Elon University has received a grant of $1 million to fund the conversion of shuttle buses from gasoline power to biodiesel fuel technology. The grant comes from federal funds and will be administered by the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART), which coordinates transportation efforts such as carpooling and shuttle buses in seven counties in central North Carolina.
The grant will fund the purchase of biodiesel buses, scheduled for delivery in fall 2006, which reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The grant will also fund the construction of passenger pick up and drop off stations and a special biodiesel fuel filling station.
Gerald Whittington, vice president for business, finance and technology, says the conversion will help the university reduce costs by cutting the use of fossil fuels. Elon’s system of trams and shuttle buses travel more than 50,000 miles each academic year, providing transportation to more nearly 135,000 passengers. Most of those passengers are students who live in off-campus housing. The university adopted the transportation system in 2000 to improve air quality and address increasing traffic around campus.
The grant was part of the nation’s highway spending bill passed by Congress. U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) was successful in getting these funds included in the legislation. More information on the highway funding for this region can be found on Rep. Coble’s Web site at: http://coble.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=31822