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Now, no one’s talking about a new paint scheme for buses inYork Region, but the various green ini- tiatives the region has undertaken over the past 12 months are getting recognition. BY SEAN Pence Staff Writer The colours most commonly associated with York Region Transit might be white and blue, but, more and more, green might be a good match, too. DOES YOUR NEWSPAPER COME IN A PLASTIC BAG? Please help us help the environment by recycling your bags. Collect your bags and put them out the first Saturday of every month. Leave the bags in the same spot you receive your paper. Your carrier will be rewarded if you participate in this program, PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. If you have any questions, please call your Distribution Department at 905-294-8244 YRT adding green to its colours yrmg "I. IQC‘IOI “IIIA GI". “By its nature, public transit is something of a green initiative," he said. “The more people we can get out of their cars and onto a bus, the better." Still, there's always room for improvement, Mr. Gordon said. The region has undertaken a whole host of new projects designed to make the already environmen- tally friendly concept of public transit even greener, YRT manager Don Gordon explained To that end, the region has It's the region's hope, Mr. Gor- don said, that when the tender for new street furniture for bus shelters goes out, incorporat- ing solar power along with bike racks, recycling containers and other green friendly accessories will be a priority. Beyond making those blue and And the region has a couple of other green tricks up its sleeves that will gradually take shape in the near future, Mr. Gordon said. YRT will purchase diesel-electric hybrid buses to test. he said. Beyond making those blue and white buses a little greener, Mr. Gordon said a lot has been done to try to decrease the environmen- tal impact of the numerous bus shelters that dot the arterial roads through the region. “One of the things we’ve piloted is solar-powered bus shelters and that's going very well," he said. YRI‘ will purchase diesel-electric hybrid buses to test, he said. studied the use of a bio-diesel blend in its Vlva fleet and, as a nesult, bio- diesel buses will soon be making the rounds on a street near you. And the region has a couple of other green tn'cks up its sleeves that will gradually take shape in the near future, Mr. Gordon said. Cddorbfldgo Cr cm Rd Cohort Rd Cambome Cn CW3; . Caphln B vd Canton Rd Cantu-m Dr Cartmol Dr soon Pl tn 8! Chan! Cm: Chapel Pl Chamy Cr Chariot Sim son Way Chatohlno I; Chooteman Dr Chlchostor Rd ChuMood Crt Church St Clondonon Cd Colodaio Rd Dr WYComun Rd Conmaflon Ave Cod)de Countrbean meor mxmcéoon 0mm I1 DanconDr D-vIdSt Dounoncn Dmkdlddnd WC»- WCM Eek-n Ave Eda" Av. Ellhgwood cn SEWâ€"Tribune (905) SUN BrucokaDv Bryanth BurOak Ave Burwou Cm Buttonfldd Rd Cairns Or 800w.“ Rd 333.?» Mon Ctr MARKHAM ECONOMIS‘I’ 8 SUN Abomom Rd Ma Gordon: Mum Cr Anton Cir Avalon lid Avondalo Cm W Ave Book O: Backstood St mmmm mm OVER 3,500 CARRIERS DELIVER THE YORK REGION NEWSPAPERS AND YOU CAN BE ONE OF THEM! 0 EARN BONUS POINTS! 0 WIN GREAT PRIZES! 0 EARN EXTRA MONEY! GAIN THE EXPERIENCE OF RUNNING YOUR OWN NEWSPAPER ROUTE! phtDr It's hard to include roads on the green list, as smog and congestion are constant concerns, but some headway has been made as the region's highways have started to incorporate high occupancy vehi- cle lanes to encourage carpooling. Another big thing to which Ms Sorensen drew attention was GO Transit's efforts to replace some of the aging fleet with newer and more efficient vehicles. “A big thing is we introduced our new locomotives earlier this year,” she said. “They‘re more pow- erful, they can pull two more cars and they are more environmentally friendly” Again. GO spokesperson Steph- anie Sorensen said