County Aims to Make Clean Sweep of Bus Fleet

Orange County Transportation Authority officials plan to purchase 186 buses powered by liquefied natural gas by 2000, with the first vehicles scheduled to join the fleet this summer.

In addition to being cheaper and easier to maintain, the buses will help the transit agency meet federal clean air standards mandated for 2010, officials said.

“Diesel fuel buses will be phased out in California by 2010,” said John Standiford, a transit agency spokesman.

Officials put the price tag for the new buses at $65 million and an additional $10 million to retrofit two and build a third one to fuel and maintain the vehicles. Officials said they expect federal funding to cover 80% of the costs.

Eventually all of OCTA’s 461 diesel-burning buses will be replaced by the newer models, Standiford said. The transit agency will receive 56 of the new buses by July 1, he added.

The transit agency also uses 235 vans powered by propane, which burns as cleanly as liquefied natural gas. OCTA experimented with propane-burning buses but could not find a reliable engine to power the vehicles, said Standiford.

The OCTA directors will be asked to approve funding for the buses at next week’s board meeting.

Officials plan to convert OCTA facilities in Garden Grove and Anaheim to handle liquefied natural gas instead of diesel and are looking for a third site.