The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has listed successful Clean Fuels Grants Projects for FY 2012, totaling USD 569.3 million. Of this sum, 42.2% or USD 25,030,899, has been allocated to compressed natural gas (CNG) projects. The sum is almost identical to FY 2011 when 25.3 million was awarded for CNG projects.
NGVAmerica observes:
“Many of the awards add to natural gas bus fleets already in place but several of the awards appear to go to cities that previously did not have natural gas bus fleets, thus adding to already long list of communities in the U.S. that benefit from the operation of natural gas buses.”
Following is a list of the approved natural gas projects:
- Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), Birmingham AL, will replace compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that have met their useful life with new CNG buses, extending the useful life of their fleet, and creating greater capacity and reliability for their ridership. (USD 2.5 million)
- Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), Riverside CA, will purchase replacement compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to continue to provide energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and affordable transit. (USD 2.4 million)
- In Boulder CO, Colorado Department of Transportation, via Mobility Services, will purchase paratransit vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). These vehicles will provide a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles. (USD 136,950)
- Greater Hartford Transit District (GHTC), Hartford CT, will purchase new paratransit vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), improving service reliability for transit riders while reducing emissions. (USD 165,000)
- Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Atlanta GA, will replace compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that have met the end of their useful life with new CNG buses, thereby reducing emissions, extending the useful life of their fleet, and creating greater capacity and reliability for their ridership. (USD 3.896 million)
- Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD), Springield IL,will replace compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to maintain air-quality and provide for their fast-increasing ridership. (USD 3.075 million)
- In St. Cloud MN, the St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) will renovate its bus storage and maintenance facility to accommodate the anticipated conversion to a fleet comprised of compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled vehicles. They will also construct a CNG fueling station. (USD 3.354 million)
- In Kansas MO, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) will replace diesel buses that have met the end of their useful life with new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, decreasing fuel consumption and saving on operating costs. (USD 1.394 million)
- Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), Buffalo NY, will build a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station at its Frontier Bus Facility to support the purchase of environmentally friendly transit vehicles, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease fuel consumption and save on operating costs. (USD 1.961 million)
- Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Columbus OH, will purchase a compressed natural gas (CNG) monitoring system that will allow the agency to monitor CNG fueling at its McKinley Avenue Operations Facility. The transition to CNG will allow COTA to decrease emissions and increase the use of domestically produced natural gas. (USD 1.023 million)
- Butler Transit Authority (BTA), through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, will install infrastructure for a natural gas fueling station to operate compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles at its Intermodal Transit Center. The transition to CNG will help BTA lead the way to clean energy in Butler County, improving air quality and reducing emissions.
- River Valley Transit (RVT), Williamsport PA, will use funding to modify an existing garage to accommodate compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. The vehicles will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a smoother, quieter ride for patrons. (USD 1.5 million)
- Sun Metro, El Paso CA, will replace buses that have met the end of their useful life with new compressed natural gas (CNG) paratransit vehicles, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease fuel consumption and save on operating costs. The replacement will allow for 100 percent of the paratransit fleet to operate on natural gas. (USD 1.225 million)
The full list of grants is available on the FTA website.
(This article primarily compiled using information from a Federal Transit Administration press release)
