Dear Mayor
Williams and Metro Board members,
The U.S. Department of Energy has concluded that Metro's facilities in
natural gas bus facilities. I agree and urge you to ensure that Metro builds a
third natural gas fueling station at its Rockville facility, purchases at least
200 more natural gas buses and then expands its natural gas program to its
Landover facility.
Expanding the natural gas fleet to
determine if diesel engine manufacturers can meet the 2007 nitrogen oxides
standard and if diesel-electric hybrids become more reliable. The Energy
Department recommended that Metro go slowly on hybrids, testing five to 30
buses during the next few years.
If the Metro board really is committed to improving the region's air quality,
it will seriously consider the Energy Department's recommendations. It should
continue to install retrofit technologies and exhaust-treatment devices on its
older diesel buses while choosing the cleanest proven fuel technology available
for new buses. For the near future, that means natural gas.
Sincerely,
James P. Brown
Metro Rider and
President
Sugarloaf
Citizens Assn.