PHOENIX INVESTS $61 MILLION FOR 120 CNG TRANSIT BUSES

On Thursday, the Phoenix Public Transit Department announced that it has purchase of 120 CNG transit buses for $61 million. This is the first bus purchase by Phoenix in seven years. The new 40-foot CNG buses replace both diesel and LNG buses that reached retirement after 12 years or 500,000 miles of service. Phoenix currently operates one of the largest LNG transit fleets in the U.S. and has decided to now incorporate CNG buses for their lower purchase and operating costs, as well as to have a more diverse fuel mix. “We wanted to continue to run our bus system in a way that was good for the environment and was sustainable, reliable and efficient,” said Rick Naimark, Deputy City Manager of Phoenix. Thirty-two buses have already been deployed since last November, and the others are expected to being operation by May of this year.