Seattle's City Buses: Pollution Or Clean Commute?

Seattle has been taking steps to reduce its carbon emissions and become a carbon-neutral city. In 2020, King County announced its purchase of 40 battery-electric buses, with plans to transition to an all-electric bus fleet. This move is part of Seattle's goal to eliminate climate pollution by 2030 and create a greener, healthier, and more prosperous city. The city has also seen an increase in walking, biking, and the use of public transit, contributing to a decrease in the drive-alone rate in Seattle Center City Neighborhoods. While the city's efforts to reduce emissions are ongoing, it is worth exploring the current state of pollution caused by city buses in Seattle and the impact of these initiatives.

Seattle's transition to electric buses

Seattle, Washington, has been taking steps to transition to electric buses and reduce its carbon emissions. Transportation is the largest single source of climate and air pollution in the city. In 2016, Seattle emitted more carbon than it had in 1990, despite former Mayor Greg Nickels committing the city to the Kyoto treaty, which pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7% below 1990 levels by 2012.

In 2020, King County announced its purchase of next-generation, battery-electric buses, with 40 in service at the end of 2022. The county aims to operate a zero-emissions fleet of battery-operated, fixed-route buses by 2035. This goal builds upon Seattle's Green New Deal, which seeks to eliminate the city's climate pollution by 2030. By 2030, under the "Clean Transportation Electrification Blueprint", all ride-hailing trips in the city would be electric and emissions-free.

The transition to an all-electric bus fleet first requires charging infrastructure and ensuring the electric grid has the capacity to power it. City Light has been a key partner in Metro's test base project at its South Base location in Tukwila, supporting the infrastructure concept design and buildout, testing, and expediting electrical service. In addition to electric buses, Seattle also has electric streetcars, trolley buses, light rail, and ferries, with new electric modes of public transportation continuing to expand.

King County Metro has pledged to make its 1,500-bus fleet carbon-free by 2040, or sooner if technology and capital projects allow. The agency already operates more than 170 zero-emission electric buses. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, Seattle has implemented initiatives such as requiring all new buildings to be ready for electric vehicle charging and installing publicly accessible fast-charging stations throughout the city.

The impact of electric buses on pollution

Seattle has been taking several measures to reduce its transportation pollution. One of the major steps taken by the city is the transition to electric buses. In 2020, King County announced its purchase of next-generation, battery-electric buses, with 40 in service by the end of 2022. The county has pledged to make its 1,500-bus fleet carbon-free by 2040.

In addition to electric buses, Seattle has also been working on electrifying other modes of public transportation such as street cars, trolley buses, light rail, ferries, and water taxis. The city has also been encouraging residents to walk, bike, and use transit more, as well as drive cleaner and more efficient cars. The city has increased transit spending, expanded its network of bike lanes, and welcomed fleets of rental bicycles and scooters.

Furthermore, Seattle has been creating incentives for public and private companies to electrify their vehicles. The city has also been working on installing more electric vehicle charging stations and requiring all new buildings to be ready for electric vehicle charging. The goal is to have 30% of all vehicles in Seattle be electric by 2030.

Overall, the impact of electric buses on pollution in Seattle is expected to be substantial. The transition to electric buses, along with other initiatives, will help the city achieve its ambitious climate goals and make Seattle a greener, healthier, and more prosperous place to live.

Seattle's plans for low-pollution neighbourhoods

Seattle has been working towards reducing its transportation pollution, which is the largest single source of climate and air pollution in the city. In 2020, King County announced its purchase of next-generation, battery-electric buses, with 40 in service by the end of 2022. The county has pledged to make its 1,500-bus fleet carbon-free by 2040.

To further reduce pollution, Seattle plans to create three low-pollution neighbourhoods by 2028. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) are engaging in community conversations to understand the priorities and vision of various communities for a low-pollution neighbourhood. The community conversations will help build a toolkit of infrastructure investments, incentives, and policies to create low-pollution neighbourhoods.

In December 2022, Mayor Bruce Harrell signed an executive order directing city departments to work together to reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions within the transportation sector. The executive order consolidates commitments that will bring the city forward toward its climate goals. The order includes a timeline of 2025 for a plan to create neighbourhood-wide pollution-free zones.

Additionally, Seattle has increased transit spending, expanded its network of bike lanes, and welcomed fleets of rental bicycles and scooters. The city has also closed more than 20 miles of residential streets to most vehicle traffic, making them accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. Seattle also plans to create incentives for companies to electrify their vehicles and may propose fees on driving in certain parts of the city to decrease congestion.

The role of ferries in Seattle's pollution

Ferries play a significant role in Seattle's efforts to reduce pollution and transition to a more sustainable transportation system. While ferries are an essential mode of transportation in the Seattle metropolitan area, particularly for commuters, they have also been a major source of pollution.

The Washington State Ferry system is the largest consumer of diesel fuel in the state, with ferries using over 18 million gallons of diesel annually. This has made the ferry system the largest generator of greenhouse gas emissions in the state's transportation sector. Despite only accounting for 6% of working boats in Puget Sound, these ferries generate 60% of the diesel pollution particles and 50% of the greenhouse gas emissions from vessels in the area. As a result, the state's Department of Ecology estimates that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) ferries account for over half of the air pollution produced by harbour vessels in Puget Sound.

Recognising the need to address this issue, Washington State has taken steps to transition to a zero-emission ferry fleet. Governor Jay Inslee has issued an Executive Order to achieve this goal, with the state converting some of its largest and most polluting ferries to electric-hybrids. The first hybrid-electric ferry in the Washington State Ferries (WSF) system is expected to enter service in June, with the Wenatchee, a 460-foot vessel capable of carrying over 2,000 passengers and 200 vehicles, undergoing a conversion to hybrid-electric propulsion. Additionally, WSF plans to introduce five new hybrid ferries and has proposals for the next five vessels currently under consideration.

The transition to electric ferries is expected to bring significant environmental and health benefits, reducing the direct toxicity and climate change contributions of diesel pollution. It is also projected to result in substantial cost savings for WSDOT, with a projected life-cycle savings of $60 million due to the reduced fuel consumption of electric ferries.

Seattle's efforts to electrify its ferry fleet align with the city's broader goals to reduce transportation pollution and achieve carbon neutrality. The city has implemented various initiatives to encourage sustainable modes of transportation, including increasing transit access, promoting walking and biking, and incentivising the adoption of electric vehicles.

The impact of bus emissions on air quality

Motor vehicles, including public transit buses, are a major source of air pollution in cities worldwide. In 2018, it was found that public transit buses were a major source of air pollution in New York City. To tackle this issue, the Metropolitan Transit Agency started introducing compressed natural gas, hybrid electric, and low-sulphur diesel buses to reduce air pollution. Data from 2009 to 2014 showed that the decline in nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide concentrations was more significant in areas with a higher proportion of clean buses.

Similarly, Seattle has been taking steps to reduce its transportation pollution. In 2020, King County announced its purchase of next-generation, battery-electric buses, with 40 in service by the end of 2022. The county aims to transition to an all-electric bus fleet, which requires developing the necessary charging infrastructure. Seattle has also set ambitious goals for an electrified transportation system, aiming to make all ride-hailing trips electric and emission-free by 2030. The city plans to encourage walking, biking, and transit ridership while potentially imposing fees on driving in certain areas to reduce congestion.

In addition to bus electrification, Seattle is working towards creating low-pollution neighbourhoods. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) are engaging in community conversations to understand climate priorities and what a low-pollution neighbourhood would entail. These conversations will help create a toolkit of infrastructure investments, incentives, and policies to achieve this goal.

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