Friday, May 1, 2015
The Rapid has introduced four new vehicles into its GO!Bus service. The buses will be fueled by clean-burning, domestically produced propane autogas. GO!Bus is available for seniors and those with disabilities who cannot use fixed-route services, and offers smaller cutaway vehicles for door-to-door trips.
The service is operated under a contract with MV Transportation Inc. (Dallas), which operates and maintains the service. A fueling station will be located at the central GO!Bus facility so vehicles can be fueled onsite as part of daily maintenance. The new vehicles are expected to reduce emissions, save on fuel costs, and provide a quieter ride for customers. The vehicles will have propane logos and a green roofline, similar to those on hybrid-electric, 40-ft, fixed-route buses already in The Rapid’s fleet.
“The Rapid has been an industry leader in sustainability efforts and this is another step in our overall program,” said Peter Varga, CEO of The Rapid. “Options for alternative fuels that work well in the smaller cutaway buses we use in our GO!Bus service have not been as plentiful as those for fixed-route buses. We know propane works in our climate and the vehicles have a very similar engine, so the maintenance program is the same. It is also important that propane is produced here in the United States, supporting American jobs and reducing dependency on foreign oil.”
“The Rapid is helping to clear the air above Grand Rapids with the adoption of vehicles fueled by cleaner-burning propane autogas,” said Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for Roush CleanTech. “By choosing this alternative fuel, the transit agency is providing clean transportation to its customers and saving taxpayer dollars.”
The service is operated under a contract with MV Transportation Inc. (Dallas), which operates and maintains the service. A fueling station will be located at the central GO!Bus facility so vehicles can be fueled onsite as part of daily maintenance. The new vehicles are expected to reduce emissions, save on fuel costs, and provide a quieter ride for customers. The vehicles will have propane logos and a green roofline, similar to those on hybrid-electric, 40-ft, fixed-route buses already in The Rapid’s fleet.
“The Rapid has been an industry leader in sustainability efforts and this is another step in our overall program,” said Peter Varga, CEO of The Rapid. “Options for alternative fuels that work well in the smaller cutaway buses we use in our GO!Bus service have not been as plentiful as those for fixed-route buses. We know propane works in our climate and the vehicles have a very similar engine, so the maintenance program is the same. It is also important that propane is produced here in the United States, supporting American jobs and reducing dependency on foreign oil.”
“The Rapid is helping to clear the air above Grand Rapids with the adoption of vehicles fueled by cleaner-burning propane autogas,” said Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for Roush CleanTech. “By choosing this alternative fuel, the transit agency is providing clean transportation to its customers and saving taxpayer dollars.”
