Rising diesel costs hit Broome County Transit

VESTAL, N.Y. (WBNG) -- As diesel prices climb, Broome County (BC) Transit is feeling the impact of fuel costs that have nearly doubled in recent months.

The transit system operates seven days a week and covers the entire urban core of Broome County as well as rural transportation. While it buys diesel from a state contract at a discounted rate, the department is not immune to price fluctuations.

“We consume between 50 to 100 gallons of diesel a day in some cases. You’re talking hundreds of dollars per day per full diesel vehicle,” said Greg Kilmer, commissioner of public transportation for Broome County.

The national average for diesel has skyrocketed during the conflict with Iran.

Kilmer said the price increases have been steep.

“In January, we were buying diesel at $2.61 a gallon, February took us to $2.98, March is $3.79. Now we’re at $4.56,” Kilmer said.

BC Transit has its own on-site tanks filled weekly. While they never run down to empty, the cost of hypothetically filling one to the top has risen by around $14,000.

“Fuel is always like riding a roller coaster in terms of prices. So, I mean, we do have some wiggle room in terms of absorbing rolling costs,” Kilmer said.

In the immediate future, there are no impacts to service or fare, but a prolonged crisis could leave the door open for adjustments.

“We’re, for the time being, absorbing the additional costs. We’ll look at next year’s budget and see what the fuel expense window looks like and we’ll adjust accordingly,” Kilmer said.

Last summer, BC Transit added 13 full-battery electric buses, making up roughly one-third of its fleet. With diesel costs continually rising, Kilmer wants to see a full year of data before potentially introducing more.