2. Our Fleet & The Environment

Our Fleet & The Environment

SARTA’s commitment to improving the quality of life in our community is reflected in our enthusiastic embrace of and investment in alternative energy and zero-emission technology. What began a decade ago as a search for vehicles to replace the diesel buses that comprised the bulk of the transit system’s fleet has evolved into an award-winning, internationally recognized sustainability program that removes tons of pollutants from our air each and every year and makes Stark County a healthier place to live, work, and raise a family.

In addition to helping Stark County residents breathe easier by replacing smoke-belching diesel buses with vehicles powered by clean compressed natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen fuel cells (HFC), SARTA’s sustainability program is now a major driver of research and development in the alternative energy/zero emission industry. That means our region and the state of Ohio will experience job growth and economic development as the electrification of transportation in the United States shifts into high gear.

SARTA’s drive to sustainability remains in high gear. Along with 36 CNG-powered vehicles the system’s fleet of five paratransit and 13 full-size HFC-powered buses is one of the largest in North America. In addition, SARTA maintains and operates a CNG fueling station that is open to the public, a state-of-the-art hydrogen refueling facility, and is involved in a number of projects that will lead to exponential growth in adoption of HFC technology.

Learn more about SARTA’s CNG program here. Detailed information about our world-leading hydrogen fuel cell initiative is available here.

SARTA’s sustainability efforts go beyond the acquisition and deployment of low/no emission vehicles. Other projects include: