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Authority Awarded APTA Gold Standing for Assembly or Exceeding Sustainability Objectives in 4 Key Areas
Electrical automobile charging station at Doraville Station
MARTA has been awarded the American Public Transportation Affiliation (APTA) Gold Stage for its Sustainability Dedication Program, recognizing MARTA’s ongoing dedication to sustainability initiatives which have a constructive influence on the setting and the communities it serves. The Authority’s sustainability efforts are categorized into 4 areas: buildings, setting, group, and local weather, and are measured yearly by way of automobile income miles (VRM), to account for growing service areas by way of growth and to make our values extra simply similar to different transit businesses.
“MARTA stays dedicated to repeatedly enhancing our property and operations to cut back prices, positively influence the setting, and enhance the communities during which we function, work, and dwell,” mentioned MARTA Basic Manger and CEO Jeffrey Parker. “It’s an honor to obtain this necessary business distinction and I’m pleased with the exhausting work being achieved in all of our departments to realize and exceed our sustainability objectives.”
By means of the incorporation of sustainability efforts within the following classes, MARTA diminished water use by 40 p.c, greenhouse gasoline emissions by 27 p.c, vitality use by 14 p.c, and waste by 13 p.c, over a seven-year interval.
Buildings
MARTA has accomplished the set up of energy-efficient lighting in any respect rail stations, upkeep services, and workplace buildings. Extra energy-efficient mechanical upgrades are ongoing and scheduled to be accomplished this yr. MARTA’s $300 million multi-year Station Rehabilitation Venture addresses points akin to mould progress or freeze/thaw cycles, that over time could cause bigger, dearer structural issues. Regularly addressing these things results in more healthy stations for purchasers and alleviates vital day-to-day upkeep points and prices.
Surroundings
MARTA’s Environmental Administration System (EMS) encompasses eight services together with rail yards, bus upkeep services, and MARTA’s operations hub, and growth to the 2 remaining services is at present underway. As a part of EMS, MARTA put in electrical automobile (EV) charging stations at six rail stations for a complete of 60 ports. As of final October, the usage of these ports was the equal of 5.9 metric tons of prevented greenhouse gasoline emissions, or the identical profit as planting 151 bushes and letting them develop for ten years. MARTA has seen a rise in its recycling tonnage, largely as a consequence of varied tasks throughout the system, and a deliberate growth of rail station recycling bins for purchasers will additional contribute to the Authority’s total recycling objectives. Conversely, water utilization at MARTA is reducing and not too long ago reached the bottom annual utilization recorded since this sort of information recording started nearly ten years in the past. MARTA’s bus wash water reuse methods save an estimated 3.5 million gallons of water every year that may in any other case be drawn from the area’s potable water system.
Neighborhood
MARTA strives to be a robust group accomplice, implementing packages that encourage wholesome habits akin to Recent MARTA Markets that convey contemporary produce to rail stations in meals “deserts” and constructing soccer pitches at rail stations for a citywide youth soccer league. MARTA works to deal with social justice points with its MARTA Hope Initiative, offering assist and companies to unsheltered people on the system, and ongoing efforts to combat systemic racism inside its personal partitions and within the communities it serves. MARTA’s transit-oriented growth (TOD) program helps native growth and larger financial well being within the area and has an inexpensive housing part to make sure senior and low-income residents have handy entry to transit.
Local weather
MARTA continues to shrink its carbon footprint, lowering greenhouse gasoline emissions by nearly 27 p.c in ten years. MARTA’s fleet is sort of three-fourths Compressed Pure Fuel (CNG) buses and 6 older diesel buses will quickly get replaced with new battery-electric fashions. The electrical buses are designed for heavy-duty transit service and might be supported by plug-in depot chargers and on-route fast-conductive charging stations. Moreover, MARTA is present process a serious bus upkeep overhaul, that just like the station rehab program, will handle smaller wear-and-tear points extra regularly, earlier than they result in service issues. MARTA performs a major position in lowering greenhouse gasoline emissions by offering transportation choices that assist lower the variety of vehicles on the highway. In 2019, MARTA diminished emissions the equal of preserving over 370,000 vehicles off the highway or powering nearly 300,000 properties for one yr.
MARTA is exploring the feasibility of future sustainability initiatives together with diminished idling for income and non-revenue automobiles, implementing further water efficiencies into landscaping, and creating a broader Local weather Motion Plan to make sure the Authority stays an excellent steward of the setting for many years to come back.
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