Borough test driving natural gas buses, more on the way

Some MACS Transit buses are nearly gassed up and ready to go — literally.

Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins said transit staff are currently field-testing the three compressed natural gas (CNG) buses they purchased.

“MACS is out there training drivers and testing the refuel capacities,” Hopkins said.

The borough is slowly phasing out its aging diesel fleet and decided several years ago to convert to compressed natural gas. The goal was to reduce diesel use, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce vehicle emissions.

“We will put them out on all the fixed route lines as we continue training, and if we find a reason to make them route-specific, we will do so at a later date,” Hopkins said.

In addition to three CNG buses, MACS Transit’s fleet includes 15 diesel buses and two gasoline vans for its fixed-route service.

A Federal Transit Administration grant covers 80% of the cost, while the borough pays 20% of the purchase.

The borough’s new transportation facility at 1770 Tesoro Road includes a CNG refueling station. Like the buses, it was largely funded by a federal grant.

“The contractor is done, and we are fine-tuning the fueling station,” Hopkins said. “It’s taken a little longer than we want, but we have to train people to empty and fill the tanks to make sure refueling works.”

Hopkins said Interior Gas Utility supplies the natural gas.

The borough faced some bumps before it finally got the buses this year. MACS Transit declined to take delivery after they were damaged during transport to Fairbanks. The contractor had to make repairs before the borough accepted them.

In March, the Assembly Finance Committee approved the purchase of another five CNG buses for nearly $4.8 million, which are expected by the end of the year. Gillig, LLC was awarded the bid through the state of Washington.

“It was good to see those buses come in lower than expected,” Hopkins said. “We were able to do that because we partnered with Washington state’s transportation department on the bids.”

Hopkins said the borough plans to order another five buses in early 2026.

The borough will eventually convert its Van Trans fleet to CNG, requiring additional funding.