Port of Oakland’s funding put low-emission engines in 27 AC Transit buses, cleaning up their exhaust emission while creating jobs
Press Releases
06/21/2001
(Oakland, CA) AC Transit and the Port of Oakland are celebrating completion of a partnership that replaced the engines in 27 1993-model buses with new environmentally-friendly technology. All 27 reconditioned coaches, in recognition of the innovative interagency effort, bear logos of two other agencies – the Port of Oakland and the West Oakland Neighbors’ Association, which was instrumental in bringing the port and the East Bay’s bus system together. The port provided $659,000 to cover the added cost of installing today’s low-emission engines in the aging buses (rather than rebuild the old powerplants). That undertaking was an environmental mitigation measure identified in the port’s “Vision 2000″ expansion program. AC Transit’s role included committing the rebuilt coaches to service primarily in areas near the port facilities being expanded. AC Transit General Manager Rick Fernandez states that the low-emission engine adds years to the useful life of older buses while greatly reducing pollutants emitted in the exhaust during their remaining service life. “The engine-building art has advanced sufficiently since those buses were built to make low-emission technology a wise choice – particularly since the Port is covering the added cost involved,” said Fernandez. Fernandez notes that AC Transit benefits because low-emission engines get much-improved fuel mileage (helping to contain costs) and yield better drive-ability and mechanical durability. In addition to 27 buses to serve East Bay riders for years to come, this innovative program expanded AC Transit’s workforce, adding several Oakland residents to the agency’s diesel mechanics’ apprenticeship program. “This is the first time the Port of Oakland and AC Transit have collaborated on a project that directly improves air quality in West Oakland,” said port Executive Director Chuck Foster. “We’re delighted with the success of this joint effort which is one component of the Port’s $9 million commitment to cleaner air.” The port’s contribution jump-started a repowering program that AC Transit will continue, using grant funds identified by the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission. At the same time, all new additions to AC Transit’s bus fleet are acquired with state-of-the-art low-emission technology and the system is actively pursuing a better option for the future: zero-emission fuel-cell technology. Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen-without combustion-to generate electricity, making it truly “zero emission” technology. The only by-product is pure water vapor. AC Transit is marshaling resources to undertake a major road test of a dozen or more fuel-cell powered buses in 2003. Being active in the California Fuel Cell Partnership (a coalition of public and private sector agencies working to make fuel cells a viable technology in the marketplace), the East Bay’s public bus system is pursuing the operation of a largely zero-emission fleet later in this decade.