A Transit Ridersí Association for San Francisco
Box 190966, SF, CA 94119 ï 415/273-1558 ï www.rescuemuni.org
February 16, 2001
Chair and Members
San Francisco Board of Supervisors / County Transportation Authority
1 Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear Members:
Rescue Muni urges you to vote to fully fund Muni's planned purchase of 175 new diesel
buses. We strongly believe that this is the right choice, both for better transit
service and for clean air.
Buying the buses is the right decision for service reliability. This purchase gets
a similar number of old, severely polluting, unreliable buses off the streets 2-3
years sooner than does a purchase of CNG buses and fueling infrastructure. In addition,
the cost savings of diesel over CNG allows Muni to run more service, thus reducing
auto traffic and pollution more.
We agree with those advocating a CNG bus purchase that reducing pollution is important.
However, Muni has a much better way to do this: extend trolley coach service. Trolley
coaches are a 50 year old technology that Muni uses every day; they are zero emission
(and use a renewable power source, Hetch Hetchy); and they are much quieter than
motor coaches. We are urging the SFCTA and Muni to make a commitment to expand trolley-coach
service as part of the plan to buy diesel buses.
In addition, according to Muni's analysis, the choice of "clean diesel"
coaches (these buses, using low-sulfur fuel and with particulate traps added) will
produce lower emissions over 15 years in three of four categories (particulate matter,
hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide) and only slightly higher emissions in one category
(NOx) in comparison with alternative-fueled buses. This is largely because Muni
will be able to get the old, polluting buses off the street sooner - which is critical
for service.
Muni's choice this month is really diesel or nothing. If Muni doesn't extend
the Neoplan bus contract, we will have a minimum of 2-3 more years of poor service
from some of the oldest buses in use anywhere in the United States. We feel very
strongly that this would be an unacceptable choice - that it would "un-rescue"
Muni by making service much worse (and contribute severely to air pollution). We
urge you to choose better transit ó and cleaner air - over more delays.
Thank you very much,
Andrew Sullivan
Chair, Rescue Muni
cc: MTA Board of Directors; Muni Director Michael Burns