Author Archives: Raymond Wang

Posts by Raymond Wang

Memo 3: Annotated Bibliography

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Raymond Wang

To: Professor MacBride
From: Raymond Wang
Date: April 15, 2013
Re: Annotated Bibliography

“Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regions.” MTA. www.mta.info/sustainability/pdf/SustRptFinal.pdf (accessed April 15, 2013).
This report shows the current number of hybrid electric buses and compressed natural gas buses in 2012. The report also shows what percentage of the active fleet is hybrid electric. This report says that ninety one percent of all new vehicles purchased are some sort of hybrid and will help reduce emissions. This shows how the MTA has definitely improved throughout the years with such an accomplishment. The report continues to talk about improvements that need to be made regarding carbon emissions and energy usage. Even though most of the changes do not directly change the fleet, they will also be useful in helping buses be cleaner. Certain suggestions such as solar roofs may benefit the entire MTA system along with the buses. Since buses need to be refueled at stations, having energy storage from solar panels can help the MTA use more renewable resources. The MTA also have some energy storing capabilities such as photovoltaic cells and hydrogen fuel cells.

The sustainability report is one of the most important parts of how the MTA is changing. I was only focused on the specific sections that were relevant to the buses and how they could be improved. Upon reading, I discovered that renewable energy is being used in MTA facilities. While it does not state what these facilities are for, subways or buses, it is still important since the carbon footprint is being reduced. The report also shows a chart of the current distribution of the fleet’s vehicles. In addition, it also shows the number of hybrid electric and compressed natural gas vehicles as of 2012. This information will be helpful in showing how the majority of the current fleet is composed of these hybrid electric vehicles. This shows that the MTA has definitely taken steps to ensure reduced carbon emissions.

“Mother Clare Hale Bus Depot Replacement Charrette Report.” .” MTA. http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/CharretteReport.htm (accessed April 15, 2013).
All of New York City’s buses have been converted to use ultra low sulfur diesel. This change will greatly reduce all future emissions. Previously, all buses ran on diesel, which was providing a burden to the city’s atmosphere. With the switch to ultra low sulfur diesel, the exhaust emissions are greatly reduced. Furthermore, particle filters were installed to filter emissions even further. These two new changes definitely helped the buses become cleaner in general. Both of these regulations were applied to all of the city’s buses by 2000.

Statistics regarding the cleaner emissions were not provided in this public report. However, it does claim that the particle filters are required on all buses to further reduce the emissions. The report also says that all buses from 2000 will only be running on ultra low sulfur diesel. These are important technological improvements that can be applied to the entire fleet. This type of information together with the statistics provided in other reports will show how well the buses are doing with this small improvement.

“MTA New York City Transit.” MTA New York City Transit. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy03osti/33397.pdf (accessed April 15, 2013).
The MTA changed their bus fleet to hybrid electric. They ordered the Orion VII model from Orion International that contains a lithium ion battery rather than lead acid. 125 vehicles were ordered. These buses were the first step from the MTA to make their buses hybrid electric. The Orion VII model also has the patented HybriDrive system that makes it hybrid and electric. The engine is controlled by HybriDrive, which powers the generator. The generator powers the motor that makes the bus move. The generator also recharges the battery placed on top of the vehicles. The battery at the top of the bus is used for acceleration and when the bus needs to climb hills. A braking system is also present where it recovers energy during braking and stores it in the battery. With regenerative braking, it allows most of the energy from the generator to be recovered during the process. This technology is extremely crucial to buses in particular due to the constant stopping. In addition, it also slows down brake wear. Both the engine and the generator make up the hybrid electric system of the vehicle. With this combination, the bus produces very low emissions and has much higher gas mileage. Diesel fuel is only used to run the engine, which in turn powers the generator. The generator also assists in driving the traction motor to make the bus move. The buses also contain a diesel particle filter that further mitigates the exhaust emissions. It is said that these buses are expected to reduce up to 90% in total emissions.

This particular source contains a lot of information regarding hybrid electric buses. Not only does it include plenty of numbers that relate to emissions, it also provides a very detailed picture that contains how the actual engine for these hybrid electric buses operate. The emission statistics show how much cleaner these buses are in relation to their other counterparts. The diagram also clearly labels all the parts of the engine and definitely helps in providing an adequate visual. In addition to the information provided regarding the actual buses themselves, information regarding the future is also presented. Plans of further buses to purchase are briefly mentioned. Plans of the approval of this entire process is also included in which shows when the hybrid electric program became the way it is today.

