The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) has six new buses running on natural gas, and local commuters could continue to see more environmentally-friendly options on the roads.
About 30 percent of RFTA buses run on natural gas, which CEO Dan Blankenship said helps to diversify fuel sources and cut diesel emissions. He said RFTA does recognize the environmental impacts of natural gas drilling and extraction. In 2017, the bus agency will explore using renewable natural gas, which is produced from biogas, the by-product of decomposition.
RFTA is also looking into developing technology, like electric buses with longer lasting batteries and maybe even eventually autonomous vehicles.