Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is moving to 100% use of compressed natural gas (CNG) for its bus fleet and has awarded a $40 million contract to California-based Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to complete the transition.

Clean Energy said Wednesday it has the contract with DART to construct the fueling infrastructure, targeting the first fueling facility to open next April. DART has drafted Clean Energy to design and build four CNG stations to support its transition to a fixed route and paratransit bus fleet totally powered by natural gas. The work also will include modifying two DART buildings for maintenance facilities.

During the next three years, DART plans to deploy 452 CNG buses and 200 CNG-fueled paratransit vehicles, replacing its current fleet of liquefied natural gas- and diesel-powered models, which have been in service since 1998. The new CNG fueling stations will be located at DART’s current bus and paratransit maintenance facilities.

Clean Energy said it will begin its work in May for the Dallas-based transit operator, which operates 135 fixed and express routes throughout the greater metropolitan area. The new DART fueling system will create “one of America’s largest CNG transit bus fleets,” said Clean Energy spokesman James Harger.

©Copyright 2011Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.