diesel particulate matter

In Chollas Creek, Makello supports community and non-profit organizations, such as Groundwork San Diego, with grant writing and presentations at events. Makello educates school staff, parents, and students about Plug-In Vehicles, Solar Power, and Energy Storage. Visit our grants page for updates about a multi-million dollar win for San Diego!

When people think of buses, many think of the stinky exhaust fumes. Fortunately, San Diego has an ambitious climate action plan that puts an emphasis on clean public transportation and MTS has been implementing changes in vehicle fuel types to improve the region’s air quality and lower costs. The latest step for MTS has been to test out several all electric buses on several routes.

I had the privilege of unknowingly stepping onto one of these new buses one day. I was waiting for the route 10 bus at Old Town on my way home from work. The first thing I noticed was there was a lot more head room in the bus. The bus felt very spacious. It was a nice change. The bus pulled out of the depot and it was so quiet. I couldn’t believe my ears. I was really curious. Was this bus an electric bus? I asked the driver and it was confirmed. I was surprised because I hadn’t heard about the roll out of the new vehicles. The ride was pleasant and didn’t have the normal exhaust smell. The bus had plenty of acceleration after each stop. According to MTS, the all electric buses are about 10 decibels quieter than the standard bus. I can tell you from experience, the difference is noticeable.

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My next thought was to wonder what routes the buses were being tested on and if the first buses were being used in the Chollas Creek Watershed to help reduce pollution in that region of our County. I found the planned routes listed in the MTS Zero Emission Bus Pilot Program Fact Sheet so I started to map bus routes and since children are particularly vulnerable to pollution, I included schools within 500 feet of bus routes. As you can see below, there are a lot of schools on bus routes.

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electric buses, schools, diesel particulate matter, transit — Many schools lie within 500 feet of transit routes, which could increase respiratory problems for people in those schools, especially students.

The top tier for diesel particulate matter are indicated in the Census tracts outlined in white and the second highest tier are the areas outlined in grey. The red indicates the portions of school parcels that are within 500 feet of the bus route. Clearly there are quite a few children impacted by particulate matter on a daily basis and clean fueled buses can be of great benefit to these neighborhoods.

But where do the routes in the MTS Zero Emission Bus Pilot Program announcement run? I was quite happy with the results when I mapped the data MTS provided in the announcement. The pilot program was scheduled to debut in the areas most impacted by particulate matter pollution. For more information on the health impacts of pollution in this community, please read Makello blog African Americans Concentrated in Diverse Redlined San Diego.

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Makello works with non profits and other agencies to create maps for Environmental Justice initiatives.

Hopefully you get to experience the new buses. Keep an eye out for them. They are a really bright green color. You would think the color would have clued me in before I ever stepped on the bus but I’m so used to bus wraps I was a little slow catching on. Hopefully, the program is a lot quicker to catch on and San Diegans can reap the benefits of noise and pollution reduction.

References

https://www.sdmts.com/sites/default/files/attachments/2019.10.17_zeb_fact_sheet_final.pdf

Maps are used for more than directions, and at Makello, we are creating maps to highlight communities within our Service Areas. We have a gallery of maps with community insights and tips regarding solar and electric vehicle adoption.

San Diego Public EV Charging Stations. East County featured — Makello maps can be used for a variety of reasons. The map above shows Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations throughout San Diego County and outlines cities and CDPs (census-designated places) that make up East County San Diego. Individuals can use this map to locate where they could charge their electric vehicles. Non profits and other agencies can depict social inequity in regards to electric vehicle adoption, which could lead to funding. Many people may not realize how big San Diego County is! Can you think of anything else this and future maps might be used for?

Makello has maps to help prospective Plug-In Vehicle owners determine the current and future availability of public electric vehicle charging stations, in the areas where they work and live. Federal and State programs can provide up to 100% incentives for DC Fast Charging for San Diego, so we built a place where you can pin a location to “Request A Public EV Charger” installation. Our customers find this information very useful in the decision to adopt electric vehicle technology. After all, who wants to run out of battery while running errands or driving home after work?

