San Franciscans utter a lot about our lovely municipal transit system otherwise known as MUNI but now they have even more reason to spout off about it. Normally when we hear MUNI coming out of someone’s mouth it usually follows on the heels of “Damn.” Now we can change that utterance to “Green Muni”. Sure, the 71 bus might not come on time but when it does arrive at least it will be running on biodiesel. In fact, San Fran now claims to have the largest green fleet in the nation.Of course, the fleet includes not just MUNI but ambulances and street sweepers as well. The fleet runs on virgin soy oil bought from producers in the Midwest. Sure, we’d like the fuel purchased from somewhere local but hopefully that will come in time. The environmentally friendlier fuel will hopefully sharply reduce toxic diesel exhaust linked to a higher risk of asthma and premature death. Just last month, Mayor Newsom announced a new project called SFGreasecycle, a program to collect fats and cooking oils from restaurants, at no charge.
All of the city’s 1,500 diesel vehicles power up using the fuel known as B20, a mix of 20 percent soy-based biofuel and 80 percent petroleum diesel fuel, which reduces toxic emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and other pollutants that lead to global warming. Although B20 marks an improvement, it’s still 80 percent petroleum diesel. We’re looking for B100. And we have word of a B100 station opening soon.
b100 b20 biodiesel biofuel carbon monoxide diesel exhaust diesel vehicles fleet hydrocarbons mayor newsom muni petroleum diesel fuel san fran san franciscans street sweepers toxic emissions
I’ll confess to being one of those who curses MUNI buses constantly for their lack of punctuality, but this takes away some of the sting. Having just moved here recently, this is the sort of thing that makes me proud to call San Francisco my home.
Good to have you here in the City. Yes, having MUNI switch to alt fuels does take away some of the sting of waiting for MUNI. Several of us ride our bikes and that’s even more efficient and less of a carbon footprint than MUNI. Thanks for reading the blog.
20% biodiesel is better than nothing, but the green part of the fleet we should be celebrating is the electric busses we are blessed to have on so many routes. Those overhead wires allow electric busses to zip up hills the diesels struggle over, & they run throughout the city with zero emissions. Those electric busses are cleaner than a Prius! Even the electricity used is mostly zero emission hydro! If the outer sunset residents weren’t so shortsighted, the 71 could have long ago been converted to electric just as the 6 and 7 are. Why those resident would prefer idling diesel to some overhead wires is beyond me.