News from Metro's General Manager

April 22, 2013

Get on board to fight climate change

Looking for a meaningful way to observe Earth Day? Ride Metro! You won’t find a more effective way to help reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions in our community.

Consider this...

As a result of people riding Metro buses rather than driving in 2012:

260 million fewer vehicle miles were driven on our roads.
Riders saved 15 million gallons of gas—enough to drive 90,000 round trips between Seattle and New York City in a Ford Fusion! Our riders saved nearly $60 million in gas costs. Even when you offset the gas savings with the fuel used by Metro vehicles, the region consumed a net 4.6 million fewer gallons. Metro helped save millions more by easing traffic congestion; the Texas Transportation Institute says our region avoided the waste of 7.7 million gallons of gas in 2011 because of transit.
And most important to our future—CO2 emissions in our county were reduced by about 500,000 metric tons as a result of Metro bus service. That's the equivalent of what 104,000 passenger vehicles would produce in a year. Our service displaces 3.5 times more greenhouse-gas emissions than our operations generate.

Our Commuter Van Program also posted impressive numbers in 2012:

2.5 million gallons of gas saved
50 million fewer vehicle miles traveled
22,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided

Now the van program is leafing out

Last year we purchased 20 all-electric Nissan Leafs for our “metropool” commuter program, serving 10 workplaces. Leaf users tell us they love these vehicles. They’re happy to have emissions-free commutes that save 800 gallons of gas per month compared to gas-powered vanpools. Interest in metropool is so strong that we’re going to add five more Leafs to the program.

Going green saves money, too

By reducing energy use in our buildings by nearly 2 million kilowatt hours since 2007, Metro has earned more than $400,000 in utility rebates and cut our energy costs by more than $135,000 each year.

An even greener future is ahead

I’m an optimist, so I’m looking forward to getting Metro on sound financial footing so we can maintain and grow service, meet rising demand and bring increasing benefits to our environment.

We’ll also continue to replace aged diesel buses with diesel-electric hybrids—which already make up about half of our fleet. An additional 10 percent of our coaches are zero-emission electric trolleys.

We know that the people of King County want to protect our wonderful environment. Metro is proud to be one of the greenest transit agencies on the planet, offering transportation choices that enable our customers to fight climate change on Earth Day and every day.

Sincerely,

Kevin Desmond, General Manager
King County Metro Transit

Kevin Desmond

General Manager, King County Metro Transit

If you live in King County, Metro is your public transit system. I want you to know about our performance, the issues we face, and the innovations we are bringing your way.

Visit here often to read my newsletter, or sign up to receive it by e-mail.

You may also be interested in Metro's monthly performance website and our Accountability Center.

Past Newsletters

February 4, 2013 – Transit is key to downtown Seattle mobility during tunneling, tolling
December 7, 2012 – Service change report, ridership news, and a look at what's ahead
September 7, 2012 – Landmark changes will lead to better service for more riders
April 12, 2012 – Just in time: System improvements will help Metro meet rising demand
February 13, 2012 – We're transforming our system – and facing a new threat
November 18, 2011 – New budget will provide two years of stability, improvements
November 3, 2011 – We're taking steps to make the bus system more productive, effective
September 29, 2011 – Service changes starting Saturday will keep people moving
August 19, 2011 – Council action will bring stability, new efficiencies
July 25, 2011 – Debunking myths about Metro's efficiency
June 20, 2011 – Executive requests Council action to move Metro toward financial sustainability
May 23, 2011 – Cutting costs by acting on audit recommendations
April 22, 2011 – Metro offers many ways to go green
March 31, 2011 – Click and learn about Metro's budget
March 1, 2011 – New 10-year plan will lead to a stronger public transportation system
Jan. 10, 2011 – What's ahead for Metro in 2011
Nov. 22, 2010 – Join us in preparing for travel when it snows
Nov. 8, 2010 – Regional Transit Task Force sets new course for Metro
Oct. 20, 2010 – What our recent budget review found
Oct. 1, 2010 – Launch of the RapidRide A Line