WCTA exploring shift to propane

The move is prompted by high gas prices, but it would take years to complete.

By MEGAN TROTTER
TribLive

The Westmoreland County Transit Authority is considering a transition to propane fuel for its fleet of 60 passenger vehicles used for a shared-ride program.

Executive Director Alan Blahovec on Thursday told authority board members the move could save the transit agency as much as $700,000 annually in fuel costs.

“I know these numbers sound too big to be true, and it would take us six years to get everything to be converted to propane,” Blahovec said.

It’s a plan very early in consideration, and authority board members delayed any formal action to allow administrators to research and plot out a potential conversion.

The agency’s Go Westmoreland fleet is largely made up of small passenger vehicles used for door-to-door subsidized rides for low-income, elderly and disabled riders.

The authority board last month voted to increase Go Westmoreland fares by nearly 25%, which will be implemented starting Oct. 1.

The authority fuels its Go Westmoreland vehicles with gasoline bought at local gas stations at standard retail prices.

Deputy Director Ashley Cooper-Brounce said for the first part of this year, the authority fuel costs for Go Westmoreland averaged between $55,000 and $65,000 a month.

But July’s fuel costs exceeded $92,000, and August and September expenses are expected to be even higher.

Smaller transit agencies have already moved to propane fuel, which Blahovec said is substantially cheaper than current gas prices. One agency, he said, reported saving $1,000 in fuel costs each month for each of its vehicles after transitioning to propane.

“I think this is great to look into,” said authority board member Dan DeBone.

For the Westmoreland transit agency, a potential changeover could take years and would require purchasing new propane-fueled vehicles. The authority last year bought 14 gas-fueled vehicles that are expected to be delivered early next year.

Eight new Go Westmoreland vehicles are slated to be purchased in 2027. Propane-fueled vehicles are expected to cost about $30,000 more than those fueled by gasoline.

Go Westmoreland ridership has increased steadily in recent years. The program saw the number of passengers who used the system increase by 7.2% in July and another 10% in August, according to the authority.

The authority’s fixed-route bus system operates 15 daily routes, including commuter trips in to Pittsburgh and local service throughout Westmoreland County. Its fleet of more than 40 buses largely are fueled by natural gas, although six older vehicles still use diesel fuel, Cooper- Brounce said.

Fix-route bus ridership has also increased. Passenger totals jumped by about 5.5% over the last 12 months and ridership in August on authority buses saw a jump of more than 12%.

Officials said there are currently no plans to convert the authority’s fixed-route bus fleet to propane.