Green Bus Should Roll Through PA Bucks County this Summer

December 26, 2007

Bucks County's public transportation agency is betting on compressed natural gas.

TMA Bucks will fund the purchase of a bus that runs on the domestic fuel, thanks to an $80,000 grant from the county redevelopment authority. The check is one of 17 the authority cut to the county and five municipalities affected by Philadelphia Park Casino in Bensalem.

The county collects 2 percent of casino profits every three months. Half stays with the county and the other half - $2.6 million this year - pays for grants administered by the authority, whose board members are appointed by county commissioners.

"Buying a bus is something that would alleviate some of the traffic on the highway," said authority executive director Bob White. "Not only is it a bus, it's a green bus and a new move in the right direction."

The bus, which could be rolling as early as this summer, will primary be used on the Street Road RUSH shuttle route, but will also pick up passengers on Bristol, Richboro/Warminster and Newtown routes, said Stephen Noll, TMA deputy executive director. TMA contracts with the private company Bucks County Transport for 20-passenger buses that currently run on diesel; Doylestown DART routes will not be affected.

"CNG is a significantly cleaner burning fuel and the benefits of public transportation already mitigate the effect of single occupancy transportation vehicles," Noll said. "Our intent is to have the bus delivered in green and there will be indications on that bus that it is powered by compressed natural gas."

At first, the bus will fill up in Bensalem Township, which has a station for its six CNG vehicles. The station is not open to the public.

"Ultimately our goal is to establish a CNG fueling infrastructure in the county," Noll said.

Enter Michael Bannon. The county's director of consumer protection and TMA board member has been leading the push to build two CNG stations in Bucks. One would be installed at the county's Neshaminy Manor complex and the other would be installed at a yet-to-be-determined site in the lower portion of the county, Bannon said.

Peco is donating most of the equipment, the state Department of Environmental Protection extended a grant and Bannon is talking to the California-based Clean Energy, a national CNG provider.

"This is the company I was watching for years and saying, "I want to do that,'" Bannon said.

Mike Cecere, a regional account manager for Clean Energy, said CNG is 50 cents to $1 per gallon cheaper than gasoline or diesel. His company has built 180 CNG and liquid natural gas stations across the country.

"It is good that Bucks County is looking to be the first county in Pennsylvania to move in this direction," he said.

Jenna Portnoy can be reached at (215) 345-3060 or jportnoy@phillyBurbs.com.