The completion of a new StarTran compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station at 445 South Eighth Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, will immediately benefit the state capital’s residents through expanded paratransit services, according to Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott.
As of Nov. 7, 2024, paratransit service has increased to an average of 40 more trips per day for passengers on weekdays and weekends.
“By enabling our StarTran buses to refuel more efficiently, we save both time and money, which frees up resources for our city to provide even more public transportation options for our community members,” says Gaylor Baird. “Furthermore, this effort supports our Climate Action Plan goal to transition all vehicles in our city fleet to electric or alternative fuels by 2040.”
Joining the mayor and Elliott were Carla Cosier, assistant transit director; Kaylie Hogan-Schnittker, StarTran Advisory Board member; and City Council Member Bennie Shobe.
The new $6.3 million CNG station is Lincoln’s largest and is funded by a $825,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and a 2018 $2.6 million bus and bus facility grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA), both from 2018; $2.15 million annual FTA funding for 2022-23; and $770,000 in local StarTran funds.
StarTran will use the new CNG station to fuel 41 buses and 11 paratransit vans. CNG is a sustainable renewable fuel source that is more environmentally friendly than diesel fuel. StarTran first invested in CNG in the 1990s, when it purchased its first CNG-fueled vehicle. In 2019, Black Hills Energy donated CNG fueling equipment to StarTran, which allowed the transit system to fuel its paratransit vans.
According to Elliott, the downtown location of the new CNG station allows StarTran to reduce fueling time from 45 to 10 minutes per bus. CNG fuel costs have also been reduced from an average of $5 per gallon to an average of $3 per gallon, saving StarTran $729,571 in fuel annually. These efficiencies save labor hours that will be reinvested into other StarTran services, such as the expanded paratransit service, Elliott says.
“This project marks a significant milestone as we work toward cleaner, more efficient public transit, and ultimately, a healthier environment for all Lincoln community members,” says Elliott.
The new CNG station is large enough to handle 20 years of potential growth in the number of CNG vehicles in StarTran and other city department fleets, according to Cosier.
“As we plan for the future, this CNG station is part of our larger commitment to sustainability and reducing our city’s carbon footprint,” says Cosier. “Each CNG van and bus lowers greenhouse gas emissions, reduces noise and contributes to cleaner air here in Lincoln.”
