Michael Harthorne
The Seattle Department of Transportation is asking Metro riders for their opinions on replacing electric trolley buses, such as the route 44 in Ballard, with diesel hybrid buses.

City wants residents' thoughts on electric buses

By Michael Harthorne
12/11/2009

The Seattle Department of Transportation is looking for input from city residents on electric trolley buses in order to make a recommendation to King County Metro on whether to replace electric buses, such as the 44 in Ballard, with diesel hybrid buses.

Metro had been investing in adding more service hours to electric trolley buses, which run on overhead wires, until a September audit of the department recommended replacing them with diesel hybrids as a cost saving measure.

According to the audit, it would save Metro $8 million per year to replace the trolleys with diesel hybrid buses. The electric trolley fleet will need to be replaced by 2014, according to Metro.

At the Dec. 9 Ballard District Council meeting, Seattle Department of Transportation representative Jonathan Dong said electric trolleys have benefits over diesel hybrids that cannot be measured in dollars.

The electric trolley fleet supports the city's climate action goals and saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel per year, Dong said.

He said the trolleys are the quietest buses in the system and have good hill climbing and accelerating capabilities.

According to Seattle Department of Transportation materials, the power for the city's 159 electric buses comes from 100 percent carbon neutral Seattle City Light.

Dong said there may also be financial benefits to keeping the trolleys despite the audit's findings.

Maintenance on electric trolleys costs less per year than on diesel hybrid buses, though both have the same life span, he said.

According to Department of Transportation materials, King County's audit was flawed in its assessment of the cost of electric trolleys.

At the Dec. 9 district council meeting, Dong passed out a survey for residents asking their opinions on electric trolleys.

The survey covered what Metro riders like or dislike about electric trolleys, whether they support the replacement of electric trolleys with diesel hybrid buses if it saved money, and would riders support investing funds to convert more routes to electric.

The Department of Transportation plans to submit the results of its survey to King County Metro.

The city is in favor of continuing and potentially expanding the electric trolley network, said Bill Bryant, Department of Transportation spokesperson.

Electric transit is an important element of the city's Climate Action Now initiative to fight global warming, he said.

For more information, contact Jonathan Dong at jonathan.dong@seattle.gov.

  • share
  • Post to Twitter

We encourage our readers to comment. No registration is required. We ask that you keep your comments free of profanity and keep them civil. They are moderated and objectionable comments will be removed.

Comments

More Diesel Fumes not worth it.

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Fri, 12/11/2009 - 23:39.

Fortunately, SeaTran's Jonathan Dong hits the nail on the head, I concur with his sentiments, and stand by them.

METRO PLEASE KEEP OUR Electric Bus TROLLEYS, REDUCE EMISSIONS, and noise pollution in our neighborhoods and city!

"At the Dec. 9 Ballard District Council meeting, Seattle Department of Transportation representative Jonathan Dong said electric trolleys have benefits over diesel hybrids that cannot be measured in dollars.

The electric trolley fleet supports the city's climate action goals and saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel per year, Dong said.

He said the trolleys are the quietest buses in the system and have good hill climbing and accelerating capabilities."

Keep Electric Buses - But Dump the 60 Foot Bredas

Submitted by Jeff Welch (not verified) on Sat, 12/12/2009 - 00:08.

Seattle should not only keep its system of trolley buses - it should expand it. However, some of the enhanced cost of maintaining the fleet has to do with the age and condition of the older buses themselves, particularly the 60 foot Breda buses. Known as "Franken-trolleys" to Metro Operators and maintenance workers, the Bredas were first purchased for use in the Downtown Transit tunnels. Their dual drive diesel and all electric made them a practical candidate for over the road operation with a trip through the tunnel as trolleys. However, with the advent of light rail, their size and configuration was ultimately unsuitable for that. To save money - and face - King County converted some of the Breda fleet to all-electric, removing the diesel engines.

The buses - built by an Italian company - are a nightmare to drive. They are buggy with odd electrical issues that sometimes cause doors to fling open and closed for no reason. They break down often. The suspension provides a ride akin to a troop transport.

Don't dump the electric trolley bus fleet - update and expand it.

Expanded Alternative Energy use with Trolleys

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on Sat, 12/12/2009 - 13:08.

Alternative Energy use of virtually any kind can be used by Seattle's Electric Trolleys. Centralized and/or distributed power plants optimized to burn alternative fuels brings us a greener environment. Why would we eliminate the option to expand use of alternative energy for transportation? We need to be expanding our trolley system, building a spider web of transit service, bringing us a better environment. And replace the ineffiient use of polluting single power plants vehicles powered with fossil fuels.

Seattle has the unique opportunity to demonstrate to others how electric trolleys can bring back the image of an "Evergreen State". Go Trolleys!