Metro Magazine and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) recognized five top fleets for their use of clean, domestic propane autogas at BusCon Expo in Chicago, today.

The awards recognize public transportation fleets for their commitment to improving the environment and health of their communities by adopting the nation’s leading alternative fuel, propane autogas.

Flint Mass Transportation Authority (MTA), Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Metro Cars, Port Columbus International Airport, and Unified Government of Wyandotte County each received a “Top User of Clean-Burning Propane Autogas” award.

Fueling with propane autogas results in an estimated 40% reduction in smog-producing hydrocarbon emissions in light-duty vehicles compared with gasoline and an 80% reduction in heavy-duty vehicles compared with diesel. Public transportation fleets are adopting propane autogas to reduce harmful emissions, cut fuel costs, and decrease dependence on foreign oil.

“Propane autogas is a proven fuel that fleets trust to reduce emissions and deliver strong fuel savings,” PERC Chief Business Development Officer Tucker Perkins said. "Our inaugural award winners are models in the public transportation sector of how propane autogas is improving the economic and environmental well-being of citizens and communities nationwide. Propane autogas works for America’s cities."

Perkins presented the awards to attending representatives at a ceremony Wednesday morning at Chicago’s Navy Pier. The public fleets were individually recognized for their achievements in reducing emissions and dependence on diesel and gasoline.

• Flint MTA in Flint, Mich., is committed to reducing diesel usage and operates 72 Roush CleanTech propane-autogas-fueled shuttle buses. Each bus displaces an estimated 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.

• Greater Cleveland RTA in Ohio operates 20 paratransit shuttle buses fueled by propane autogas with plans to add 40 more by 2015. The buses, which replace aging diesel vehicles, are reducing Cuyahoga County’s carbon footprint by 60 percent.

• Metro Cars in Detroit displaces more than 520,000 gallons of petroleum each year and operates more than 200 propane-autogas-fueled vehicles, including 13 transit buses converted by ICOM.

• By fueling with propane autogas, Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, displaces 2.5 tons of particulate matter, 11 tons of nitrogen oxide, and almost nine tons of carbon dioxide each year. The airport operates 19 propane autogas shuttle buses with plans to convert its remaining six diesel buses.

• Unified Government of Wyandotte County near Kansas City, Kan., operates 15 propane autogas vehicles, including 13 transit buses. The county saves approximately $100,000 in annual fuel costs and displaces more than 50,000 gallons of gasoline annually.

For more information on BusCon and the propane autogas awards, visit www.busconexpo.com. To learn more about propane-autogas-fueled bus fleets, visit autogasusa.org.