NCTD sustainability programs protect the environment

The North County Transit District in Southern California is recognizing Earth Day 2010 with an aggressive sustainability campaign that will yield major environmental benefits by the end of the year. The two-part program includes extensive solar improvements at District facilities and challenges the public to ride public transit at least once a week as part of their personal sustainability goals.

With funds received
through a $2-million federal grant, NCTD has developed a comprehensive solar
program that will include the following system upgrades:

• A 500-kilowatt solar
panel system at facilities in Escondido and Oceanside that will offset power
used at SPRINTER and BREEZE bus maintenance facilities

• Testing solar
technology in the rail right-of-way in space that cannot be utilized for other
purposes

• Rooftop solar panels at
District administrative facilities, which will offset power used at those
locations

• Solar carports and
solar-powered vehicle charging units at various transit stations, available at
no charge to monthly pass customers.

The $2-million grant was
made possible by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act’s Transit
Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction program.

Many of these
installations will be the first in the nation and will demonstrate the
feasibility of similar uses by other rail agencies. The District also intends
to pursue private partnerships to expand solar power generation.

In addition to its solar
program, NCTD recently completed one of the public transit industry’s first
Green Data Centers. The data center will reduce the District’s energy demand by
more than 30 percent a year. For this work, NCTD has registered for and
anticipates receiving a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Silver Certification for Commercial Interior Spaces. When awarded, the Data
Center will be the first in San Diego County to achieve this certification.

"North County Transit
District is committed to a long-term sustainability plan that will both
decrease our environmental impact and reduce our operating expenses," said
Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer Angela Miller. "We recently signed
the American Public Transportation Association’s Commitment to Sustainability,
and will measure our progress with performance goals like reduced energy costs,
lower greenhouse gas emissions, decreased waste, transit-oriented design and
increased renewable energy generation."

NCTD serves 12 million
passengers annually by providing public transportation within North San Diego
County and via the COASTER to downtown San Diego. Its family of transit
services currently includes the BREEZE bus system, the COASTER commuter rail
service, LIFT paratransit and the SPRINTER light rail.