Developing a Natural Gas-Powered Bus Rapid Transit Service. A Case Study

Mitchell, George¹ 

[1] National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

关键词: CNG;    compressed natural gas;    bus rapid transit (BRT);    RFTA;    roaring fork transit authority;    buses;    alternative fuels;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1226240
RP-ID  :  NREL/TP--5400-64756
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1226240

学科分类：航空航天科学

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

The Roaring Fork Transit Authority (RFTA) and its VelociRFTA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program are unique in many ways. For example, VelociRFTA was the first rural BRT system in the United States and the operational environment of the VelociRFTA BRT is one of the most severe in the country, with extreme winter temperatures and altitudes close to 8,000 feet. RFTA viewed high altitude operation as the most challenging characteristic when it began considering the use of natural gas. RFTA is the second-largest public transit system in Colorado behind Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD), and it is one of the largest rural public transit systems in the country. In 2013, RFTA accepted delivery of 22 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that went into service after completion of maintenance and refueling facilities earlier that year. This paper examines the lessons learned from RFTA's experience of investigating--and ultimately choosing--CNG for their new BRT program and focuses on the unique environment of RFTA's BRT application; the decision process to include CNG fueling in the project; unforeseen difficulties encountered in the operation of CNG buses; public perception; cost comparison to competing fuels; and considerations for indoor fueling facilities and project funding.