Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting - 16

2010 Annual Meeting

OCTA Leads the Way in Making Orange County ‘Green’
BY SIMON OH Community Relations Intern Orange County Transportation Authority Orange, CA
s Orange County residents and businesses look for ways to reduce their impact on the environment, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is actively involved in implementing more environmentally friendly initiatives designed to benefit not only the agency, but everyone who lives and works in the county. From transit operations to administrative services, OCTA is going green. Its sustainability efforts follow the three basic principles for promoting sustainability and efficiency in the agency’s operations: reduce, reuse, and recycle. OCTA responsibly conserves energy and water consumption to reduce utility usage and become more cost-efficient. It has taken such measures as reducing the number of times buses are washed per week, replacing roofing and lighting, and installing 1,500 solar panels at maintenance facilities and bus stops. The Information Systems department has reduced its energy usage through the use of more efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the past year. “We are proud to lead the way in establishing a cleaner, more environ-

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From transit operations to administrative services, OCTA is going green. Its sustainability efforts follow the three basic principles for promoting sustainability and efficiency in the agency’s operations: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

mentally friendly future in Orange County,” said OCTA Chief Executive Officer Will Kempton. “Collectively, the transit industry is effective in highlighting the environmental benefits of our services. As individual organizations, it’s important we also show our commitment to sustainability through how we do business.” OCTA is currently in the process of developing metrics that should be in place by the end of the year to set a baseline for the sustainability efforts and measure progress on an annual basis. The agency is one of the largest in the U.S. with a clean-air fleet. Ninety-five percent of OCTA’s buses operate with clean natural gas (CNG) or liquefied national gas (LNG). In 2008, construction crews from the CNG fueling company Trillium completed the installation of CNG fueling stations at two OCTA bus bases, in addition to one already completed at a third site. This project received partial funding through a $400,000 grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Reuse and Recycling
Reuse and recycling also are important to the agency’s sustainability goals to regenerate and salvage useful resources. At most of its bus bases, the water used to wash the buses drains into a collection system that clarifies, captures, and

recycles approximately 90 percent for additional use. Materials such as bus aluminum rims, copper, and brass are routinely recycled, as are cans, plastics, paper, electronics, and chemicals. OCTA has more plans in the works to achieve greater sustainability. The agency is currently seeking grant funding for Almost all of OCTA’s buses operate with either liquefied natural gas or projects including an compressed natural gas. active lighting control and cooling control system that make communities more livable by could result in an annual savings of balancing economic, social, and envi$125,000. The program will improve ronmental needs. It demonstrates the the life of lights and air conditioners agency’s leadership in maintaining ecoand reduce maintenance costs. nomic viability and overall contribution Another project for which OCTA is to the quality of life in Orange County seeking grant funds is the installation of and throughout California. rooftop solar panels on its maintenance The agency has received praise buildings and car parking lot canopies locally for its efforts to promote and at all five bus bases, as well as bus stops. initiate a more sustainable county. In The effort could produce 1.2 megawatts its recent report on government agenof power. cies successfully implementing enviThrough this project, OCTA would ronmentally friendly measures, Orange purchase power from a solar power proCounty Going Green, the Orange County vider at a fixed rate for 20 years, saving Grand Jury listed OCTA as one of five more than $1 million. agencies. The report’s recommendations said the “sound environmental Committing to Sustainability practices of the five agencies studied OCTA has implemented its environby the Grand Jury should be emulated mental initiatives in part because of by other Orange County government signing on to the APTA Sustainability entities.” Commitment, an effort motivated by “OCTA is committed to being the climate change legislation, energy indemost environmentally conscious orgapendence, and cost savings. More than nization in Orange County,” Kempton 35 other transit agencies across the said. “With investments in technology nation—including Los Angeles, New such as solar power and water regeneraYork City, and Atlanta—also have signed tion, as well as recycling materials, this on to the initiative. helps cut costs, save taxpayers money, The core objective of the commitand provide a better place for all of us to ment is to promote sustainability and live and work.”

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Passenger Transport 2010 APTA Annual Meeting

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