Mayor Alvin Brown was in attendance at a groundbreaking ceremony March 31 for the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling facility and public access station at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s Myrtle Avenue operations campus. Additional guests at the ceremony included JTA Chairman Scott L. McCaleb, JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., Clean Energy SVP Peter Grace and North Florida TPO Executive Director Jeff Sheffield.
“Implementation of CNG is vital to the economic growth of Northeast Florida,” said McCaleb. “The Authority is building the infrastructure that will attract businesses to the area that depend on CNG as a clean, inexpensive natural gas. It is also a very important “green” step for the region. CNG vehicles produce up to 90 percent less smog producing pollutants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 percent. In addition, CNG engines are up to 10 decibels quieter when they idle than diesel engines.”
“This project helps elevate Jacksonville’s position as a leader in the natural gas revolution that’s transforming our energy landscape,” said Brown. “By investing in better transportation options, we’re investing in a better, more prosperous community.”
The CNG project was awarded to Clean Energy Fuels Corp. for $8.1 million. The Public-Private Partnership (P3) with Clean Energy is the first of its kind for JTA. Clean Energy will design, build, operate and maintain the project during the 15-year agreement. The estimated completion date for the project is December 2015. Over the next five years, JTA will replace 100 diesel buses with CNG buses. Many of the buses will support JTA’s 55-mile First Coast Flyer Bus Rapid Transit system.
“CNG has environmental and financial benefits,” said Ford. “When construction is completed at the end of this year, CNG will have a major impact on how the JTA does business, how the Authority contributes to the sustainability of Jacksonville and the Northeast Florida region, and on JTA’s finances because of the tremendous savings we will experience over time by using CNG instead of diesel.”
“I am so pleased with this groundbreaking,” said Congresswoman Corrine Brown. “The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) will be stepping into the future of transportation with their new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles. With strong leadership from Nat Ford, JTA is meeting the needs of Jacksonville’s transit riders with new routes, innovative services, and now healthier and more efficient buses.”
