Comments on: MTA’s Call to Climate Action or Just Another Press Release? http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/01/09/mtas-call-to-climate-action-or-just-another-press-release/ Covering San Francisco's livable streets movement Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:33:52 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Dave Snyder http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/01/09/mtas-call-to-climate-action-or-just-another-press-release/comment-page-1/#comment-3139 Dave Snyder Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:07:36 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1284#comment-3139 The MTA's impact on the climate has almost nothing to do with the type of energy that runs the buses. Those vehicles account for less than one percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that come from the transportation sector. The MTA's impact on the climate has to do for the most part with its ability to reduce vehicle miles traveled. To the agency's credit, the report acknowledges this: "... the direct measure of the SFMTA’s contribution to reducing ... transportation sector emissions will primarily be found in increased transit ridership, increased use of plug-in passenger vehicles, improved parking management, expanded vehicle technology programs, increased provision of bicycle facilities, promotion of walking and increased transit oriented development." To the agency's shame, they do not reveal specific plans to accomplish these goals. There are no mode share targets, for example. Furthermore, the budget section shows the agency is clueless about bicycling. They lump bicycling and walking improvements together (why?!) and figure they will have a "minimal cost." In fact, they have no idea how much a complete bicycle network will cost because they have never planned one. The current plan (under environmental review) did not propose a complete network, only a (big) set of incremental improvements to the current network. An SFBC analysis from five years ago estimated the complete network to cost close to $100 million. All this said, I know the executives and planners over there are aware of the deficiencies and working to fill in these gaps, a process that will provide more information and therefore more realistic budgetary numbers for the next climate action plan. The MTA's impact on the climate has almost nothing to do with the type of energy that runs the buses. Those vehicles account for less than one percent of the greenhouse gas emissions that come from the transportation sector.

The MTA's impact on the climate has to do for the most part with its ability to reduce vehicle miles traveled. To the agency's credit, the report acknowledges this:

"... the direct measure of the SFMTA’s contribution to reducing ... transportation sector emissions will primarily be found in increased transit ridership, increased use of plug-in passenger vehicles, improved parking management, expanded vehicle technology programs, increased provision of bicycle facilities, promotion of walking and increased transit oriented development."

To the agency's shame, they do not reveal specific plans to accomplish these goals. There are no mode share targets, for example. Furthermore, the budget section shows the agency is clueless about bicycling. They lump bicycling and walking improvements together (why?!) and figure they will have a "minimal cost." In fact, they have no idea how much a complete bicycle network will cost because they have never planned one. The current plan (under environmental review) did not propose a complete network, only a (big) set of incremental improvements to the current network. An SFBC analysis from five years ago estimated the complete network to cost close to $100 million.

All this said, I know the executives and planners over there are aware of the deficiencies and working to fill in these gaps, a process that will provide more information and therefore more realistic budgetary numbers for the next climate action plan.

]]> By: murphstahoe http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/01/09/mtas-call-to-climate-action-or-just-another-press-release/comment-page-1/#comment-3138 murphstahoe Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:42:13 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1284#comment-3138 Even if they MUNI bus magically runs on only the electrons produced by the hydroelectric dam, the fact that MUNI is using them instead of letting SF sell them to someone who will otherwise build a coal-fired plant, means that the buses are not "zero-emission" per se. There is a lot of value in having electric vehicles anyway, because it's more likely we can produce lower overall pollution from electric because renewable sources like solar don't turn into diesel. Even if they MUNI bus magically runs on only the electrons produced by the hydroelectric dam, the fact that MUNI is using them instead of letting SF sell them to someone who will otherwise build a coal-fired plant, means that the buses are not "zero-emission" per se. There is a lot of value in having electric vehicles anyway, because it's more likely we can produce lower overall pollution from electric because renewable sources like solar don't turn into diesel.

]]> By: anonymouse http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/01/09/mtas-call-to-climate-action-or-just-another-press-release/comment-page-1/#comment-3137 anonymouse Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:44:16 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1284#comment-3137 Muni gets a lot of its power from the city-owned Hetch Hetchy hydroelectric dam. Which doesn't emit any greenhouses gases or use any coal. Do your homework before posting your rants. Muni gets a lot of its power from the city-owned Hetch Hetchy hydroelectric dam. Which doesn't emit any greenhouses gases or use any coal. Do your homework before posting your rants.

]]> By: smi23le http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/01/09/mtas-call-to-climate-action-or-just-another-press-release/comment-page-1/#comment-3135 smi23le Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:30:13 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1284#comment-3135 What I want to know is whose climate? It gets me so angry when I see those "Zero Emissions Vehicle" signs on the side of Muni buses. The buses may not put out any smog here, but they run off of electricity which does produce greenhouse gases when it's generated at some far off power plant in the central valley... but who cares about those people and the air pollution they breathe as long as we can feel all high and mighty here in San Francisco. They really should call electric vehicles "Coal vehicles" since that's what's burned (not so cleanly) to generate most of the electricity we get here. What I want to know is whose climate? It gets me so angry when I see those "Zero Emissions Vehicle" signs on the side of Muni buses. The buses may not put out any smog here, but they run off of electricity which does produce greenhouse gases when it's generated at some far off power plant in the central valley... but who cares about those people and the air pollution they breathe as long as we can feel all high and mighty here in San Francisco. They really should call electric vehicles "Coal vehicles" since that's what's burned (not so cleanly) to generate most of the electricity we get here.

]]> By: mattymatt http://sf.streetsblog.org/2009/01/09/mtas-call-to-climate-action-or-just-another-press-release/comment-page-1/#comment-3131 mattymatt Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:45:15 +0000 http://sf.streetsblog.org/?p=1284#comment-3131 Yeah, this looks more like a vague wishlist than a plan. I couldn't find a single date or benchmark in the entire thing. Hope we didn't spend too much money on this. Yeah, this looks more like a vague wishlist than a plan. I couldn't find a single date or benchmark in the entire thing. Hope we didn't spend too much money on this.

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