Propane Autogas Top Contender for Westmoreland County Transit Authority

Editor’s Note: A version of this news item first appeared in WPXI channel 11.

The Westmoreland County Transit Authority may make a permit change to combat high fuel prices, with propane autogas as a top alternative fuel choice.

“We’re not going out as much, not going and doing things with the children,” said Rachael Roland of Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

“It’s a shame,” Christine Mikesic said while walking to her car, “I just feel bad for everybody, especially people who have to travel for a living.”

Dru Miller, from Greensburg, said it’s hard not to notice the price at the pump. “It’s a little bit outrageous right now,” Miller said. “I mean, just the other day at the Sheetz down the road, gas was like $4.55 around noon, and then I visited my parents, came back, and it’s up to $4.79. A 20-cent increase in just a couple of hours.”

The Westmoreland County Transit Authority says its board recently approved the search to further investigate propane as a source of fuel for its 60 smaller GO Westmoreland shuttle buses.

Executive Director Alan Blahovec said, “Hopefully gasoline will come down, but we don’t think it will come back down to the level where propane is today.”

Blahovec said their monthly cost of gasoline rose over $30,000 from February to August, and the switch to propane would save them thousands.

“From other transit authorities, they are talking about saving a thousand dollars a month per vehicle, 27 cents a mile. I mean these savings could be huge for us,” Blahovec said.

The transit authority would either have to buy new vehicles or convert the engines of the older vehicles. They would also need to build a fueling facility at the station. Blahovec says that cost would not come back on riders. They purchase buses through federal and state grants, and the switch would be spread over 5 years.

Blahovec also said the prices of propane tend to fluctuate much less than gasoline, so it would make budgeting easier as well.