WRTA to save money with fuel consortium

YOUNGSTOWN -- Western Reserve Transit Authority will lock in diesel fuel prices for one year and avoid paying surcharges by joining a fuel consortium.
The WRTA board voted Thursday to join the consortium and directed Jim Ferraro, executive director, to contract with Akron's Metro Regional Transit Authority fuel consortium at 2.11 per gallon Jan 1. through Dec. 31, 2007.
Ferraro has said WRTA will likely pay 1 million for fuel for this year because of the escalating fuel costs.
WRTA paid an average of 1.07 per gallon for bus fuel in 2004, and in January 2002, the per-gallon price was 69 cents.
Fuel is delivered about every six days, and at 2.12 a gallon, for example, a load of fuel costs about 20,000, but with a 250 surcharge on each delivery, WRTA officials said.