Blue Water Area Transit’s public fueling station for compressed natural gas in Marine City is open. The new station is located in the 500 block of Parker Road (M-29) in front of the department of public works.
“With everyone watching their expenses, compressed natural gas is a truly sensible and frugal choice,” says Jim Fisher, Blue Water Area Transportation Commission Board chair. “We are glad to provide a resource that will help more consumers make that choice.”
Marine City’s new self-serve fueling station is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with compressed natural gas available for $2.05 per gasoline gallon equivalent. Certified by the State of Michigan, the station features video surveillance monitoring and a technical “call out” feature that notifies the transit agency’s CNG specialist about any problems. BWAT accepts Discover, Master Card, and VISA at its fueling stations.
The American-made station is by Mansfield Gas Equipment Systems Corp., based in Gainesville Ga. It joins about 1,300 natural gas fueling stations in the United States, about half of them open to the general public. The advocacy group Natural Gas Vehicles for America also reports about 135,000 natural gas vehicles on today’s U.S. roads.
“The new station will allow the council on aging to conveniently refuel the compressed natural gas buses that they use downriver,” says Jim Wilson, BWATC general manager. “At the same time, everyone is welcome to use this station and enjoy both the savings and the cleaner air.”
The Marine City station is part of a larger project that will also add new stations in Capac and Port Huron. Funds for the project come from an $891,000 federal grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program and $222,750 in State matching funds. CMAQ funding is for transportation projects that contribute air quality improvements or provide congestion relief. The project will also benefit from tax incentives.
“We expect to have the Capac station open by mid-October and the Port Huron station open in mid-December” says Dave Frasier, BWAT director of maintenance and procurement.
The Capac station is located at Downey Road (old M-21) and Capac Road near Allenton Collision in Mussey Township. The new Port Huron station is being constructed on Hancock Street near Cawood Auto.
BWAT’s first CNG fueling station is located at the agency’s headquarters at 2021 Lapeer Avenue.
Compressed natural gas is a low-emission American-made alternative fuel that saves money, promotes a clean environment by reducing carbon emissions and reduces our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
Blue Water Area Transit started producing its own compressed natural gas in 1996 and now ranks as Michigan’s largest producer of the alternative fuel. It also runs the state’s largest fleet of alternative fuel buses.
