Laketran, a public transit agency serving Lake County, Ohio, says it is aggressively trying to find ways to make its Dial-a-Ride paratransit service more efficient as ridership continues to grow alongside the region’s aging population. One of those strategies is transitioning the 85-bus Dial-a-Ride fleet from diesel fuel to propane autogas.
“There’s some expenses we can’t cut,” explains General Manager Ben Capelle. “You can’t cut labor cost without cutting service, so we need to get a little more creative. Tightening standards for emissions and shrinking budgets have been driving the transportation industry toward alternative fuels now more than ever before, and so propane is one of our solutions.”
Cappelle adds, “By operating propane-fueled buses, we’re reducing our fuel expenses by 35 percent and saving on maintenance expenses.”
The agency says propane is a clean-burning fuel due to its low carbon content and significantly reduces smog-forming hydrocarbons and greenhouse-gas emissions compared to gasoline and diesel fus. Additionally, Laketran notes propane is American-made, reducing independence on foreign oil.
In 2017, Laketran installed an autogas fueling station with partner Superior Energy Systems and added eight propane-powered buses to its Dial-a-Ride fleet, including two smaller eight-passenger buses, Turtle Top VT3s. Read the full article here.