CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Metro is now fueling all of its buses with a 50-percent blend of biodiesel and regular diesel fuel. According to a Metro release, the agency intends to use the 50-percent blend in April through October, when the average temperature is over 40 degrees, and then switch back to the normal 20-percent blend in colder months. Ohio is the sixth largest producer of soybeans in the nation, and Metro was one of the first transit systems in the country to experiment with biodiesel, operating its buses several million miles on the alternative fuel. In 1993 and 1994, Metro participated in two successful national tests for soybean-based biodiesel. In 2000, Metro experimented with biodiesel made from recycled cooking oils from local restaurants. In 2001, Metro operated almost half its fleet on a soydiesel blend. All of the tests were funded through special alternative fuels grants. Based on these experiences, Metro has been pleased with the performance of the fuel in its buses, but cost was an issue until recently. Currently, biodiesel is less expensive for Metro than regular diesel fuel on the open market, and this increase will make Metro one of the largest biodiesel users in the nation, consuming about 1.3 million gallons a year. Budget is the primary reason for this aggressive use of the alternative fuel: Metro’s 390 buses use about 3.6 million gallons of fuel per year, and the agency saves about $1 for every gallon of biodiesel purchased through an arrangement with its local fuel supplier, Peter Cremer North America. Biodiesel has a positive impact not just on the environment and Metro’s budget, but also on the economy of the region and the state, as the biodiesel Metro uses is manufactured locally from Ohio soybeans. In early Sept. 2005 when Hurricane Katrina caused disruption in deliveries of diesel fuel to the Cincinnati area, Metro arranged to purchase biodiesel in lieu of scarce diesel fuel. Metro has continued to purchase biodiesel since that time.