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| Streetcars to electric buses https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29268 |
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| Author: | Sloan [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Streetcars to electric buses |
http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/arts/014898.html |
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| Author: | Bob Davis [ Wed Apr 21, 2010 9:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Streetcars to electric buses |
One of the reasons why SF Muni uses electric buses (trackless trolleys, trolley coaches) is that the city has its own power plant, part of the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power system. Part of the deal that allowed The City to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley to provide an adequate source of water said that any hydroelectric power generated by the project could only be used by the city and not be sold for commercial purposes. Thus, the electric buses, the streetcars on Market St., the Muni Metro light rail cars, and even the great big motors that run the cable car winding machinery are powered by "juice" that originates at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Other users are the General Hospital and City Hall. Another factor in using electric buses is their hill-climbing ability. The site of the original cable line on Clay St. is now served by the #1 electric bus. Although some cities have cut back or eliminated electric buses, Muni has electrified a number of diesel bus lines in the past 40 years. Other West Coast locations that have kept electric buses, mostly because of access to hydro-electric power and/or hilly terrain are Seattle and Vancouver BC. |
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