electric and pollution protection to local transit
<br /> two compressed natural gas buses before deciding on the future agencies . Local transit districts will
<br /> composition of its fleet . UCS spoke with a driver who has driven both choose whether to take a diesel path-
<br /> _ _ types , as well as other test buses way or an alternative- fuel pathway as
<br /> all it III =m and diesels , they head toward zero - emission buses .
<br /> How do these new buses Coordinating with other environmen-
<br /> i , compare with the regular diesel
<br /> tal advocates , UCS is working hard to
<br /> buses7
<br /> explain to local agencies the clean - air
<br /> They ' re just about identical , advantages of the al ternative - fuel
<br /> The physical construction is a
<br /> p
<br /> little bit different, but in terms athway.
<br /> 5001 of pickup, turning , and stuff like Another promising element in the
<br /> IT5001 that, they ' re about the same, drive to clean transit is the California
<br /> 7 if not better. I like them . Fuel Cell Partnership . In November,
<br /> One of the big selling points Jason Mark, director of UCS 's Clean
<br /> is , these buses have no stairs. Vehicles Program , and I were present
<br /> You walk in , you ' re on the bus . at the grand opening of the partner-
<br /> New bus technologies have arrived—
<br /> the future's now. But because they ride low, par- ship 's facilities in Sacramento .
<br /> ticularly the hybrid , there 's a By teaming up the energy of
<br /> problem in that there aren 't as many seats . A diesel bus has stairs up, automakers , oil companies , and gov-
<br /> so it can have seats over the wheels . With the hybrid , you lose some seats
<br /> because of the wheels . On the natural - gas bus , there are steps up to ernment with the guidance of envi -
<br /> a platform over the rear wheels, so you don 't lose those seats in the ronmentalists , the partnership will
<br /> back . accelerate the development of fuel- cell
<br /> 1 don 't know exactly what they cost, but they have to cost more than vehicles . This program will place a
<br /> a regular diesel bus . Does that cost justify what you ' re going to gain in fleet of fuel - cell vehicles on streets
<br /> clean air ? Maybe with a thousand buses it might make a difference , throughout California , so that they
<br /> but with a hundred buses will it really matter ? can be tested over the next three years
<br /> With the cleaner fuel , there 's got to be less maintenance involved , and the kinks in the technology can
<br /> And in the hybrid buses , there 's no transmission . It gives you a smooth be worked out .
<br /> ride because it just goes , you don 't have that shifting of gears . A trans-
<br /> mission is probably one of the quirkiest things you can have . A Promising Future
<br /> For a while over here , they were using some diesel buses that were With the number of natural -gas buses
<br /> retrofitted . I think they were using some derivative of peanut oil —they growing and the promise of fuel- cell
<br /> called it the peanut oil fuel . Whether that is literally true , I don 't know.
<br /> I 've driven those buses too , and they didn 't seem to have the chutzpah technology around the corner, mass
<br /> the regular diesel had . transit is poised to deliver a new level
<br /> Will they decide to get these buses or not ? I don 't know, but it in environmental and public health
<br /> can 't hurt . From an operational standpoint I notice no difference . If dividends . Ongoing investment in
<br /> anything , they handle better, but that could be because they ' re brand these cleaner technologies from fed-
<br /> new. And there 's only two of each , so they can keep right on top of eral and local government will con-
<br /> the maintenance . But after five , six, ten years, who knows what tinue to fuel our climb to the summit
<br /> you ' re going to have7 of clean transportation . With your
<br /> At one time, it was the diesel that wasn 't the proven thing . At what continued help , UCS can plant a
<br /> point do you say, try something else and see if it makes it7 green flag and claim transit buses in
<br /> The manufacturers have been bucking them for a long time , but the name of clean air and a strong
<br /> now the EPA is saying , the time has come , it 's arrived , the future 's environment .
<br /> now, and you ' ve got to do something .
<br /> Michael Pancook is UCS ' California
<br /> media & outreach coordinator.
<br /> Photomontage by Brent RobieNCS N u C I e 11 s WINTER 2000-2001 7 t
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