Metro Magazine, January/February 2021

Capital Metro is assessing light rail vehicles LRV for the Orange and Blue Line fleets Contact us to discuss your technologys performance capabilities and to schedule a one on one virtual meeting How does your LRV technology benefit the Project Connect System Plan Off wire operations Maximum operating speeds 55 mph goal State of the art technologies April 8 Got great Light Rail Vehicle tech We want to talk to you JOIN US FOR A VIRTUAL NEW VEHICLE DAY Learn more at ProjectConnect com Industry Austin Texas Project Connect is a bold transit plan that includes a new rail system a downtown transit tunnel an expanded bus system and a transition to an all electric fleet Project Connects new Orange and Blue routes will utilize light rail on about 19 miles of light rail track with 26 new light rail stations including a new bridge tunnel in the Citys downtown connecting key destinations throughout the City cal byproduct or off gassing The CDC and WHO recommend HEPA medical grade air filtration along with frequent air changes for ambulances said Matt Wheeler head of HVAC Light Medium Duty for Webasto North America HEPA 14 technology is tried and true and along with ambulances has been used in aircraft cabins hospital treatment areas and many other highly infectious environments for decades A HEPA 14 BASED SOLUTION In September 2020 Webasto announced the introduction of its HFT 300 and HFT 600 high efficiency air cleaners in the U S The lightweight compact and cylindrical units use medical grade HEPA 14 filtration media and can be installed almost anywhere inside vehicles and in other confined spaces where people may be sharing interior air A single intake port is located on one end of the unit and decontaminated air is released in all directions around its circumference Each units filter monitoring feature senses when its filter needs to be changed and an LED light alerts users when it is time for maintenance Most filters should be expected to last six to 12 months Webastos HFT 300 and HFT 600 high efficiency air cleaners offer transit fleets a practical immediate and reliable solution Their HEPA 14 based air cleaning devices can also complement other sanitizing methods and can easily be employed to work in conjunction with UV light and ionization The U S CDC European CDC WHO ASHRAE EUROVENT IATA International Air Transport Association and U S FDA Food and Drug Administration all call for the use of HEPA 14 filtration It is the only type of filtration that is being used today for aircraft cabins Webasto was able to get their new HEPA 14 air cleaners to market rapidly Hodgson said Not only has the filtration technology been demonstrated to be effective but its easy to understand and uncomplicated to use A BREATH OF FRESH AIR According to Wheeler the combination of HEPA 14 filtration and fresh air is critical to minimizing the level of pathogen circulation in vehicle environments Its really about striking the right balance between fresh air intake and pathogen mitigation technologies or combinations thereof he added For ambulances the CDC and WHO recommend one complete fresh air change and or HEPA filtration every minute Airplanes and hospitals however filter and or replace their air completely every three to four minutes This is an achievable air replacement and filtration level on public transportation If we know the interior dimensions of any given bus and the amount of fresh air being introduced we can determine exactly how many of our units are needed to decontaminate the recirculated air Wheeler said This is no time to experiment with new technologies in novel applications HEPA 14 is the only filtration method that is internationally recognized by health authorities and aviation authorities alike for infection control and its available right now 7 JANUARY FEBRUARY 2021 METRO MAGAZINE COM