“Hybrid-Electric Transit Buses.” Hybrid-Electric Transit Buses. www.nrel.gov/docs/fy02osti/31668.pdf (accessed April 15, 2013).
The introduction of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses began in 1990. NYCT realized the importance of being environmentally friendly with their vehicles. Thus they purchased two new CNG buses during the year. These buses were only purchased for testing to see if they met the requirements. Again, thirty two CNG buses were purchased to help test these new type of vehicles. After extensive testing, one hundred ninety additional CNG buses were finally purchased. This was the first step for NYCT to begin their reduced emission fleet. Since these CNG were very successful, further decisions were made to purchase hybrid electric buses. Since hybrid technology was still relatively new, prototypes were purchased for testing. Great results were provided and this prompted the acquisition of more hybrid electric buses. These new buses were definitely showing improvements over the traditional ones. Hybrid technology is still evolving and newer and more efficient buses were being built. Since these hybrid buses were satisfactory, more and more were purchased.

This particular report is important because it discusses the beginnings of the transition for diesel fuel buses to ones that are more environmentally friendly. It somewhat provides a timeline of all the reduced emission buses that were purchased. The use of the compressed natural gas buses is the starting point for all future improvements to helping reduce emissions and being more environmentally friendly in general. The report also provides specific numbers for the amount and types of buses that were purchased. Few statistics were mentioned regarding the emissions and how the change to better buses helped decrease emissons.

“Select Bus Service.” MTA. http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/sbs/faqs.htm (accessed April 15, 2013).
Select Bus Service had a few goals in mind. One method was to give buses an exclusive part of the road. These partitions are strictly enforced and prevent other cars from sharing the lanes. These buses are also used to carry people to their location faster and more efficiently. With dedicated lanes on the road, buses spend less time idling and more time reaching their destination. Even though it was not the initial intention for the program, it mitigated pollution and helped conserve fuel. Mostly importantly, the Select Bus Service was not intended to be a method of reducing emissions. However, with many of the features implemented, it resulted in positive results. The use of Select Bus Service will definitely help the battle of reducing emissions.

This report from the MTA talks about a new program that is being released. Even though exact statistics were not provided, the results show that the Select Bus Service does in fact mitigate some emissions. This report shows that in addition to switching vehicles and making improvements, these types of programs are also capable of making progress. This report will mainly demonstrate that making these new types of programs are also capable of helping out the environment. This is the first instance where something like this has been introduced in NYCT’s history and it will aid in proving that there are many changes being made in addition to the technological ones.

Too Much Garbage

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Raymond Wang

The world is generating more and more garbage than ever before. This is even more true for the United States. As Pellows stated, the United States accounts for 19 percent of all the world’s garbage while only having 5 percent of the world’s population. This means that the United States is producing much more garbage than the rest of the world. Since the United States is a first world country, they also produce more than third world countries. Most of the waste is sent off to these places that produce less waste. Many denser cities such as New York City send off their garbage to other locations. Should this be the current method of waste disposal? Do you think that countries should create a better alternative to shipping their garbage to other places? Do you think waste disposal is a serious enough problem that needs our current attention? Or can we put it off for a couple of years doing what we already do?

Memo 2: Timeline

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Raymond Wang

Topic: Environmentally Friendly Buses

1990 Two CNG buses purchased for testing
Two CNG buses were purchased for initial testing to reduce pollution. They were the guinea pigs in an experiment to help decrease pollution in all of New York City. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

1991 CNG Buses Introduced
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a substitute for gasoline. It does create pollution but to a degree much lower than its alternatives. These buses were the beginning of a completely new era and was the first step taken to ensure that emissions from buses were reduced. CNG buses are still present today and are still being purchased for use. (Compressed Natural Gas).

1994 32 additional CNG buses purchased
32 additional CNG buses were purchased to further test their capabilities of being more environmentally friendly. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

1996 10 Orion VI purchased
10 models of the Orion VI hybrid buses were purchased. They are being used for evaluation. (Diesel Electric Hybrid Buses).

