City buses and sustainability usually don’t go hand-in-hand, however, at the City of Raleigh’s Transit Operations Center, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The facility is the first of its kind to receive LEED Platinum certification. The operations center, which opened in May 2011, owes its success to sustainability being a top priority even prior to construction. David Eatman, City Transit Administrator, stresses the importance of choices in the design process that can lead to big energy savings. For example, the facility was constructed with sustainable building materials, such as wool-blend carpeting and bamboo floors. The bus wash station is designed in such a way that it re-uses 80% or more of its water. Several other decisions such as the installation of geothermal wells, which provide high-efficiency heating and cooling, and the inclusion of radiant floor heating in the maintenance building, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and rainwater collection all contributed to the LEED Platinum certification.
 

To learn more about Raleigh’s Sustainable Energy Leadership visit raleighnc.gov.