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GREEN: MARTA’s state-of-the-art Compressed Natural Gas bus fleet saves 7,000,000 (7 million) gallons of equivalent petroleum each year. Due to lower carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions, CNG buses help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

15 TONS: A 40-foot bus weighs 30,000 lbs. empty, 40,000 lbs. at maximum fuel and passenger load.

• MARTA initiated Research & Development with first set of specifications for CNG buses and helped lead the way for the CNG industry nationwide
  
  
• MARTA was first transit agency to procure a low-floor CNG bus in 1995
  
  
• MARTA helped the industry’s technology development as a testing & evolution partner since 1996. Many countries continue sending their delegates to MARTA to learn about CNG technology.

• MARTA and the City of Atlanta formed a coalition in 1993 and became the first of six original Clean Cities recognized for their vision, dedication, and pioneering spirit in advancing energy security through use of alternative fuels, clean vehicle technologies, and petroleum reduction practices.
  
  
• In 1996 MARTA purchased 118 CNG buses. We now have a fleet of 355 CNG buses. MARTA also boasts two complete CNG fueling stations at the Perry and Laredo bus garages.
  
  
• The balance of the bus fleet is composed of clean-burning diesel buses based in the Hamilton garage.

GREEN LIGHT, Go for the environment. When MARTA eliminated paper towels in HQ restrooms the reduction in landfill waste was immediate! Along with the reduction in waste, MARTA improved hygiene and provided a more energy efficient method of drying wet hands.

GREEN BENEFITS

Energy Efficiency

• Over its lifetime, just one hand dryer will produce 3 tons LESS CO2 than the production of the towels it replaces.
  
  
• Used paper towels are NOT recyclable and were sent to landfill.
  
  
• Thirty (30) hand dryers saves one ton of paper towels or 17 trees per year.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

• The hand dryers will pay for themselves in 1.6 years. After that, they will save MARTA $160,000/year compared to buying and disposing of paper products.
  
  
• After payback, the cost of 1,000 dryings with a hand dryer is $1.34.
  
  
• The cost of 1,000 dryings with paper towels is $22.70.

GREEN BENEFITS

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) have a longer life span, consume less energy, and produce a brighter quality of light than traditional lighting. By upgrading to LED lights MARTA’s energy savings will return the cost of investment in less than three years while enjoying increased safety, less maintenance, and a smaller carbon footprint!

LEED Certification Means Building GREEN
MARTA integrates Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) into new and retrofit projects. Goals of the LEED construction include Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Sustainable Sites, Materials & Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

GREEN BENEFITS

• MARTA’s new Buckhead Station North Entrance & Bridge project is designed to meet LEED certifications.
  
  
• LEED certification is based upon strategies that will have the greater positive impacts on what matters most – energy efficiency and CO2 reductions.

• Each LEED credit is evaluated against a lengthy list of environmental impact categories, including climate change, indoor environmental quality, resource depletion and water intake, among others.
  
  
• SUSTAINA BLE DESIGN : Another project designed to meet LEED criteria is the Hamilton Bus Maintenance facility.

GREEN LIGHT, Go for the environment. MARTA implemented an authoritywide recycling program on Jan. 1, 2010 with a goal to reduce landfill waste. After the first four months there was a 365% increase in tonnage diverted away from landfill.

GREEN BENEFITS

Reduction in landfill

• Prior to the Green Light recycling program, MARTA discarded seven (7) tons of waste monthly, with only .65 tons being recycled.
  
  
• After four months of the Green Light program, MARTA was able to divert 3 tons from the landfill each month.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

• The Green Light recycling program PAYS FOR ITSELF since MARTA is paying no additional cost. In fact, MARTA receives a small credit for our recycling efforts.

CARBON FILTERS WASH THE WATER
MARTA has hundreds of buses and rail cars. It’s important to keep them washed and looking good, but that takes a lot of water! MARTA uses 200 gallons to wash a single bus, and 1500 gallons to wash a 6-car train. But we don’t let that precious water go down the drain. We capture the wash water and wash the water with carbon filters. The filters remove dirt, impurities and chemicals. Then new chemicals are added to the reclaimed water and its ready to be used again, and again, and again. MARTA reclaims up to 90% of the water. The other 10% is lost during the reclamation process.

WATER HARVESTING
While we like to get the most out of our tap water, we also like to capture and use the rain. MARTA uses Water Harvesting with filtering and storage systems that collect from roof tops, paved and unpaved areas to be used for multiple uses.

GREEN BENEFITS

• Carbon filters allow MARTA to re-use the water resources as many times as possible without waste.
  
  
• Water Harvesting saves money, prevents groundwater depletion, augments the piped water supply, and prevents soil erosion and urban flooding.

Retrofitting With Motion Detector Sensor Light Switches

GREEN LIGHT, Go for the environment. MARTA only had to wait three (3) months before the retrofitting paid for itself in cost of electricity. The average monthly cost for electricity in the HQ building was $40,000. Half of that was spent on lighting. After MARTA retrofitted the 48 common areas (conference rooms, break areas) with motion detectors, the Authority realized a 50% savings on electricity demands in those areas.

NOTE: To supplement rooms without motion detectors, MARTA adhered small stickers with “Switch Off & Conserve” message to help reduce wasted energy.

GREEN BENEFITS

• Using less electricity reduces the demand on generating supply.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

• MARTA’s retrofit project paid for the switches and cost of installation within three months of use.
  
  
• Monthly savings after payback equals $1,500, or $18,000 each year.

MARTA recently started building the largest solar canopy installation in Georgia, and the second largest structure of its kind at a U.S. transit system.

This “green” project was made possible with a $10.8 million federal grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program.

New South/Circle D are two companies that are a Joint Venture as MARTA’s Prime Design- Build Contractor for the Laredo Solar canopy.

GREEN BENEFITS

• The Laredo solar canopy will have the same environmental
  benefit as planting more than 285 acres of trees a year.
  
  
• The solar panels will shade 220 bus parking stalls with filtered sunlight. And, they will generate enough electricity to offset nearly 50% of the Laredo Garage’s annual electricity
  consumption.
  
  
• Each canopy will be equipped with light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures with ample lighting using less energy and longer usable life.
  
  
• In addition to gathering solar power, the canopies will reduce summertime temperatures between 20 and 50 degrees.
  
  
• Lower temperatures inside the buses will require less air conditioning and therefore lowering bus fuel consumption. Operators, maintenance and facilities personnel will appreciate the natural comfort!

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

• Lower fuel consumption will save on the Authority’s fuel expenses.
  
  
• Projections show a net income of $159,280/year during the project’s 45-year life span.
  
  
• The metro area will enjoy 20 new jobs directly related to this program and 12 jobs indirectly for manufacturing, sales and distribution.