The Snowzilla tears through snow and fuel.
(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
Globe Editorial
Like teenaged boys showing off a souped-up Gran Torino, MBTA leaders have been touting their “Snowzilla,’’ a vintage jet engine that blasts away the white stuff on the Mattapan trolley line. But wait a minute: In an era of natural-gas fueled buses, hybrid taxis, and energy-saving light bulbs, the T is clearing snow with a machine that requires 900 gallons of gasoline per trip? A fully loaded commercial jet can fly to New York on less fuel. And modern planes are more environmentally friendly than the ’70s-era Snowzilla.
T managers dust off their monster for the very worst storms only. It’s useful on the Mattapan line, because trains on that route are too fragile to clear the snow themselves. The Mattapan line, which serves less than half of 1 percent of T riders, is hardly a central artery. Still, its users, like any others, appreciate prompt service. But it’s hard to believe that this contraption, which resembles a giant hair dryer, is the only means of keeping trains running in the worst blizzards.
The T should look for more energy-efficient means of clearing this small line. For now, Snowzilla seems less like the MBTA’s secret weapon than its leaders’ childhood toy.
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
