The air Fort Lauderdale area residents breathe is a little bit cleaner, thanks to the efforts of Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport. Years ago, it was the first Florida airport to implement a clean air shuttle service. Now, the airport has expanded its cleaner-burning fleet and recently hosted a forum to teach other area fleets about the benefits of biodiesel. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) participated in this forum and presented awards to area biodiesel champions.

Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport has used B20 since March 2004. Today, the fuel powers its fleet of three trams and 56 diesel buses. That includes five hybrid electric-diesel buses recently introduced into the fleet.

"We use B20 because it reduces emissions with performance that is virtually identical to diesel," said Randy Bond, general manager for ShuttlePort, which services the airport. "I would recommend B20 to any fleet manager."

The Community Transportation Initiative (CTI) and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport hosted the "On The Road to Clean Air Bus Launch Celebration & CTI Biodiesel Forum." The NBB awarded the office of Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fla., for his leadership in helping CTI, and also honored the airport for achieving the vision of an environmentally friendly airport shuttle service. The NBB also presented an award to the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, recognizing the airport's successes.

Facilitated by the University of South Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research, the forum provided the opportunity for potential users to learn about the rapidly emerging and expanding biodiesel market. A panel discussion about quality assurance and the development of a sustainable market was led by representatives from the NBB, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services, and the Coastal Fuels Marketing Group.