Alliance AutoGas, transit partner win sustainability award

Alliance AutoGas (AAG) and the Northeast Tennessee Rural Public Transportation (NET Trans) received the 2020 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Award for their joint efforts to help improve air quality in eastern Tennessee.

NET Trans is a nonprofit that provides door-to-door, non-emergency transportation to anyone who requests a ride in its communities. In addition, its vehicle fleet is equipped with wheelchair lifts and able to serve customers with disabilities.

In 2016, NET Trans implemented an autogas program with AAG and continues to support the surrounding community with its fleet of autogas transit vans, according to AAG. In September 2020, NET Trans opened its third refueling center at the U-Haul location in Kingsport, Tennessee.

“We continue to see a need for our service, and autogas is helping us fulfill that need,” says Candace Long, director of NET Trans. “Our region is seeing the benefit in fueling our transit vehicles with propane autogas.”

NET Trans works as part of the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency and serves numerous counties in the northeast region of the state, as well as urbanized areas outside the city limits for Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City, Tennessee.

“Seeing what NET Trans has been able to do for their community in such a short time is such an inspiration for other fleets who want to improve the air quality in their own communities,” says Jessica Johnson, partner and projects liaison for AAG. “Cleaner air is made possible one autogas vehicle at a time, and we are honored to be part of that process.”

The Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards recognize outstanding initiatives to improve the efficiency, accessibility, affordability and sustainability of transportation systems in the state, according to AAG.

Featured photo courtesy of Alliance AutoGas