MENU
SEARCHWith Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, western South Dakota is one of the most scenic places in America. Its air is also cleaner, thanks to the recent addition by two regional transit agencies of environmentally friendly and economical buses fueled by propane.
Prairie Hills Transit accessed readily available funding streams to support the purchase of the new buses.
Photo: ROUSH CleanTech
With Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, western South Dakota is one of the most scenic places in America.
Its air is also cleaner, thanks to the recent addition by two regional transit agencies of environmentally friendly and economical buses fueled by propane.
The ROUSH CleanTech Ford E-450 cutaway chassis buses are lower in all eight measured outputs by an average of 64%.
Photo: ROUSH CleanTech
People’s Transit in Huron, and Prairie Hills Transit in Spearfish, unveiled their new propane buses in May.
The buses reduce daily operating costs by about 40% less than gasoline and 50% less than diesel. Further, cost savings come from reduced maintenance costs, particularly oil and filters.
But the real story is about reduced emissions. Propane is classified as a clean energy source by the U.S. EPA.
All of the new buses emit 90% less nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than the EPA’s strictest standard.
EPA, and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), measure NOx, particulate matter, non-methane hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, methane, formaldehyde, and nitrous oxide.
The ROUSH CleanTech Ford E-450 cutaway chassis buses are lower in all eight measured outputs by an average of 64%.
“The new propane buses will have a positive impact on the environment because they reduce harmful emissions, especially when compared to our gasoline and diesel buses,” said Gayle Kludt, People’s Transit executive director.
The agency now operates six propane buses, having transitioned 80% of its in-town fleet to propane in 2024.
Added Barbara Cline, executive director of Prairie Hills Transit, which now operates six propane buses, 10% of its fleet: "Prairie Hills Transit is on the cutting edge of public transit operation. We’ve done extensive research and believe that the use of propane is an excellent way to reduce emissions.”
While the nonprofit agencies’ propane buses are the first in South Dakota, dozens of transit agencies around the U.S. operate propane buses, making it the industry’s leading alternative fuel in the industry.
Photo: ROUSH CleanTech
Both People’s Transit and Prairie Hills Transit have accessed readily available funding streams to support the purchase of the new buses.
Funding was primarily done with Section 5339 federal funding, Kludt said.
While the nonprofit agencies’ propane buses are the first in South Dakota, dozens of transit agencies around the U.S. operate propane buses, making it the industry’s leading alternative fuel in the industry.
What was once a landscape of static signs has evolved into a responsive, immersive environment powered by real-time visual communication.
Read More →
Polis comprises cities and regions, as well as corporate partners, from across Europe, promoting the development and implementation of sustainable mobility. This year’s event had over a thousand attendees across various policy forums and an exhibition.
Read More →
Across North America and beyond, transit agency officials are contending with a perfect storm of operational headaches and strategic challenges that hamper daily service and long-term progress.
Read More →
It is no secret that transit in the U.S. is slow and expensive to build.
Read More →
Simply incentivizing electrification is not enough to make a meaningful impact; we must shift our focus toward prioritizing public transportation and infrastructure.
Read More →
For many years, the narrative surrounding public transit improvements has been heavily weighted toward environmental gains and carbon reduction. While these are undeniably crucial long-term benefits, the immediate focus of this new funding environment is firmly on demonstrable system efficiencies and a clear return on investment.
Read More →
The notion of agencies being over- or underfunded, I argued, doesn’t hold up. If an agency wants to turn up the heat — to grow beyond the status quo — it must demonstrate measurable value.
Read More →
Some agencies might suggest they are funded in the public transportation space. Some complain that they are funded too little. I have never heard a public transportation executive proclaim that they are funded too much. And if no public agencies are funded too much, then, by definition, none are funded too little. To steal from Goldilocks’ thinking, they are all funded just right.
Read More →
From East Asia to Europe, more than 400 exhibitors and 70 sessions tackled global mobility challenges — highlighting AI, automation, and urban transit equity in the race toward a carbon-free future.
Read More →
A closer look at ridership trends, demographic shifts, and the broader impacts of service reductions reveals why maintaining, and even improving, bus service levels should be a top priority in 2025.
Read More →
