|
Propane-powered bus a Pope Valley school Green idea
Share
Email
Print
CommentThe Pope Valley Union Elementary School District operates one school in a remote part of Napa County, and as such it is a throwback to simpler times.
But the district is now on the cutting edge with its proposed new school bus, a propane-fueled vehicle that would be the first of its kind in the county.
But the district is now on the cutting edge with its proposed new school bus, a propane-fueled vehicle that would be the first of its kind in the county.
The bus would be more environmentally friendly than the diesel machines now in use, said school board president Chris Thompson, and it also would be more convenient.
The closest gas stations to the small campus on Pope Valley Road are in Angwin, St. Helena or Middletown, said Mike Damonte, a member of the Pope Valley school district board of trustees. The school, which already uses propane for heating and power, would only need a bigger propane tank to be able to refuel the new bus right on campus.
The closest gas stations to the small campus on Pope Valley Road are in Angwin, St. Helena or Middletown, said Mike Damonte, a member of the Pope Valley school district board of trustees. The school, which already uses propane for heating and power, would only need a bigger propane tank to be able to refuel the new bus right on campus.
The board is slated to decide whether to buy the new bus at its next meeting on Feb. 21.
On Thursday, the school’s entire student body, plus teachers, the principal, the school board president, two school bus drivers and others checked a model of a new propane bus that Marty Middleton, a representative with A-Z Bus Sales Inc., drove to the rural K-8 school.
On Thursday, the school’s entire student body, plus teachers, the principal, the school board president, two school bus drivers and others checked a model of a new propane bus that Marty Middleton, a representative with A-Z Bus Sales Inc., drove to the rural K-8 school.
About 60 boys and girls, the school’s entire student body, took turns checking out the propane bus in the barn where the school keeps its fleet — two buses built in the mid-1980s, each with more than 200,000 miles on their odometers.
“They’re so excited,” said Superintendent and Principal Florence Eaton as students climbed on board.
Unlike the older buses, the propane bus comes equipped with seat belts and air conditioning, a plus in Pope Valley, where temperatures reach 100 degrees during the summer months.
Middleton demonstrated how the emergency buzzer goes off as soon as an emergency door latch is turned and how to adjust the new seat belts, and answered students’ questions on the advantages of propane over gas, the size of the bus and whether or not the bus locks when robbers show up.
“About how much does this cost?” asked Adi Figueroa, 11. The answer: The 47-seat bus would run $120,000, though the district could tap a $63,000 grant from the California Department of Education designed to reduce reliance on school buses that don’t meet modern safety standards.
Longtime driver Rita Hardin said she liked the propane bus.
“I was very impressed,” Hardin said after the test drive. “I thought it ran very smoothly, very quiet. I was impressed with it.”
Scott Brown, a school board member who grew up in Pope Valley, also voiced support for the propane bus. Propane is green and is used in the valley.
“I think it’s the way to go,” as he stood inside the bus. “It makes all the sense in the world.”
The bus manufacturer, Georgia-based Blue Bird, has sold 40 propane buses in Southern California, Middleton said.
If the district decides to purchase a propane bus, the new vehicle could be ready in six months, she said.
“They’re so excited,” said Superintendent and Principal Florence Eaton as students climbed on board.
Unlike the older buses, the propane bus comes equipped with seat belts and air conditioning, a plus in Pope Valley, where temperatures reach 100 degrees during the summer months.
Middleton demonstrated how the emergency buzzer goes off as soon as an emergency door latch is turned and how to adjust the new seat belts, and answered students’ questions on the advantages of propane over gas, the size of the bus and whether or not the bus locks when robbers show up.
“About how much does this cost?” asked Adi Figueroa, 11. The answer: The 47-seat bus would run $120,000, though the district could tap a $63,000 grant from the California Department of Education designed to reduce reliance on school buses that don’t meet modern safety standards.
Longtime driver Rita Hardin said she liked the propane bus.
“I was very impressed,” Hardin said after the test drive. “I thought it ran very smoothly, very quiet. I was impressed with it.”
Scott Brown, a school board member who grew up in Pope Valley, also voiced support for the propane bus. Propane is green and is used in the valley.
“I think it’s the way to go,” as he stood inside the bus. “It makes all the sense in the world.”
The bus manufacturer, Georgia-based Blue Bird, has sold 40 propane buses in Southern California, Middleton said.
If the district decides to purchase a propane bus, the new vehicle could be ready in six months, she said.
No comments posted.
Join the conversation
Comment guidelines
All comments will be screened and may take several hours to be posted.
• Keep comments clear, concise and focused on the topic in the story.
• Comments exceeding 300 words will not be posted.
• Refrain from personal attacks, degrading comments or remarks that do not add to a constructive dialogue.
• Comments implying suspects in crime-related stories are guilty before they have been proven so in a court of law will be deleted.
• Do not post e-mail addresses or links except for pages on Napavalleyregister.com or government Web sites.
• Comments will not be edited - they will be approved or declined.
• Comments may be used in the print edition of the newspaper.
• If you feel a posted comment has violated our guidelines, please contact dross@napanews.com or bkennedy@napanews.com
For further information on the comment guidelines, click here.
|
|
