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For many transit agencies, operational efficiency is a top priority. Even a small hiccup in the process can ripple through the entire system. That was the case at Mountain Line Transit Authority in Morgantown, West Virginia. Faced with routine congestion issues at their refueling station and growing pressure on infrastructure, Mountain Line decided to run a pilot program with propane autogas vehicles as a simple, low-risk solution.
In 2024, Mountain Line began incorporating propane-powered Ford E-450 vehicles into its fleet. What started as a small pilot quickly proved its value, becoming more than a workaround and evolving into a smart tool for long-term improvement. By the end of 2025, five vehicles will be in service.
Fixing the Refueling Bottleneck
Prior to adopting propane autogas, Mountain Line’s fleet yard was equipped with a single 10,000-gallon tank split between gasoline and diesel. As the agency grew, the shared fueling system couldn’t keep pace with demand. Vehicles often lined up at the end of the day, waiting to refuel while workers remained on the clock. Meanwhile, fuel deliveries became increasingly frequent and disruptive.
Agency leadership explored expanding the gasoline infrastructure, including the possibility of installing a larger or vertical tank. But those solutions came with high costs and physical space limitations. That’s when they turned to propane autogas to reduce congestion and improve operations by adding two, 1,000-gallon tanks. Propane refueling infrastructure is customizable and scalable to meet the needs and the space constraints of any fleet.
“We had to have very frequent deliveries for our gas,” said Maria Smith, CEO of Mountain Line. “And we were also having buses line up at the end of the day, trying to refuel at the gas pump. We were originally looking at getting a larger fuel tank. It was really expensive; it was difficult to find the space and the right kind of tank. And then we resolved it by getting propane.”
Today, the propane autogas vehicles are fueled between morning and afternoon shifts on weekdays. On Saturdays, they run full 12-hour shifts without needing to refuel. Most importantly, it’s alleviated the bottleneck at the pump.
“Propane autogas was an inexpensive way for us to pilot a project and to do something that was one step in the direction of being more efficient,” Smith added.
Community Support
While the initial decision to use propane was driven by logistics, it turned out to be a win on multiple fronts, including public perception. Because West Virginia produces natural gas and propane is a byproduct of that process, the choice to use it resonated locally. It was seen as smart, efficient, and regionally aligned. For a public agency like Mountain Line, community support is critical.
“Our constituents are loving it because Mountain Line is innovative. Our board and our riders have been very happy with it,” Smith said. “As a community that relies on a personal property tax levy, it’s important that we keep up with the times, and that we do things that the community will be able to stand behind.”
Looking Ahead
With five propane autogas vehicles in service and more likely to follow, the agency is using these vehicles to gather data to make future decisions. Mountain Line uses FuelMaster software to better understand consumption, performance, and opportunities for continued improvement.
While the agency explored electric vehicles, Smith said the challenges were hard to ignore. Limited range, high vehicle cost, charging infrastructure requirements, and shorter battery lifespans all made electric impractical for a fleet that needs to provide a reliable service.
“Electric was just not making sense to us,” Smith said. “The issues, and the challenges, and the cost. You have to get two [electric] buses for every one [propane autogas] bus. They cost twice as much, and the batteries only live half the amount of life of the bus. We have a whole list of reasons, so it just wasn’t making sense to us.”
Propane autogas, on the other hand, continues to prove its value as a reliable part of the agency’s long-term operations. While environmental targets and potential regulations were not a driving factor in the decision toward propane autogas, Smith said the energy’s clean emissions profile is a bonus. Today’s propane autogas vehicles are 90 percent cleaner than EPA standards. Within the first two years of service, the vehicles have reduced CO2 tailpipe emissions by 45 metric tons. That number grows to 76 metric tons of CO2eq reduction when lifecycle emissions are considered.
“We did want the opportunity to do something more fuel efficient, something that was a little bit greener,” Smith said. “There’s not a lot of pressure on us to go green, which we were grateful for, but we wanted to get out ahead of that. And so propane gave us a really good outlet to walk that path.”
A Model of Innovation for Transit Leaders
Mountain Line’s story represents the real struggles many public transit agencies are currently facing. It isn’t about big environmental targets or sweeping technology transitions. It’s about solving operational challenges in a cost-effective, scalable way.
As a result of its propane autogas pilot, the agency found an energy source that improved efficiency, reduced fueling congestion, earned public trust, and offered long-term flexibility. It’s a model other transit agencies can follow. To learn how, visit propane.com/paratransit.