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Book an appointment to receive Makello’s Ethical Energy Savings Report, which is the result of a detailed trade-off study of discount utility rates, grants, rebates, tax credits, and equipment options, to determine the fastest payback and highest return on investment to meet your home, business and vehicle energy needs.

The fee for the Ethical Energy Savings Report is refundable (less the 3rd-Party $15 utility data access charge) or credited towards our installation services, after you attend the presentation meeting and complete a 5 minute survey after permission to operate.

Includes up to 5 hours research by the Makello team, and 1 hour Q&A, by Makello’s Ethical Energy Efficiency Expert.

Many of our clients are concerned about air quality in their community and want to take actions to make improvements where they can be made. In many communities, there are a variety of sources for diesel particulate matter such as trucks, farm and construction equipment, emergency generators, industrial equipment, or older model cars. Makello has utilized the CalEnviroscore data to show our clients where concentrations of particulate matter occur and help those customers adopt solar and battery energy storage for emergencies, reducing the need for diesel generators.

diesel particulate matter pollution North County San Diego — Click on maps and they will open in a new tab at larger resolution. The map shown here shows the diesel particulate matter in cities and CDPs in North County San Diego.

Vehicles with gasoline engines are a significant source of air pollution in urban areas, and although we have adopted high pollution control standards in California, vehicle pollution can still be an issue in many communities.

Vehicle pollution contains many toxic chemicals and plays a role in the formation of smog. There are many health concerns related to smog pollution, including asthma, heart disease, and lung disease; all are conditions that worsen the outcomes for COVID-19. Health risks increase with proximity to freeways and heavily trafficked roads, for fine particulate matter that can enter the bloodstream and lung tissues. Vehicle traffic can also be a source of excessive noise and vibrations, which contribute to stress and high blood pressure, or injuries to pedestrians.

Traffic Density in South County San Diego — At Makello we strive to accommodate all our customers needs and provide equal access to information for everyone. Our maps are color coded specifically to be able to be interpreted by those who are color blind as well. This map shows traffic density in cities and CDPs of South County San Diego.

Gasoline engines idling in traffic achieve lower miles per gallon and produce pollution. Traffic density represents the number of vehicles in an area producing pollution. Areas with high volumes of traffic have more pollution. Electric vehicles are a great way to reduce pollution on your daily commute or while you are out on the town.

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Book a FREE 15 minute appointment to: 1) Find out how Makello can help you. 2) Discuss your energy needs. 3) Get a FREE Energy Savings Estimate.

Jet engines are another source of pollution. The aviation industry is working on electric airplanes and efficiency improvements for new designs. For now, residents in communities impacted by air overflight can take advantage of incentives to purchase new or used Plug-In Vehicles and install solar panels with energy storage batteries. The energy cost savings can be used for indoor air filtration and water purification, among other methods to improve health.

Chollas Creek airplane flight path air pollution — Our maps use a variety of symbols, outlines, colors, labels, etc. to easily depict information. Above, mini airplanes show the flight paths over the Chollas Creek Watershed. Residents under the flight paths are more prone to air and pollution related illnesses.

The rebate programs can be confusing, and finding all the correct data and maps to check for eligibility can be time consuming and prone to errors or misunderstandings. Makello researched the programs and data used to determine eligibility, then developed a program eligibility map for parcel level qualifications. We’ve eliminated several steps and are able to easily show a customer their property’s location in relation to the program criteria. Check out our Service Areas link and get a Free Energy Savings Estimate today.

Rebates and incentives for solar and battery energy storage — Up to 100% SGIP Rebate and Tax Incentives qualifiers: Level 2 or 3 High Fire Threat District; Disadvantaged or Low Income Communities; electric well pump; SDG&E Public Safety Power Shut-off events.

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Makello works with non profits and other agencies to create maps for Environmental Justice initiatives.

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