| Oct. 29, 2008 First
Step Taken to Park’s Vision of Becoming Fully Sustainable
LA CANADA-FLINTRIDGE – An environmentally friendly electric tram for
transporting guests made its official debut today at Descanso Gardens.
The new tram replaces an aging, propane-fueled internal combustion engine
that was noisy and decades-old. The improved vehicle features zero emissions
and it meets American with Disabilities Act requirements.
Funded by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the tram, consisting of a
battery-operated tug plus three trailers, is expected to improve air quality
in and around the park. It plugs into a conventional electric outlet for
overnight charging.
“This tram will expose thousands of visitors to a clean, zero-emission form
of transportation,” said Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor,
Fifth District, and Governing Board Member, South Coast Air Quality
Management District. “Replacing the short-distance tourist trams at the park
with electric vehicles is also a responsible first step in making this
beautiful educational facility more environmentally friendly.”
The total cost for the project is approximately $121,000; AQMD’s cost share
was $96,000 from its Clean Fuels Fund with the rest coming from a Los
Angeles County grant.
Officials from Descanso Gardens say this is just the first step in the
160-acre park’s long-term vision of becoming a self-sustaining natural
environment with regard to water, energy, waste disposal and recycling.
Groundskeepers already use electric utility carts. In the near future, the
tram, which transports about 14,000 visitors through the county-owned
park every year, will be recharged with solar photovoltaic electricity.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
-#-
|
