Big announcement at the Allegany County Fair includes awards presentation with local dignitaries on hand
By Tristen Amidon,
Several county, state and federal officials formerly welcomed the first fleet of propane-powered public buses in New York state, cutting the ribbon at the Allegany County Fair Thursday afternoon.
This switch is projected to cut fuel costs by 40% as well as harmful emissions, including nitrous oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Estimates provided by Ardent Solutions Gwendolyn Cooper indicate that fuel costs could drop by over $100,000 per year for a five bus fleet.
ACCESS Allegany provides over 50,000 trips every year across Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties. With frequent stops to grocery stores, municipal buildings, schools and doctor’s offices, it’s no surprise that many people depend on these buses to be able to carry out their lives.
Even with the change in fuel, these are the same buses that you would see driving around town every day. The buses, built just an hour and a half away in Penn Yan, are being upgraded with new fueling systems from ROUSH CleanTech. The fuel will be coming from Ferrellgas.
Some of the guests featured at the ribbon cutting ceremony included Allegany County Chairman W. Brooke Harris, New York State Senators Thomas O’Mara and George Borello and New York State Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski.
Multiple awards and recognitions were given out at the event by Ardent Solutions’ Gwendolyn Cooper, including the Environmental Stewardship Award and the Historic Achievement awarded to Allegany County, the Statewide Leadership and Support Award given to the New York State Department of Transportation, and an Operation Partnership Appreciation awarded to Transdev.
