HART receives grant to switch buses from diesel to natural gas

November 27, 2019. The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) received a $4.3 million grant to switch their busses from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG).

The grant is part of a nationwide effort to improve bus systems by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which gave out a $423 million grant to be split between 94 projects in 42 states to “improve the safety and reliability of America’s bus systems and enhance mobility for transit riders.”

“HART is very excited to be the recipient of this grant,” said Cyndy Stiglich, Interim HART Chief Financial Officer, in a press release. “It will allow us to replace diesel-fueled buses with Compressed Natural Gas buses to improve our services to major employment centers in the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.”

CNG has been praised for being much more eco-friendly than diesel fuel, as CNG burns more cleanly than gasoline or diesel fuel, according to a study conducted by the University of Calgary. CNG is also mostly produced in North America, reducing reliance on fuel from overseas.

HART plans to have their fleet of 180 busses all operating on the new compressed natural gas by 2026, according to an article in the Tampa Bay Business Journal.