OU Transportation Operations Center's Grand Opening

Environmentalists celebrated the opening of the OU transportation center that houses eco-friendly buses and provides students with a cleaner mode of transportation.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony began at 1:30 p.m. today (March 10) and commemorated the opening of the new OU Transportation Operations Center located on 510 Chesapeake St. The new center combines OU Fleet Services and CART into one location, according to a press release Thursday.

The Federal Transit Administration dispensed $1.8 million to CART this year, allowing them to purchase four compressed natural gas buses, Kris Glenn said, marketing and public relations director for CART. CART currently has three CNG buses in its fleet, combining the total number of CNG buses to seven.

The new center includes four fast-fuel pumps and eight compressed natural gas lines that will allow overnight refueling for the buses.

“The compressed natural gas buses were chosen because they have much cleaner burning fuel and because of CART’s commitment to be good stewards of the environment,” Glenn said.

The center’s new station will also use E-85 and bio-diesel, both of which are cleaner-burning fuels than diesel or gasoline. The fast-fuel pumps are available to City of Norman vehicles as well as CART vehicles.