1998 10 Orion VI vehicles begin operating
The preliminary tests were positive and satisfied the evaluation. The ten models of Orion VI began operating at this point for evaluation in comparison to CNG buses. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

1999 190 CNG buses purchased
After testing, 190 CNG buses were purchased due to the positive results of using CNG as a fuel. This is to further add to NYC’s slowly growing number of more environmentally efficient buses. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

2000 Governor Pataki Approved Spending Plan
A five-year spending plan was approved for the purchase of compressed natural gas and hybrid electric buses. A large budget was set aside for these buses that would greatly improve the fleet. (MTA NYC Transit).

2000 Conversion to ULSD
First transportation system to convert all buses to using ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. All buses that run on diesel fuel will be using this type to be more environmentally friendly. Also it prepares for the new upcoming exhaust filter program. (Mother Clare Hale Bus Depot).

2000 Particle filters installed
Particle filters on the buses have been installed to further help eliminate diesel emissions. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

2001 5 NovaBus purchased
5 NovaBus Hybrids were purchased. Only one was delivered. They were retired due to the many problems with them. (Diesel Electric Hybrid Buses).

2002 Improvements to engines
Old engines and exhaust systems were replaced to help make the older buses cleaner. (From Hybrid Batteries…).

2003 Two stroke diesel engines retired
All two stroke diesel engines have been retired at this point due to large emissions. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

2003 125 Hybrid Electric Buses Purchased
In 2003, the MTA changed their bus fleet to hybrid electric. They ordered the Orion VII model from Orion International that contains a lithium ion battery rather than lead acid. 125 vehicles were ordered. These buses were the first step from the MTA to make their buses hybrid electric. The Orion VII model also has the patented HybriDrive system that makes it hybrid and electric. The engine is controlled by HybriDrive, which powers the generator. The generator powers the motor that makes the bus move. The generator also recharges the battery placed on top of the vehicles. The battery at the top of the bus is used for acceleration and when the bus needs to climb hills. A braking system is also present where it recovers energy during braking and stores it in the battery. With regenerative braking, it allows most of the energy from the generator to be recovered during the process. This technology is extremely crucial to buses in particular due to the constant stopping. In addition, it also slows down brake wear. Both the engine and the generator make up the hybrid electric system of the vehicle. With this combination, the bus produces very low emissions and has much higher gas mileage. Diesel fuel is only used to run the engine, which in turn powers the generator. The generator also assists in driving the traction motor to make the bus move. The buses also contain a diesel particle filter that further mitigates the exhaust emissions. It is said that these buses are expected to reduce up to 90% in total emissions. (NYCT Hybrid and CNG).

2004 200 additional Orion VII purchased
200 more additional Orion VII Hybrid electric buses were purchased due to the positive results from the first batch. (NYCT Hybrid and CNG).

2005 50 hybrid buses proposed for purchase
50 more additional hybrid buses was proposed for purchase by 2006. This resulted in 385 hybrid buses in the fleet. (MTA NYC Transit).

2005 30% Hybrid at five depots
At this point, the 385 hybrid vehicles represent 30% of the total number of buses in the assigned depots. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

2005 (Late) 500 additional vehicles purchased
500 additional vehicles were purchased to bring the number of hybrid electric buses to almost 800. (Orion Hybrid/Electric Buses…).

2006 CNG numbers to rise to 641
The number of CNG buses are planned to rise to 641 in 2006 from the current 221. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

2006 23% clean buses
The combination of CNG and hybrid electric buses will almost represent 23% of the total bus fleet. (NYCT Diesel Hybrid-Electric Buses).

2007 Storm Preparation
MTA began to prepare for storms such as emergency response centers and early warning capabilities. (August 8, 2007 Storm Report)

2008 Select Bus Service Introduced
In March 2008, Select Bus Service was introduced. Select Bus Service had a few goals in mind. One method was to give buses an exclusive part of the road. These partitions are strictly enforced and prevent other cars from sharing the lanes. These buses are also used to carry people to their location faster and more efficiently. With dedicated lanes on the road, buses spend less time idling and more time reaching their destination. Even though it was not the initial intention for the program, it mitigated pollution and helped conserve fuel. (Selective Bus Service).

2009 Mother Clare Hale Bus Depot
Newly constructed bus depot will have all vehicles on site using ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. (Mother Clare Hale Bus Depot).

