The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which runs the transit system in the nation's capitol, recently switched to the new light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs after years of using conventional 40-watt incandescent bulbs, which burned about 9 million kilowatts a year at a cost of more than $1 million a year.

The lights-more than 33,000 in the entire system-are embedded into the edge of station platforms and intended to more effectively warn commuters to stay away from the platform's edge when trains approach.

Besides the safety concerns, WMATA also hopes the lights will save a substantial amount of energy as well as reduce the cost of labor for replacing the bulbs. The old bulbs burned out after a few months, but the LED lights are expected to last about forty times longer, or from 10 to 12 years.

The cost of each LED bulb is $76, compared to the incandescent bulbs, which cost on average $1.50 each. However, since LED lights last forty times longer than incandescents, require a third as much energy, and require far less in labor costs to physically change the bulbs more frequently, the cost difference is easily recouped.

Upon inspection, the change seemed very practical, but one thought plagued us.  Why did these lights, which shine up not so brightly during operating hours from the platform and flash when a train is approaching, need to be on every hour the station is open?  Couldn't they simply flash to warn riders the train is approaching and remain off the rest of the time?  

OhMyGov! dug deeper into the issue and determined that the Metrorail system's new LED platform edge lights will burn roughly 3.5 million kilowatts of energy per year, at an annual cost of $430,000.  Were the platform simply painted bright yellow to ensure no one fell onto the tracks and the platform lights were only used to alert customers to the presence of a train, nearly the entire amount of energy used (and associated air pollution created by power plants) could be avoided annually.  What's more, WMATA would hardly ever need to buy or change those fancy $76 light bulbs.

Created in 1967, Washington DC's Metrorail system has since become the nation's second busiest rail system, next to New York City's subway system. It services 106 miles of rail as well as 86 stations, and serves well over a million passengers per day with a fleet of 950 rail cars.

Funding for the system is distinguished between a capital budget, for things such as construction, and a daily operating budget. The federal government provides 65% of capital funding. Daily operations are funded by fares and other revenue (56%), and state and local governments provide the remaining 44%. WMATA's 2006 operating budget was $ 1 billion, with $500 million slated for the capital budget.

Between 2003 and 2006, WMATA participated in an environmental management systems training and evaluation effort led by the Federal Transit Authority. The FTA's final report focused on the Greenbelt Rail Yard, where the majority or metrorail's maintenance occurs, including rail car and systems maintenance as well as equipment storage among other things.

The report concluded that operations at Greenbelt met 97% of the EMS environmental standard, with only 6% of the requirements "partially met". The rating was based on performance standards in areas such as Diesel/Gas storage, battery management and rail car wash facilities. Apparently, this small, easy change in operations was overlooked.

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