Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in the San Francisco area has released its annual sustainability report this week, which shows progress the agency has made toward its sustainability goals despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release.
"BART’s commitment to sustainability is unwavering, and we are both literally and figuratively on the right track," BART General Manager Bob Powers said in a statement.
BART says the biggest change in 2020 to advance sustainability goals for the area was the opening of the Milpitas and Berryessa/North San Jose stations in June 2020. The two new stations help connect BART to San Jose. The stations also are energy-efficient by design. Tire-derived aggregate, which is a 100% recycled material, was used underneath the trackway to reduce vibration and saved the equivalent of 300,800 tires from being sent to waste.
In 2020, more "Fleet of the Future" trains were added into service, with now 280 cars in operation. The new cars are built to be at least 7% more energy efficient than legacy vehicles with features such as LED lighting, improved regenerative braking, and lightweight exteriors.
BART says the agency is advancing sustainability goals not only as a transit service but also as a member of the five-county Bay Area community to build housing and create greener, transit-oriented neighborhoods in its owned station lands.
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SOURCE: Bay Area Rapid Transit
