ISTEA'S Impact on STURAA

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), signed into law by President Bush in December 1991, requires adaptation of the existing facilities and procedures to accommodate testing of alternative fueled buses and to add brake performance and emissions testing. The facilities will accommodate the testing and repair of vehicles using the following fuels: gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol/ethanol, propane, and battery-powered electric. Modifications will provide for the storage and dispensing of the above fuels as well as the installation of all required safety equipment. New test procedures and equipment will allow the testing required for alternative-fueled vehicles. Specifically, new fuel economy test rigs will withstand the corrosive effects of methanol and ethanol; additional systems will measure the consumption of LNG, CNG, and electrical power. Procedures will also address safety considerations for handling, dispensing, and testing with alternative fuels. The ISTEA amended Section 317 of STURAA to authorize the FTA to pay 80 percent of the costs of bus testing.

brake performance , emissions ,