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More Transit
Industry Participants See a ‘Green’ Signal
Ahead
As transit
managers, engineers and builders mull the future, they
are finding that sustainable development is on a roll-literally.
"Green" practices once reserved for buildings
only are being adopted by public transit systems during
construction and operation, as noted at the American
Public Transportation Association's first-ever workshop
on sustainability and public transportation, held July
20-22 in New York City. But conferees admitted that
sustainability can put a dent in capital budgets and
that practices are not always a panacea.
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The
Stillwell Avenue photovoltaic roof fails to deliver
energy needs to facility but provides some light
for incoming trains.
(Photo courtesy MTA) |
"This is what society
and what clients are looking for, projects that are
sustainable and sensitive to the community and environment,"
says John Lazarra, transportation planning manager of
HDR Engineering, Inc., Chicago. "It's becoming
a cost in doing business."
The New York City Metropolitan
Transportation Authority's green efforts date back to
1999 when it became the first global transit entity
to conform with ISO 14001 standards. "We had a
lot of pressure from EPA to do something," said
Ajay Singh, chief environmental and sustainability officer
at MTA Capital Construction Co.
Speakers waxed eloquent about sustainability's long-term
benefits and offered examples, but many agreed that
the approach can add from 4 to 6% more to cost. "It's
a balancing act you have to do," says Fred Hansen,
general manager of Tri-Met system in Portland, Ore.
Mysore Nagaraja, MTA Capital
Construction Co. president, said that as the agency
gears up for a multibillion-dollar building program,
it will be trying such things as fuel cell power, aluminum
third rails, dust and diesel emission control, geothermal
energy, humped tracks and recycled rainwater for washing
transit cars. To make sustainability "a way of
life," it should be introduced gradually, he pointed
out.
But MTA officials told conferees
that a photovoltaic panel roof on a $300-million station
rebuild in Brooklyn was something of a bust. Connie
Crawford, MTA Capital Construction senior vice president,
said the panels, expected to provide 150kW of station
energy needs, did not deliver. "You're probably
not going to see more photovoltaic panels going in our
facilities," she added. "We will invest more
in sunlight."
Julie Hoover, vice president
of Parsons Brinckerhoff in New York City, noted that
New York City put a lot of investigation money into
looking at geothermal energy for the number seven line,
but after unveiling failed results decided to scrap
the project.
While most projects demand
higher capital costs, many conferees spoke of the financial
gain that sustainable transit has provided. The first
LEED certified transit station, Grand Rapids Central
Station in Michigan, costs just under $23 million, including
the price of the land. Catherine McKalip-Thompson, sustainable
development manager of Betchel Infrastructure Corporation,
San Francisco, attributes the low cost to the commitment
from the board and contractors to use recycled materials
during construction. The station's terrazzo floor is
made of recycled glass and portions of the roof are
covered with live sedum. Tri-Met used recycled asphalt
and concrete as base material on the Interstate MAX
Yellow Line in Portland, resulting in savings of $186,000
by buying recycled materials instead of new materials.
"This is an infant field,"
said Hoover. "It's going to cost you money and
time in order to get up to speed."
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