Lafayette's plan to convert city buses to natural gas is still trucking on, but it'll be a little longer than expected before the shift takes place. Lafayette's plan to convert city buses to natural gas is still trucking on, but it'll be a little longer than expected before the shift takes place.
The Advocate reports that the conversion plan was expected to start this summer, but problems in finding a contractor for the construction of a special fueling station has caused the timeline to move to next year.
The city already has ordered five natural gas buses as part of the plan, and may decide to use a temporary natural gas filling station while waiting for the permanent station, which will be built at the public works building on University Avenue:
The natural gas program in Lafayette is funded by a $1 million state appropriation and more than $1 million in federal grants, much of that routed through the state Department of Natural Resources.
A local fueling station is key, because the nearest places to fill up a tank with natural gas are currently in Baton Rouge and the Shreveport-Bossier City area.
Read more on the city's plan here.