School Buses: Clean and Getting Cleaner

ALBANY, NY (10/19/2011)(readMedia)-- National School Bus Safety Week is October 17-21, 2011

The New York Association for Pupil Transportation is using the 2011 National School Bus Safety Week to highlight the factors that contribute to the overall safety of the school buses and school transportation systems that transport over 2.3 million New York children every day, and some 25 million nationwide.

The yellow school bus is an icon in our society. It speaks of safety and security and a solid and wholesome education for our children. That safety and security do not come easily but require the dedication and hard work of many professionals in the school transportation community.

This edition relates to the efforts of the school transportation industry to address the issue of diesel emissions from school buses and to make the school bus the most efficient and clean vehicle possible.

For years, advocates have expressed their concern that school buses emit toxins and pollutants that can be harmful to the children who ride our school buses.

That was then; this is now. Since 2003, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation has worked with the National Association as well as agencies like the EPA and NYSERDA to foster clean air initiatives for school buses.

Today's school buses are cleaner than they have ever been as a result of new engines, fuels, and emissions technologies incorporated into the design of the school bus. The school bus manufacturing community has risen to the challenge laid down by the emissions standards issued by the EPA and NHTSA for school buses. This has resulted in cleaner air for our children and for the men and women who drive our school buses. There is no denying the hard work and ingenuity that has gone into re-tooling a cleaner, more efficient school bus.

Fuels and Engines

The fuels we are using on school buses today are cleaner by order of magnitude. Prior to 2007 school buses were burning low sulfur content diesel fuel but after 2007, buses began using ultra-low sulfur content diesel fuel. The difference in the two fuels was that the 2007 standard reduced particulate matter by 95% when compared to the low sulfur fuel. Then again in 2010, school buses were required to reduce nitrogen oxide gases by 92% over previous model years.

Many school buses today are also operating on CNG fuel and propane that are known to be much cleaner than even the cleanest diesel fuels. They are becoming increasingly popular options and are appearing in school districts across New York State.

In addition, significant progress has been made in manufacturing hybrid electric and electric school buses, which are beginning to come into the market.

All these developments demonstrate the commitment of the school transportation community and the school bus manufacturing industry to the safety of our children. Nothing is more important to those involved in this industry than the safety of each and every child.

Emissions Controls

New school buses today are equipped with more sophisticated emissions control systems that reduce the pollutants emanating from the exhaust system of our school buses. A great deal of this improvement has to do with fuel adaptations and engine technology developed by the bus and engine manufacturers.

To the extent that there continue to be older school buses on our roads, many of them have been equipped with particulate filters that affect the quantity of particulate matter that emits from the exhaust pipe. Still more have been equipped with Diesel Oxidation Catalysts that burn up noxious gases before they get into the exhaust system. These kinds of measures have significantly reduced the amount of pollutants that are coming from our school buses.

Idling

In New York State, it has always been illegal to idle a school bus anywhere in the state for longer than 5 minutes (Environmental Conservation Law). In 2007, the State enacted legislation that prohibits the idling of school buses on or near school grounds and properties. In addition, school bus drivers are trained to stop idling their school buses. Reducing idling dramatically reduces fuel and maintenance costs and just makes sense.

In addition, many school bus operators are introducing electric block heaters or diesel-fired coolant heaters to warm the engine block, thereby reducing the need to idle the bus for warmth. These efforts have been aided over the years by grants from the EPA and the NYS Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA).

Maintenance

School bus drivers and technicians are increasingly aware that a well-maintained school bus will run cleaner and more efficiently. They also know that a well-maintained school bus will provide longer and more efficient service and that it is in the best interests of their school district to properly maintain and operate the school bus.

Efficiency and Environment

After sharing this information, we would point out that newer cleaner school buses also contribute to a clean environment and lower fuel usage in that fewer vehicles have to be on the road to transport our children. Data estimates from the American School Bus Council and the National Association for Pupil Transportation suggest that every school bus eliminates 36 personal cars having to be on the road to transport children. Using national estimates, this equals a savings of 2.3 billion gallons of fuel each year at a savings of $6 Billion in fuel costs for parents and taxpayers. Cleaner air. Fuel savings. Cash savings. How can that be a bad thing?

In short, a lot has happened since the Summer of 2003 when NYAPT signed an agreement with the EPA to work together to reduce idling, retrofit school buses and replace old, inefficient school buses. And it's all been for the good of our world and the good of the children!

The New York Association for Pupil Transportation is a professional organization comprised of over 600 members, representing school transportation officials in school districts, BOCES and public educational institutions across New York State. NYAPT is committed first and always to the safety of the 2.3 million school children we transport to and from school each and every day. We are committed to actively support legislation, regulations and policies that are in the interests of those school children and call upon State leaders to keep those children in mind during legislative negotiations.