One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Don't Miss This Bus: Metro to Retire Last Diesel Bus in Fleet
A 1992 TMC RTS runs on eastbound Line 20 along Wilshire Boulevard, February 2008. (Photo by LA Wad via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
The next time you're waiting for a Metro bus, take a deep breath, and know that we will soon have an all clean-air vehicle fleet of buses. On Wednesday, Metro will ceremoniously haul off and "retire" the last diesel bus in their fleet, which now contains 2,221 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, six gasoline-electric hybrid buses and one electric bus.
Metro has had a clean-air vehicle plan in place since 1993, when the agency "was considering the purchase of 245 diesel buses as part of a 300-vehicle procurement using $89.3 million in authorized local and federal funds," according to a 2004 Metro release. However, at the time, "with the feedback of environmental organizations such as SCAQMD and others, Metro developed an alternate procurement plan calling for the purchase of AFV-only buses. The new plan also required that all future Metro Bus purchases be alternatively fueled as well."
Metro's fleet, when compared with the now-outmoded diesel buses, "reduces cancer-causing particulate matter by more than 80 percent," Metro boasts in a news release issued today. "And because of the switch from diesel to CNG, Metro avoids emitting nearly 300,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per day."
The last diesel bus in Metro’s fleet will be “unceremoniously” towed away. There will be a new CNG bus with the engine compartment open for viewing. Event will take place in major central bus maintenance facility with lots of activity including robots that bring parts to mechanics.
Metro-003
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
