[RP TownTalk] Queensbury Buses

[Roland Walker]

> Perhaps another question for WMATA is "Are there quieter and less
> polluting technologies you can use in your buses so they are less
> disturbing to the residents along their routes?"

WMATA has been adding natural gas buses to their system for some
years.  They were projected to be at more than 25% of the fleet at
this point.  It would be interesting to find out what the current
numbers are.  Burning natural gas produces (essentially) zero
particulates.

The balance of the buses are diesel.  WMATA uses low-sulphur fuel and
equips the buses with filters to reduce particulates.  These buses
produce far less pollution than the cars needed to move an equal
number of people.

The big source of particulates at Holly's house (and mine) is the
train.  The diesel train engines burn the most polluting types of
fuel, and the emissions include lots and lots of that fine diesel
dust.

In combination with the high ozone in this region, the particulates
are quite bad for my wife's asthma, but there is not much that the
town can do about these pollutants.

R