COTA Fields Ave. CNG + BEB

Building infrastructure for two modes of low-emission fueling

This project gives the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) two opportunities to innovate sustainable transportation. The facility is now COTA’s second facility to offer compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling. The Bowen team also engineered the electrical infrastructure and coordinated the efforts for the installation of new battery electric bus (BEB) chargers. The primary components of the Project are:

1. A new CNG Compressing Plant with 8 compressors, capable of fueling a fleet of 180 buses daily.
2. A covered CNG Fueling Station with 3 fuel islands and a small service building
3. A new building addition that includes a new 2-lane bus wash with an associated Mechanical Room, and a new Facilities Shop.
4. The conversion of the existing indoor diesel fueling and bus wash into a new locker room and premium interior cleaning space for buses.
5. A new perimeter loop driveway that provides access around the entire building.

Meeting all building codes to allow for CNG buses inside of the building required major upgrades to the HVAC systems, upgrading all of the existing interior high bay lighting to LED, and the installation of a new gas detection system as well. Additionally, we facilitated the removal of the entire existing roof down to the deck, with the installation of all new roof insulation and a new single-ply roofing membrane. Finally, the design also included a complete upgrade of the exterior landscaping, including the installation of new previous pavers all along the main entry area. The project has a LEED Gold goal.