Youngstown's WRTA opens nation's first indoor natural gas refueling station.YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 1994--Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA WRTA Worcester Regional Transit Authority (Massachusetts) WRTA World Religious Travel Association WRTA Western Regional Transmission Association WRTA Western Reserve Transit Authority (Northeast Ohio) ), East Ohio Gas and ms consultants, inc. jointly dedicated the nation's first indoor natural gas refueling station today at the WRTA garage facility in Youngstown. The new refueling station will be used to fuel WRTA's fleet of natural gas transit buses A transit bus (also known as a commuter bus) in the United States is usually operated by an urban-suburban bus line, a governmental public transit agency, or a contractor. A transit bus is normally used on public transit routes. and demand response vehicles. WRTA currently has four natural gas buses in operation, with 12 more out for bid. As buses in WRTA's system are replaced through the year 2000, the transit system plans to convert its entire fleet of 48 vehicles to natural gas. James Ferraro, WRTA executive director says, ``Our indoor natural gas refueling station catapults WRTA ahead of most transit systems our size nationwide in meeting federally-mandated clean air standards.'' Advantages of WRTA's indoor refueling station include ease of operations in harsh weather, access to the adjacent garage and normal operations Generally and collectively, the broad functions that a combatant commander undertakes when assigned responsibility for a given geographic or functional area. Except as otherwise qualified in certain unified command plan paragraphs that relate to particular commands, "normal operations" of year-round. Bill Fortman, ms consultants project engineer, says, ``The indoor facility will be the first of its kind and will enable WRTA employees to fuel, service and clean natural gas buses indoors year-round, which is normal operating procedure for traditional transit properties and traditionally-fueled buses in northern climates.'' Lee Leard, East Ohio Gas' natural gas vehicle specialist, added, ``This project combined several government departments and talented local firms into a partnership which has moved WRTA and Youngstown to the cutting edge of alternative fuel developments. Natural gas is a clean, safe, reliable and abundant domestic transportation fuel. Domestic production combined with the low emissions of natural gas make it the wave of the future -- especially for fleet vehicles.'' Total cost of the Youngstown project was $905,000 including compressor compressor, machine that decreases the volume of air or other gas by the application of pressure. Compressor types range from the simple hand pump and the piston-equipped compressor used to inflate tires to machines that use a rotating, bladed element to achieve equipment and installation, retrofit ret·ro·fit v. ret·ro·fit·ted or ret·ro·fit, ret·ro·fit·ting, ret·ro·fits v.tr. 1. To provide (a jet, automobile, computer, or factory, for example) with parts, devices, or equipment not in of the building and other system adjustments, and engineering and architectural contracts. Seventy-five percent of the funds for the new facility came from the federal government, approximately 14 percent from the state, and the remaining 11 percent from WRTA. Federal moneys were drawn from a $1,043,000 Federal Transit Authority grant awarded to WRTA for the demonstration project. Designed by ms consultants, inc., a multi-discipline architect/engineering-consulting firm in Youngstown, the station has a fueling capacity to dispense dispense /dis·pense/ (-pens´) to prepare medicines for and distribute them to their users. dis·pense v. To prepare and give out medicines. 616 standard cubic-feet per minute (four-gallon per minute diesel equivalent), and is comprised of two, 308 standard-cubic-foot-per-minute natural gas compressors <includeonly></includeonly>A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. Compression of a gas naturally increases its temperature. and three, 10,000-standard cubic foot storage tanks. The station can fuel one of WRTA's natural gas buses to a pressure of 3,600 pounds per square inch Noun 1. pounds per square inch - a unit of pressure psi pressure unit - a unit measuring force per unit area (PSI) of natural gas, in under six minutes. Each compressor engine is powered by a 145-horsepower natural gas engine. WRTA and the designers of the refueling station worked with fire and safety officials in each step of the facility's design and development. Because the bus fueling will be done indoors, special safety features have been installed at the new station including internal roof sensors
Natural or mechanically induced movement of fresh air into or through an enclosed space. The hazards of poor ventilation were not clearly understood until the early 20th century. Expired air may be laden with odors, heat, gases, or dust. and automatic gas shut-off system. If natural gas is detected in the fueling area, the system automatically shuts down the compressors and the dispenser. Additionally, the facility is manned by WRTA personnel 24-hours a day. Ferraro added that maintenance benefits are also valuable to WRTA. ``Using a clean-burning fuel like natural gas greatly diminishes engine problems in our vehicles. We are proud to have been on the ground floor of such a progressive project.'' For more information, contact East Ohio Gas' Anne Kerka at 216/736-6226; WRTA's Jack Connolly at 216/744-8431; or ms consultants, inc.'s Thomas (language) Thomas - A language compatible with the language Dylan(TM). Thomas is NOT Dylan(TM). The first public release of a translator to Scheme by Matt Birkholz, Jim Miller, and Ron Weiss, written at Digital Equipment Corporation's Cambridge Research Laboratory runs F. Mosure at 216/744-5321. CONTACT: East Ohio Gas, Cleveland
Ann Kerka, 216/736-6226
Western Reserve Transit Authority, Youngstown
Jack Connolly, 216/744-8431
ms consultants, inc., Youngstown
Thomas F. Mosure, 216/744-5321
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