GO Riteway celebrated the purchase of 10 new Blue Bird Propane-Powered Vision school buses and 10 Micro Bird buses for the Oak Creek–Franklin (Wisc.) Joint School District at an open house on Oct. 23.
The school bus contractor transports 5,500 students daily in Oak Creek each day, which is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area.
Several local officials attended the open house at GO Riteway’s Oak Creek facility, including Steven Kurkowski, city alderman. GO Riteway President Ron Bast (pictured above) explained the benefits of propane autogas with Dr. Sara Burmeister, school superintendent, and Frank Carini, school board president at the event. Attendees also had the opportunity to witness the ease and speed of refueling a school bus with propane autogas during a demonstration.
GO Riteway has received 12 environmental awards and certifications since 2009 for its “green” initiatives, including the National School Transportation Association’s Go Yellow, Go Green award; the American Bus Association’s Green Operator Award; and Green Fleet’s Sustainability All-Star award.
“Congratulations to the citizens of Oak Creek, who will benefit from cleaner air and lower fuel costs with this safe and reliable alternative fuel in their school buses,” Bast said. “Over their lifetime, these school buses will release 1.6 million fewer pounds of carbon dioxide emissions in your community.”
GO Riteway pays just $2 a gallon for propane autogas compared to the $3.85 average for diesel in the area, said a company spokesperson. The company has been fueling with propane autogas in their ground transportation fleet for years, and now has turned to this American-made alternative fuel for one of their contracted school fleets. The school buses will release 1.6 million fewer pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the skies of Oak Creek, Wisc.
“School districts around the nation are eager for cleaner, lower emissions solutions that also work with their budgets. The Blue Bird Propane-Powered Vision and Micro Bird meet these needs, with lower fuel and maintenance costs, decreased noise and environmental benefits,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird.
Green Fleet magazine recently recognized Blue Bird as a “Sustainability All-Star” for its use of propane-powered school buses at its annual conference in Phoenix. In the past year, the OEM increased its sales of propane school buses by fourfold and filled the single-largest order in industry history for Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska, which operates 432 of these buses.
