The MBTA has finally made an effort to cut down on its high fuel emission pollution by beginning to use a new form of diesel fuel in half of its 950 buses. The MBTA has previously had a poor record of meeting Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards and has contributed to Boston’s reputation of being a heavily smog-filled city. In addition, the T has ordered 183 natural gas-powered buses using the cleanest-burning fuel available on the market.
Neighborhood activists and conservationists who have criticized the MBTA’s sluggishness in addressing its emission problems are now praising the T for making an effort to catch up with comparable public transit systems. Instead of its buses being one of the country’s worst polluters, the MBTA attempts to catapult itself into the forefront of bus technology.
While groups, such as the Sierra Club, think that the MBTA should convert all its buses to this new fuel, the MBTA has at least moved in the right direction in trying to reduce its emissions by one-quarter. Furthermore, because this low-sulfur fuel is relatively untested, the MBTA must proceed with caution to ensure public safety.
The MBTA is pushing the envelope on using advanced technology for its buses and should continue taking small steps to its bus fleet and to improve the city’s air quality.
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