RTD Plans to Buy 103 Methanol-Powered Buses
The Southern California Rapid Transit District said Thursday it will add 103 methanol-powered buses to its current fleet of 30 in a move to help clean up the air in the Los Angeles basin.
The RTD has invited bids from bus builders and expects to order the buses by summer, said General Manager Alan F. Pegg. Methanol engines nearly eliminate particulate emissions and cut by half the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions that contribute to ozone and smog, Pegg said.
RTD board President Nick Patsaouras said the move demonstrates the bus agency’s commitment to clean air. He said the RTD is conducting the world’s largest experiments in alternative-fueled transit. “We are doing everything we can to convert to clean-fueled technology, and we are doing it as fast as we can,” he said.
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