transit tends to be green by nature, as it gets more people moving with less of an eco- footprint, but she agreed there’s always room for improvement. Of course, what would any dis- cussion about greener transit be without mentioning the transit pro- vider with green vehicles â€"â€" GO "Itansit. The region is so serious about making transit as green as it can be, it’s even working toward powering stations and other facilities using solar power or other green electri- cal energy sources. Foflofl on Fonthul Blvd Forbes Cr Forutbook Dr Forty Socond St Franklin St Fred Vanoy Dr ano cn Fry Crt Gahsvmo Ave Galswonhy Dr Garcia 8! Baden“ Cr Garnish Gmn Gabby Ct Gnudofl; S! 1 Grant.“ Dr Gmyuono Rd Grove Rd Hagen-nan Blvd Halnsworth Cn Hauam Rd Hunts-d Dr Hutton Cr Hammon Hall Hampstoad Cn Harper Hill Rd Harper: Cron Harv”! Moon HIM Dr Hawk Ave Hudton Ave Healtth Ave Huthovwood Cm: Hoathmon Ct Huhrow Cn Dr W c ay m HomOockDr Hondoan HopwonhW-y Wild 3W 0; "mm CALL TODAY (995) 294-8244 Elm Lea St Elm St EpmounocCros ping n Erhno Ave Eton St Eugenia Cn Evaridqe Dr Eyot Dr FWmo Dr Fokhnm Rd Fonwlck Cm Fincham Ave Many municipalities have aiso Carriers wanted in these areas Kerrigan Cr King Anhurs Cr! Ave Kmtn On Larkin Ave Lauzotvby 0‘ Lehman Cm London! Dr Library lJno won LoaASt kfldgo v0 Loo-M Cr! Long Island Rd Longwator Chase Lomdalo ct Lorlng Cm Lomwator Ave Lu Dr "33%. m Magnom Rd Main St SJvillo) 22%“ “c rk rt Maple Lane Maple S! Markham St McCarty Cros McKnx Cr McPh lips Ave Many Btook Lane Mum. Tull Milne Lane Mm Cir Mintloal Gate Montroso Cr Moomhnd on Moss CI Mos: Creek Blvd Mutter cn Noel St Northvalo Rd Norwich Dr Old WNWton SI Ovid. Blvd Paddog’k Ln P.90 Parkway Ave Pavlmon S! Swuffw'He Sun-Tribune! Saturday, Ian. 5, 2008 7 Tim Gate Tomlinoon Ck Toflonham on Town on Trumpour C! Time Cn V Cm Vaclaln Gate Vlckon Rd Wh". Lotuo Click! Spd Ones Sto Hoflow Stonhoanh Cr Sunny Cn Sutcllfia Cr Sutton Ct Tea Rose 81 Thackeray Ct Thd Fairways Thunderblrd Cc Roccorvmo Rd geflocflon R8 ‘WWI If RMrviow Rd Robinson St Rockm'h Gate Rodkk Rd Rose Way Rouge Fairway St Rox St Royal roon Ores Rut.“ Stover Cn Rycrofl Dr Sand-ding Dr Sanderson Rd Sat-$09?!" Sawyor Cm School House Rd Schooner Crt Sclborns Rd Soofonh Pl Shodbon Crt Sherwood Forest Dr Silver FIowor Silver Rose Cr Sir Bodovone Pl Sir Caradoc Sir Constantine Dr Sir Ector Cn Sir Gawalno PI Sbr Lancoiot Dr Sir Trist PI Southdaie Dr Splcor Cir Springdale Ave Queens Plate Dr Radclflh Rae Cm Ramona Blvd Redwood Lane “It’s difiicult to cut through that culture, but you need to change the way people think and live," he said. As for YRT and GO initiatives, Mr. Keil said they have the right idea. “Obviously its a major issue for the Greater Toronto Area and what we need is a metropolitan solution; a bold solution,” Mr. Keil said. “The car is on its way out." The rise of car culture represents one of the great environmental fol- lies of the late 20th century and is rapidly becoming the compounded eco-folly of the let century, espeâ€" cially in North America, Mr. Keil said. To solve the problem, munici- palities everywhere need to marry adequate transit with proper urban density so people can live, work, shop and play in the same area and, when they need to travel, their destination is only a bus or train ride away. The initiatives are moving, some- times literally, in the right direction, environmental studies professor and director of the City Institute at York University Roger Keil said, adding the car, as a form of convey- ance, just isn't feasible any longer. started purchasing hybrid vehicles, or Smartcars for their employees and Smart Commutes in the region continue to grow in popularity. Lori Cres Main St w Maurovista (in M: roe Ave MN St Mlllnrd St Monmm St Ninth Line N Ollve's Gate Orchard Park Blvd Palmwood Gate Park Dr Ruport Ave Sandal. 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