2009 NYC leads hybrid bus
New York City has the most hybrid buses out of many developed countries. (As Hybrid Buses Get Cheaper…).

2011-2012 Orion VII Third Generation
90 newly upgraded Orion VII Third Generation models were purchased. These buses had slight improvements in the engine and generator that would help further assist in reducing emissions. (MTA Regional Bus Operations bus fleet).

2012 CNG and Hybrid buses in fleet
Currently have 1107 CNG buses and 875 diesel electric buses. One of the largest “green” bus fleets. (Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regions).

2015 Climate change adaptation plan
A full climate change adaptation plan will be in place with specifics regarding financing. (Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regions).

Works Cited

August 8, 2007 Storm Report. Rep. MTA, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

Barnitt, R., and K. Chandler. New York City Transit Hybrid and CNG Transit Buses. Rep. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

“Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a Transportation Fuel.” Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a Transportation Fuel. California Energy Commission, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

“From Hybrid Batteries to Old Bus Windows Efficiency Is in High Gear at NYC Transit.” From Hybrid Batteries to Old Bus Windows Efficiency Is in High Gear at NYC Transit. MTA, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regions. Rep. MTA, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

Maynard, Micheline. “As Hybrid Buses Get Cheaper, Cities Fill Their Fleets.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Oct. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

“Mother Clare Hale Bus Depot Replacement Charrette Report.” Mother Clare Hale Bus Depot Replacement Charrette Report. MTA, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

MTA NYC Transit. N.p.: MTA NYC Transit, 2001. Diesel Hybrid Electric Buses. US Department of Energy. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

MTA New York City Transit. N.p.: n.p., 2003. MTA New York City Transit. US Department of Energy. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

“MTA Regional Bus Operations Bus Fleet.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

NYCT Disel Hybrid-Electric Buses. Rep. MTA, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

“Orion Hybrid/Electric Buses Are Key To Cleaner Air And Improved Economy.” MTA Press Release. MTA, 29 Nov. 2005. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

“Select Bus Service.” MTA Planning. MTA, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .

NYC’s Electrical System

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Raymond Wang

In “Four Storms in Quick Succession Expose the Flaws in New York City’s Electrical System”, it was brought up that the electrical infrastructure of NYC has vulnerabilities. Four out of the five previous storms have damaged the vulnerable systems. Certain solutions were proposed, such as making such utilities submersible. However, these solutions may not be enough to mitigate damage from a future natural disaster. Since the electricity is one of the city’s most important infrastructures, without it, many others that depend on it will fail as well. Upgrading the system will also create larger bills for customers. Do you think that upgrading the city’s electrical grid is worth the investment? Are you willing as a customer to pay much more on your monthly bill so that the utilities are more likely to survive future natural disasters? Should the city have a plan in the event of natural disasters in attempt to minimize damage? If so, why would it be worthwhile to implement such a plan that may or may not work? If not, how should the city protect itself against future catastrophes?

Memo 1: Public transportation pollution mitigation

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Raymond Wang

To: Professor MacBride
From: Raymond Wang
Date: 2/13/13
Re: Ground level public transportation pollution mitigation in New York City

Public transportation is an integral part of commuting in New York City. The MTA has been consciously improving pollution output for all their methods of public transportation. I will be focusing on such transportation on the ground level, e.g. buses and the rail system. As many daily commuters may have noticed, buses are considered to be “hybrid” nowadays, running both on fuel and electricity. The rail system such as the Long Island Rail Road and MetroNorth both have improved train cars to help facilitate “green” public transportation. I take a bus daily for about six years and observed the changes in vehicles. I also rode the rail system often for about two years and saw the improved train cars compared to the older ones.

My topic as a question would be “How has ground level public transportation improved to help mitigate pollution in New York City?” I will be researching how the MTA has tried to improve their public transportation. This includes improvements that favor going “green.” Such information is publicly available as the MTA tries to update commuters of incoming changes. I will also look into what further improvements are planned for buses and the rail system. Technology today is changing rapidly and upgrades to the current buses and train cars are definitely planned for the future. I will also attempt to find how changes are being made not to the vehicles to themselves but everything else such as dedicated bus lanes that prevent buses from stopping as often to conserve gas. Researching about said topics will definitely enlighten me about how the city is attempting to become more environmentally friendly.

