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A greener way of getting there by car, T or plane

Email|Link|Comments (3) Posted by bdaley April 29, 2009 06:35 AM

Chances are you’ve seen more and more hybrid vehicles on the roads in recent years – and the increase is not your imagination. The state's Executive Office of Transportation recently released a list of green fun facts that are, well, green and fun. Here are some:

* There are currently 28,917 hybrid vehicles registered in Massachusetts - a 23% increase over Earth Day 2008.

A Prius couple (Globe photo/Erik Jacobs)

* 48,319 motorists hold the three charity license plates that have provided $16,170,660.05 in donations to the Environmental Trust Fund since 1995.

* License plates returned to the RMV produced 90 tons of recycled aluminum in 2008.

* MassHighway has 390 vehicles using 10% ethanol gasoline, 251 using compressed natural gas (CNG), 30 bi-fuel using both gasoline and CNG, 42 hybrid vehicles, and 844 using ultra low sulfur diesel and biodiesel

* MassHighway uses 135 solar/battery powered variable message boards.

* The T has collected 2,279 tons of paper since 2006, when the T began placing recycling bins throughout the transit system. That is the equivalent of 38,740 trees.

* Boston Logan is the first airport in the nation to use a more environmentally friendly pavement.

* Massport spent $6.3 million repaving Runway 4R/22L with so-called “warm mix’’ asphalt which is heated to a lower temperature. This reduced carbon dioxide by nearly 2,000 tons, saved 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and produced energy savings of 26.4 billion BTUs.

For more facts, go to http://transportation.blog.state.ma.us/blog/2009/04/earth-day-2009-transportation-facts.html

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3 comments so far...

"MassHighway has 390 vehicles using 10% ethanol gasoline"

Shouldn't we all get the same praise. Most of us who fill up at the pump use 10% ethanol as well, even if you don't know it. its called E10, now is standard at many gasoline pumps across the USA. Look for small stickers on the pump.

And most Mass Highway vehicles i have seen are pickup trucks - meaning 8-16 MPG tops. Way to go Mass Highway! Another reason we pay so much for this agency - lousy fuel economy using standard expensive fuels!

Posted by Mike April 29, 09 09:36 AM

The T should electrify its commuter rail lines and use electric locomotives on the NE Corridor service which is already electrified. The heavy diesels seem to add to much wear and tear in the tracks. The push-pull operation employed seems slow and awkward. I would immagine the operating costs are higher than with electric.

Posted by Joe April 29, 09 01:19 PM

The T, a huge consumer of electricity, should install solar panels on as many of its stations as is feasible.

Posted by debstress April 30, 09 08:33 AM