The Laredo Metro Inc. (DBA El Metro) has become a success story for being one the first small urban transit systems to introduce CNG Buses in the fleet.
Alternative fuels are used by transit agencies across the United States, and will become part of the operations of many more transit agencies in coming years. After acquiring the first buses in 1997, El Metro made history in the city for being a first alternative fuel user in South Texas. Driven by considerations such as air quality and energy diversification, various mandates, and incentives have been created that lead to the use of alternative fuels for transit applications. The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990, for example, provided for aggressive improvement in transit bus emissions that began in 1994. It has been proven that alternative fuels can help improve air quality in polluted metropolitan areas. Legislators and regulators have translated these findings into mandates for many fleet operators, particularly transit agencies, to introduce alternative fuel buses in their fleets. The CAAA of 1990 required significant reduction of pollutants from various sources that included transit service agencies. Alternative fuels offered one means of achieving these reductions. A disadvantage of the CNG buses is the Capital Costs, which are significantly higher than diesel while the Operating Costs are reported to be similar to diesel.
Presently, El Metro has 23 CNG Buses and will be purchasing 25 new CNG Buses in the next two years, which will replace the old diesel buses. El Metro also has plans to replace its CNG Plant in Laredo.