CHICAGO – EPA Region 5 has awarded approximately $2.5 million to the National School Tranportation Association (NSTA) to replace older school buses and install emission controls on others.
The funds are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 5 received 81 grant applications. The awards were chosen to maximize economic impact – particularly job creation – and emissions reductions.
NSTA will provide for replacement of 98 older school buses in the fleets serving school districts in Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine and Waukesha counties in Wisconsin, the addition of diesel particulate filters to 62 buses service four school districts in Wright County, Minn.
The school bus contractors involved in the project are Dousman Transport, Riteway Bus Service, Durham School Services and M&M Bus Service. Costsharing contributions from those NSTA members will bring the total cost to more than $7.75 million.
The project is expected to preserve or create 119 jobs and to reduce pollution in the affected areas by 455 tons.
The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation.
From School Bus Fleet – September 2009
Greensboro, NC – School bus drivers from across the U.S. and Canada tested their skills here in July during the 39th Annual International School Bus Driver Safety Competition.
The National School Transportation Association (NSTA) organizes the competition, which is held in conjunction with its annual meeting and convention. The competition comprises maneuvering through a challenging driving course and completing a written exam that tests knowledge of operational and safety standards.
Danny Stegall of Liberty (Mo.) Public Schools placed first in the Transit Class, while Larry Hannon of Centennial School District in Warminster, Penn., placed first in the Conventional Class. This is the sixth time Hannon has won a top spot in the competition.
Brandy Acevedo of the Monterey County Office of Education in Salinas, Calif., finished first in the Small Bus Class.
Here are the top competitors for each of the classes:
Transit
1. Danny Stegall, Liberty (Mo.) Public Schools
2. Tyler Reynolds, Virginia Beach (Va.) City Public Schools
3. Pamela Pagan, Center Grove Community School Corp., Bargersville, Ind.
4. Don Hanley, Kent (Wash.) School District
5. Dana Clark, Madison County Board of Education, Richmond, Ky.
6. Doug Smith, Snowline Joint Unified School District, Phelan, Calif.
7. Hannah Beard, First Student Inc., Grover, Mo.
8. Robert McManus, Beaumont (Texas) Independent School District
9. Steven Wright, First Student Inc., Olathe, Kan.
10. Sheila Van Weel, Forsythe Transportation, Chugiak, Alaska
Conventional
1. Larry Hannon, Centennial School District, Warminster, Pa.
2. George Soverns, Rittenhouse Bus Lines Inc., Smock, Pa.
3. Billy Wiseman, Kanawha County Schools, Charleston, W.Va.
4. Christine Fritz, Academy School District 20, Colorado Springs, Colo.
5. Mark Koelbl, First Student Canada, Calgary, Alberta
6. Charles Burro, Montgomery County Public Schools, Christiansburg, Va.
7. Brent Carman, Morgan Hill (Calif.) Unified School District
8. Bonnie Pool, First Student Inc., House Springs, Mo.
9. Michelle Schultz, First Student Inc., Grand Junction, Colo.
10. C. Arthur Birdsley, Hudsonville (Mich.) Public Schools
Small Bus
1. Brandy Acevedo, Monterey County Office of Education, Salinas, Calif.
2. Janet Turner, Greater Albany (Ore.) Public Schools
3. Karen Schoonover, Roanoke (Va.) City Schools
4. Randy Paxson, Durham School Services, Witchita, Kan.
5. Joanna Robson, Minneapolis & Suburban Bus Co.
NSTA Also held a contest among the drivers to select a slogan for next year’s competition. The winning slogan was, “Celebrating 40 Years of the International School Bus Driver Safety Competition: Still Thriving Towards Driving Safely,” which was submitted by Angel DeSousa of Tremblay Bus Co. in Fall River, Mass.
The 40th Annual International School Bus Driver Safety Competition will be held in St. Louis.
From School Bus Fleet – September 2009
Filed under: 2010 Emissions, IC, Metro Magazine, School Bus Fleet, Webinar
Metro Magazine and School Bus Fleet held their 2010 Emissions webinar today. It was sponsored by IC Bus, with Randall Ray and David Hillman as presentors.
The following issues were discussed: Emission Credits, Advanced EGR, EGR + SCR after-treatment system, EGR vs. SCR, and much more.
If you missed the webinar, you can replay or print it out here.
Filed under: 2010 Emissions, IC, Metro Magazine, School Bus Fleet, Webinar
IC Bus is presenting a customer webinar on 2010 emissions.
IC is once again working with School Bus Fleet and Metro Magazine to promote this educational opportunity.
HOW WILL YOU COMPLY WITH 2010 EMISSIONS STANDARDS?
Sign up for a FREE Web Event to find out your options and how they will impact your buses, employees and your bottom line.
February 4, 2009 | 10:00 AM
Filed under: Fuel Economy, IC, Metro Magazine, School Bus Fleet, Webinar
School Bus Fleet and Metro Magazine hosted a webinar sponsored by IC on Improving Bus Fuel Economy – Are your buses as fuel efficient as they could be? You can view this webinar at http://video.webcasts.com/events/bobi001/28426
Some interesting facts regarding fuel economy:
- At speeds greater than 55mph, each 1 mph increment in speed equates to .1 lost mpg!
- The fuel economy of a bus driven by your best driver compared to your worse driver can differ from 25-30%!
- One less gallon of diesel consumed equals 22 pounds of emissions reduced!
This webinar may take an hour of your time, but it can help reduce your fuel costs!
