A new partner, Pittsburgh Transportation Group, is operating the University’s campus shuttle service using an all-new fleet of 20 LPG-powered buses equipped with passenger-counting technology and Wi-Fi. The shift to Autogas vehicles will help the University move toward its carbon neutrality goals.

“These shuttles are more fuel efficient and emit less carbon than comparable diesel or gasoline-powered vehicles,” said Kevin Sheehy, assistant vice chancellor of Auxiliary Operations and Finance. The new shuttles will cut shuttle-related CO2 emissions by 33% and NOx emissions by 20%, the equivalent of emissions from 44 passenger vehicles.

Sanitiser stations have been installed on the shuttles and drivers are masked. Passengers must have face masks, too. For safety, drivers have a limited supply of extras to share with any rider who has forgotten a face mask, Sheehy said.

High-touch points on the shuttles are also being cleaned throughout the day and each shuttle gets a deep cleaning at night when it returns to the garage. Safety and distancing protocols are in force at transit stops as well as on the vehicles themselves.

The University’s own fleet of vehicles, including trucks and vans, are on the road to greater sustainability, too. A new agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management will provide new green vehicles in support of the University’s commitment to making the campus carbon neutral by 2037. For more information, please check this link.

28 October 2020