August 14, 2022. Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor issued the following statement on the Federal Transit Administration’s Announcement of the FY22 FTA Bus and Low-Emission Grant Awards.
“The FTA’s announcement of $2,494,728 in grant funding for compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled buses and para-transit vans is a massive step in the right direction. In 2019, Assembly Resolution NO. 2019-03 directed us to pursue two essential goals for our community: to improve Metropolitan Area Commuter System (MACS) Transit service delivery and contribute to improved air quality in the community.
This grant award accelerates the conversión of our transit fleet to natural gas. I am pleased that everything is coming together in great timing with the buildout of the borough’s new transit facility, which is scheduled to be completed in May 2024.”
There are several direct and indirect emission benefits associated with the transition from diesel and gasoline to CNG, including:
- Indirect use of CNG buses will result in increasing the base load demand for CNG in the Fairbanks market.
- Conversion benefit – will eliminate the use of more than 120,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 17,800 gallons of gasoline fuel annually.
The new CNG vehicles will revitalize the borough’s transit fleet and improve the borough’s fixed-route and on-demand transit system.