Arkansas Transit Agency Unveils New CNG Fueling Station Built by Trillium CNG

The Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA) unveiled its new CNG fueling station Tuesday, kicking off a plan to transition its entire fleet to natural gas-powered buses within the next 10 years. The station will fuel 15 new CNG buses arriving this month and has the capacity to fuel up to 55 buses in an 8-hour period. The transition to natural gas fuel will save CATA an estimated $341,838 per year using the 15 new buses and $1,264,801 per year once the entire fleet is converted.

“The CNG fueling station is a public-private effort to provide a cost-efficient, environmentally conscious investment for our transit system,” said Jarod Varner, CATA executive director. “With this transition, we are giving our customers the fleet they deserve.”

A $2.1 million contract with Trillium CNG covers the station’s design, construction, operation and maintenance. It is funded through several sources, including CATA municipal and county funding partners and grants from Southwestern Energy, the Arkansas Energy Office and the Federal Transit Administration. The 15 new CNG transit buses were manufactured by GILLIG and funded with $6.9 million in federal and local funds.