The 18 42-foot long CNG upcoming units will start operating by 2013 and will replace the existing CNG shuttle buses, which have logged more than 13 million clean-air miles, according to Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) press release. The vehicles will be built by Anniston, Alabama-based North American Bus Industries, Inc., and have a sleeker and more aerodynamic look than the current fleet.
The total project’s cost was nearly $35 million, an expense that was approved by the Massport board and that is part of the $337 million Consolidated Rental Car (ConRAC) facility, which will be built in the Southwest Service Area of the airport. “Not only will the new unified bus system improve air quality through alternative fuels, but it will also reduce emissions by cutting congestion and dwell times at the terminal curbs,” said MassPort CEO Thomas Kinton Jr.
The board has applied for a Federal Aviation Administration Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) grant to cover 75 percent of the cost of the new buses. This is a program that helps finance low emission vehicles for airports in designated air quality areas. If the grant application is approved, Massport will be the first New England receiver of the VALE grant. sexescortguide.com
Airport authorities expect the new fleet to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,840 tons during the 12-year period they will be in operation, compared to the existing rental car company buses. In 2009 Logan airport handled 25 million travellers.