Comments by Raymond Wang

"The "right to city" can be interpreted differently by everyone. I personally believe that the "right to city" means that every resident of a particular city has the right to change the city as he sees fit. In such a large city, it will be hard to satisfy all the residents. Since there are so many people, the city is much less likely to change. It is still important to know that the people still have this power. New York City belongs to everyone who lives there and everyone should definitely have some sort of say in issues related to the city. Just as a citizen of the United States has the right to elect his government, more or less, a resident of a city should have the right to vote on changes being made to his city. Sometimes decisions have to be made against someone's will as no decision will ever be able to satisfy every single resident. Having this right is important for people to feel that the city is truly theirs and they can take a small part in the many things that changes the constantly growing city they reside in."
--( posted on Apr 8, 2013, commenting on the post What is your right to the city ? )
 
"I believe that New York City has many things that make it such a great place to live. In a way, all New Yorkers should feel privileged that they are living in such an amazing city. New York City definitely have the inhabitants the "right of the city." As a current resident, I think the city is doing a good job with our right to the city. Locations such as Central Park, the Statute of Liberty and Times Square are famous tourist attractions. Even though I have lived in New York City my entire life, visiting these places definitely changed my perspective of the city. The people in New York City have a lot of say in the things that goes on in the city. I am sure that the city would not disregard what the residents want. New York City is the home of a very large and diverse crowd of people. I think the right of the city should be divided among all the residents rather than targeting a specific group. I believe that there can be balance with such a variety of people. I think that the city definitely has the things most of need. I do not thin that there is an immediate focus for enhancing te city in any way. I am content with living in such a diverse city."
--( posted on Apr 8, 2013, commenting on the post Who’s city is it, anyway? )
 
"I do not think such project proposals are for NYC. One thing about NYC is that we never want to be adversely affected by any type of environmental pollution of the sort. That may be why our water reservoirs are upstate and not actually in the city itself. Since there is high population in the city, we tend to "move" our problems to places that do not have such a dense population. NYC used to have a landfill on Staten Island yet that was moved due to the complaints from the residents. You can consider NYC to be that guy that wants all the benefits, yet doesn't want to be a part of the harmful processes to get such benefits. I actually do not think that it would be possible for any type of waste management to be in NYC. This is due to the many people that live here who would not be content with such facilities being built. Even though I have faith in the city that they would provide a solution, I still believe that these types of facilities would be built outside the city limits. I do not think the city will have any room for such facilities. I actually believe that city is capable of choosing a method that will not harm the residents yet provide the benefits. I am sure that it would be difficult to work the details out but I think it can be done. Location is definitely the most important part, which I believe that the location would not be within the city. Also, I believe that the residents of the city will have say in these types of decisions. Therefore, I believe that city would be more inclined to follow their fellow residents rather than anyone else. With such a large city, I am sure that waste management is very important. However, I do not think that any type of reliable waste management system will arise in the near future. It would take a lot of planning for something of this scale to placed in such a busy city. However, I do have faith that this type of thing can be done with the help of the many communities."
--( posted on Feb 24, 2013, commenting on the post Engage: Successful waste management methods in NYC )
 
"These incineration facilities may be said to be pollution free. However, I do not believe that is true. Pretty much every type of disposal option includes some type of exhaust. It would be quite difficult to create a way to actually have a completely clean method of managing the waste. However, I do believe we have the necessary advancements in technology to produce such an incinerator that produces much less pollution than what may be the current case. If an incinerator was being built in my community, I am sure that I would have objections to it. I live in a very small and peaceful neighborhood right next to the woods. My guess is that they would need to build this incinerator in the woods which would definitely be detrimental to the environment. Also, many residents may not understand why there is an incinerator being built and the adverse effects it can cause. The reading also discussed many failed projects which shows how difficult it is for something liket his to be accepted. Since I am a somewhat educated individual on the subject, I believe that such an incinerator is necessary. Even though I believe we need it, I do not think I have the capabilities to solve the issues revolved around having one in certain communities. I can also be sure that one other residents are educated on the issue and the importance of such incinerators, they would come to accept it."
--( posted on Feb 24, 2013, commenting on the post Engage: Waste Incineration in our Community )