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Derek Dalling and Tucker Perkins, guest writers
Of 25 total vehicles owned by Eatran, the Eaton County-based transit agency, 10 are fueled by propane (both Ford F-550s and E-450s) with plans to go 100 percent by the end of the year. For all three years of their use, the cost savings have been funneled back into the upkeep of their facility.
According to Chris Lake, Eatran lead mechanic, that s because propane is cheaper by about a dollar per gallon. As other fuel prices go up, it s even more than that.
Eatran is not the only one who has experienced the cost benefits of propane transit vehicles. So have fleets across the state including Clinton Area Transit System in St. John’s and The Rapid in Grand Rapids, among many others. But it’s not just cost savings that make propane the right alternative fuel choice for these organizations.
SAMUEL BLATCHFORD
LANSING Bus riders in Michigan are accustomed to what a new federal mandate requires: that all passengers on public transit wear a mask.
Clark Harder, the executive director of the Michigan Public Transit Authority, said transit agencies have been following the state’s mask mandate since ordered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in July.
A new federal executive order from President Joe Biden, which became effective Feb. 1, doesn’t change anything for them, he said.
Rural and nonmetropolitan transit agencies have followed the protocols to keep bus drivers and passengers safe in Michigan, Harder said.
COVID-19 safety protocols are different for each system, aside from the mask mandate. For example, some use sneeze guards and shower curtains to limit the spread of the coronavirus.