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SARTA receives prestigious 2020 “Green Fleet Award” for commitment to renewable energy, zero-emissions technology

November 24, 2020

Canton, Ohio – Executive Director and CEO Kirt Conrad is pleased to announce that the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) has received a Top-50 placement in the 2020 “Green Fleet Awards” presented by 100 Best Fleets in recognition of the system’s embrace of renewable energy and deployment of alternative fuel-powered vehicles. The award is presented annually to the Top-50 public entities or transit systems in the U.S. that meet seven stringent evaluation standards. The city of Dublin was the only other Ohio-based entity to earn the designation this year.

The Green Fleet Award enhances SARTA’s well-deserved reputation as a national and international leader in the adoption of alternative energy technology. “We are both pleased and proud to be named to the prestigious list of agencies that are leading the renewable revolution in transportation and public transit,” Mr. Conrad said. “We also want to thank Stark County’s elected officials, community leaders, and residents for their continued and enthusiastic support of our green initiatives. This award is theirs as well as ours.”

According to Mr. Conrad, SARTA’s sustainability programs have evolved significantly over the past decade. “At the start, our goal was to replace our diesel buses with electric hybrids and CNG-powered vehicles,” he said. “As we began exploring the various alternative/renewable fuel options, we became convinced that hydrogen fuel cells (HFC) could and should play a major role in the electrification of transportation in the United States.”

“Today, we operate one of the largest fleets of HFC-powered vehicles in the Western Hemisphere and the streets, roads, and highways of Stark County have become a real-world proving ground for this exciting technology,” Mr. Conrad continued. “The hundreds of thousands of miles our buses have logged in every imaginable type of weather provides clear and convincing evidence that our faith in HFC power is well founded—and our winning the Green Fleet Award demonstrates that industry experts agree with us.”

“There is a serious problem with environmental pollution that calls for immediate action like SARTA’s application. SARTA has set a standard for the entire industry with their excellent results. SARTA is a good steward of the environment,” stated Tom Johnson, Author at 100 Best Fleets. “It is said, if you limit your goals to what you know you can achieve, you are setting the bar way to low. You have exceeded all expectations for excellence with your application. Congratulations!”

SARTA’s ongoing commitment to sustainability is reflected in the composition of the award-winning transit system’s fleet which includes 13 full-size HFC-powered buses, 36 CNG-fueled vehicles, and three diesel/electric hybrids. That impressive roster of rolling stock will soon be augmented by five HFC-powered paratransit vehicles. In addition, the system also operates both a CNG refueling station that is open to the public and commercial customers as well as an onsite hydrogen refueling s facility that will open to the public as demand increases.

Seven categories are used to evaluate entities competing for the Green Fleet Award:

Ø Fleet Composition

Ø Fuel and Emissions

Ø Policy and Planning

Ø Fleet Utilization

Ø Education

Ø Executive and Employee Involvement

Ø Supporting Programs

For more information about the Green Fleet Awards and 100 Best Fleets in the Americas visit www.the100best.com To learn more about SARTA’s sustainability programs visit https://www.sartaonline.com/sarta-cng