Electric Rail Transit Systems Create Significant Air Pollution; New Technology Offers Less-Polluting Alternative According to New Study by the Breakthrough Technologies Institute
WASHINGTON--June 18, 2003--Electric rail transit systems generate significant air pollution, particularly where these systems are powered by electricity generated by fossil fuel power plants, according to a new study released today by the Breakthrough Technologies Institute. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a new transit technology that uses low-emission vehicles, produces significantly less pollution than electric rail, while costing a fraction of the amount to build and operate."We can no longer overlook the source of electricity for our rail systems," said Bill Vincent, author of the study and a former transportation official during the Clinton Administration. "Using coal to power transit simply moves the tailpipe to the smokestack - the overall environmental benefit is questionable."
The study looked at three forms of transit: electric heavy rail, electric light rail, and BRT. It found that electric rail transit systems create significant power plant emissions that contribute to smog, lung disease, and global climate change. These emissions include carbon dioxide, a leading contributor to global warming, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and particulate matter.
The study also found that BRT systems can produce significantly less pollution than electric rail when powered by advanced engines and fuels.
"The irony," Vincent said, "is that we invested in rail to reduce pollution from cars and to get away from diesel buses. It turns out that rail itself may not be very clean and that new bus technologies offer much better alternatives for reducing pollution."
One of the main rail systems examined by the study is Washington DC's Metrorail, which is often touted as one of the best rail systems in the country. Metrorail consumes a massive amount of electricity, enough to power over 50,000 homes. Much of this electricity comes from coal fired power plants, both within and outside of the Washington region.
The pollution from coal power plants has been linked to hundreds of premature deaths, acid rain, and lung disease. Recently, the Virginia Electric and Power Company agreed to a record $1.2 billion settlement for violating clean air laws at eight of its coal-fired power plants. These same plants supply electricity to Metrorail.
Although the study focused on Metrorail, the results are critical for any community. "Roughly half of our nation's electricity is generated by coal," said Vincent. "Any city considering electric rail needs to take a hard look at where the electricity is coming from."
Vincent added that communities also need to take a hard look at alternative transit technologies, like BRT. "BRT can be a win-win-win technology. It is cleaner, costs a lot less, and provides high quality service."
The report makes a number of recommendations to maximize the environmental value of transit investments. These recommendations include:
| -- | Making a stronger commitment to cleaner sources of electric power, thus significantly reducing the emissions associated with electric rail systems; |
| -- | Requiring transit agencies to purchase renewable power, wherever that option is available; and |
| -- | Asking Congress to require an objective analysis of available transit technologies, so that planners can no longer ignore both the emissions associated with electric rail and the potential environmental benefits of new technologies, like BRT. |
The report, entitled The Electric Rail Dilemma: Clean Transportation From Dirty Electricity? is available for free download, beginning June 18, at www.gobrt.org.
Founded in 1993, the Breakthrough Technologies Institute is a DC-based non-profit dedicated to promoting advanced environmental and energy technologies.