In Houston, the wheels on the bus will go round and round thanks to propane. (image: blue-bird.com)
Students in Houston, Texas, will be going on propane-powered field trips in the near future. The city’s independent school district has received a grant worth $2.1 million to help with the purchase of 25 new LPG school buses, says School Transportation News.
The money — from the state’s commissions on environmental quality and railroads — will help fund 70-percent of the cost of the buses and a fueling station. The district, which has more than 1,000 school buses, will be buying the BlueBird Vision bus, in Type C (shown above, with green highlights).
“These 25 buses have a dual benefit,” the district’s transportation manager said. They produce less toxic emissions than diesel, and have lower fueling and operating costs, he said.
Meantime, the bean counters in Houston are surely pleased that Washington extended the alternative fuel tax credits for another year, cutting the price for a gallon of propane by 50 cents in the new calendar year. And another benefit for the Lone Star State: Texas has the most propane filling stations of any state in the country.
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country, and by our count, the second-largest city to go with propane school buses. Los Angeles (#2 in population) picked some up in 2009. Memo to the school superintendents in New York City (#1) and Chicago (#3): Any talk of propane buses?