nologies over the next decade, with savings made possible by that same technology. At the same time, school district transportation supervisors are waiting at the bottom of the hill, scratching their heads in search of explanations to help them prepare for what may be a harsh reality. David Walton, the supervisor of vehicle services for Prince William County Public Schools in Bristow, Virginia, said his district is on board with reducing greenhouse gases. But the de- partment is also exploring ways to lessen the anticipated financial impact of any new technologies. “As we prepare for Phase 2, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get information from our bus manufactures or vendors,” Walton said. “We’re all reading from the same sheet of music. We know what the goals are but we don’t know what the industry is doing specifically to achieve those goals or how it’s going to affect us financially or operationally.” Walton added that the bottom line is that the district must contin- ue to monitor the health and safety issues that may affect the nearly 60,000 students transported to and from school daily. Te fleet of 892 buses is 100 percent diesel, but Walton said he wants to know what type of buses would cause the least environmental impact. “No matter if I’m running diesel fuel or gas, greenhouse gases are a concern,” he said. “No one can give me a dollar figure going forward, so I’m assuming (the technology) is a work in progress. Obviously, as we go forward, the new technology will come at a cost.” Walton said the sooner he can get information on cost to the administration, “the sooner we can make budget decisions and prioritize.” Te district replaced 100 buses this year, but that might not be the case next year. “We may only be able to buy 20 buses,” Walton added. “But to do nothing is not an option.” Miles said it is difficult to give an estimate on costs until more
is known about what technology will be required to meet the new standard. He said there are a number of combinations that could be used to achieve the goals. “Everybody is studying the standard and what it means to the
industry and what is required to meet it,” Miles said. “Until that is determined, no one is able to put an estimated priced on what it will cost. Tere are a lot of options. It’s just determining which ones work best together and it has to be something that will work for the industry.” Walton and about 150 of his colleagues from around the coun-
try participated in a STN survey in which 78 percent said the growing cost of diesel engines and buses tied to emissions control devices is making it more and more difficult to purchase these types of buses. Another 63 percent said they are unaware of a new type of oil for model-year 2017 and future engines designed to withstand the higher heat in those engines. Miles said the rule will likely be a topic of discuss at the Novem-
ber National Association for Pupil Transportation Annual Summit next month in Kansas City. Walton and Josh Davis, director of pupil transportation in Henrico County Schools in Richmond, Virginia, said they hope to get some answers and clarifications at the conference. “It’s a matter of being with other fleet managers who may already have initiated programs or have processes in place and can tell me where the potholes are,” Walton said.
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