$25M awarded for bus replacements, retrofits
The South Coast Air Quality Management District in California provides $16.6 million to help school districts buy new CNG school buses. Private operators get $8.8 million to retrofit older diesel buses with particulate traps.
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. — In one of its largest school bus funding awards, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) on May 7 awarded $16.6 million to help school districts replace older diesel school buses with new, cleaner-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
The agency also awarded $8.8 million to help private operators retrofit 545 diesel school buses with particulate traps to reduce diesel emissions.
The action will allow six school districts to replace a total of 96 pre-1987 diesel school buses with cleaner-burning CNG buses, as well as provide funding for the necessary fueling infrastructure.
The school bus awards and retrofits approved by AQMD include:
School District | # of CNG buses | Total Funding Award |
Castaic | 1 | $169,524 |
Walnut Valley | 2 | $331,048 |
Downey | 2 | $339,048 |
Bonita | 5 | $847,620 |
Hacienda/La Puente | 6 | $993,144 |
Los Angeles | 80 | $13,561,920 |
Private School Bus Operator
# of PM Traps
Total Funding Award
Aerocoach
1
$20,000
Alliance Bus lines
2
$40,000
Certified Transportation
20
$400,000
Durham Services
32
416,000
First Student
291
$4,514,500
Richmond
1
$20,000
Tumbleweed
68
$884,000
Atlantic Express
130
$2,600,000
Since 2000, AQMD has approved more than $177 million to replace more than 1,000 older diesel school buses with cleaner models and retrofit 3,536 newer diesel school buses with particulate traps.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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