I HAVE AWSOME NEWS!!!

[wmata employee]

The 5A will be split operation with FourMile and along with ...............Bladensburg division with the next pick comes in DECEMBER. pleaase look for a lot of route changes an alot of bus movements.

also come december  the X2 will be shared with  during rush hour periods with FourMile

[OrionFlyer]

I had a feeling Bladensburg was going to do the 5A too. But I never expected Four Mile Run to do the X2.

I guess people will be seeing New Flyers in Virginia earlier than I thought. I'm looking forward to other route changes and bus movements. It would be nice if  Four Mile Run and Bladensburg did a bus trade as in Bladensburg getting some of Four Mile's Orion VII's and Four Mile getting some of Bladensburg's New Flyers. I would like to see more New Flyers in VA.

[79MetroExtraMD]

I feel for those FMR operators doing the X line. I really can't see FMR getting any C40LFs, but C40LFRs would be nice in VA. They seem to be better suited for those routes than the DC routes.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

I feel for those FMR operators doing the X line. I really can't see FMR getting any C40LFs, but C40LFRs would be nice in VA. They seem to be better suited for those routes than the DC routes.

Why can't FMR do the X2 with either NABIs (if they were to actually get some, albeit unlikely) or Orion VIIs?

[79MetroExtraMD]

I feel for those FMR operators doing the X line. I really can't see FMR getting any C40LFs, but C40LFRs would be nice in VA. They seem to be better suited for those routes than the DC routes.

Why can't FMR do the X2 with either NABIs (if they were to actually get some, albeit unlikely) or Orion VIIs?

I was talking about having the C40LFRs more suited to Virginia routes because the powertrain is more suburban than urban.

[LandoverDivision]

Now, another good thing that I want to see is another division being CNG friendly. Like Landover, Montgomery, or Northern.

[Scrabbleship]

Now, another good thing that I want to see is another division being CNG friendly. Like Landover, Montgomery, or Northern.

Didn't the Maryland divisions have their chance to go CNG several years ago, but declined in favor of hybrids and clean diesel?

Also, wouldn't Northern be a bit too risky given the old age of the building and that it's an indoor depot?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Didn't the Maryland divisions have their chance to go CNG several years ago, but declined in favor of hybrids and clean diesel?

That is correct.  I think Montgomery would have been the CNG garage.

[Scrabbleship]

Didn't the Maryland divisions have their chance to go CNG several years ago, but declined in favor of hybrids and clean diesel?

That is correct.  I think Montgomery would have been the CNG garage.

They should have taken it, especially since Montgomery has more room than it needs (working right by there, I see it on a daily basis) and it has more than enough room for CNG facilities.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Didn't the Maryland divisions have their chance to go CNG several years ago, but declined in favor of hybrids and clean diesel?

That is correct.  I think Montgomery would have been the CNG garage.

They should have taken it, especially since Montgomery has more room than it needs (working right by there, I see it on a daily basis) and it has more than enough room for CNG facilities.

The MD delegation to the WMATA Board at the time was appointed by Governor Erlich.  They said hybrid and clean diesel technology was just as good as CNG and cheaper, so that is what we got.

[Scrabbleship]

Didn't the Maryland divisions have their chance to go CNG several years ago, but declined in favor of hybrids and clean diesel?

That is correct.  I think Montgomery would have been the CNG garage.

They should have taken it, especially since Montgomery has more room than it needs (working right by there, I see it on a daily basis) and it has more than enough room for CNG facilities.

The MD delegation to the WMATA Board at the time was appointed by Governor Erlich.  They said hybrid and clean diesel technology was just as good as CNG and cheaper, so that is what we got.

Such a short-sighted move given how things ended up. Of course, Erlich seemed to be a little out there during his time in Annapolis.

Would it be possible to backtrack at this point?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

What would be achieved by reversing that decision at this point?

[Tristan]

Especially when that is actually the case.  That's why more and more systems are going with hybrids and skipping the heavy investment in CNG facilities...the only people getting CNG buses are people who already have CNG buses.

[WayneNYC]

I'm not totally against CNG, but I'm glad MD decided in favor of hybrids.

[WMAveteran]

I'm not totally against CNG, but I'm glad MD decided in favor of hybrids.

Actually the long term "green" decision is to run as many busses as possible with CNG for the following reasons;
1. Hybrids and clean diesels run on oil.  The United States has only 3% of the world's oil so continuing to use oil increases our reliability on imported foreign oil and increases the trade deficit and the transfer of wealth to OPEC countries.
2.  On the other hand, the United States has something like 35% or more of the world's natural gas.  Increased use of CNG decreases our dependence on foreign oil and reinvests the proceeds right here in the United States.
3. Although in the short term there is a higher capital expenditure to construct a CNG fueling facility, the long term use of CNG is a much "greener" alternative than oil.  Even if clean diesels can be manufactured in a way to emit the same type of exhaust as CNG vehicles, CNG vehicles will always be the better long term choice because they don't use oil.
4.  Since hybrids use a mountain of batteries and electric traction motors in addition to diesel engines they make a much larger carbon footprint than a CNG vehicle.  These batteries have to be manufactured, replaced and somehow destroyed eventually and this is a very energy intensive process.