Olympia/Thurston County, WA – Intercity Transit recently received a top honor for its significant green business practices. The award was given by the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce Green Business Designation program at the Chamber’s April Forum event.
The public transportation agency won the Green Business Award in the government category. It was recognized for its actions over the past year and for surpassing requirements in many categories including: waste reduction; water conservation; energy efficiency; transportation and commute trip reduction; buying and selling green; and pollution prevention. Intercity Transit has participated in the program and received a Green Business designation every year since the program’s inception in 2007.
The Thurston Green Business honor came shortly after Intercity Transit received ISO 14001 certification for its significant environmental and sustainability efforts. It is one of only a few U.S. transit systems to earn this arduous certification, achieving a high international standard of environmental management and resource conservation.
Intercity Transit has a history of practicing sustainability and places a strong emphasis on integrating sustainable practices into its internal and external operation and organizational culture. It received the nation’s top honor as the best mid-size transit system from the American Public Transportation Association (2009), the nation’s first gold-level rating for its sustainability commitment from APTA (2012), a Bicycle Friendly Business designation from the League of American Bicyclists (2013), and Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association for its innovative park and ridefacility built atop an old landfill (2013). The agency was among the first in the country to fuel its fleet with clean biodiesel fuel (2001) as well as the first hybrid diesel-electric buses in the South Sound region (2010). A full one-third of Intercity Transit’s fleet of coaches will operate on hybrid diesel-electric technology beginning this summer.
Intercity Transit’s sustainability work relies on analysis and tracking environmental
metrics. In recent years, Intercity Transit’s sustainability efforts:
• Cut total waste to landfill 10 percent;
• Cut water use 6 percent;
• Reduced electricity use 20 percent;
• Reduced natural gas use 24 percent; and
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions 13 percent.
In 2012, Intercity Transit was recognized with the top large business award, sharing it
with O Bee Credit Union.
More than 60 businesses received Green Business designations this year. The
Chamber program selects top honorees from governmental agencies as well as large,
medium, and small businesses. Other top award winners this year were Furniture
Works, Sound Native Plants, and Red Wind Casino.
For more information about Intercity Transit’s sustainability efforts, visit
www.intercitytransit.com or call 360-705-5842. To learn more about Thurston
Chamber’s Green Business program, visit www.thurstonchamber.com.