The District of Columbia now owns 56 vehicles that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) - more than any other city on the East Coast. Given the District's population and size, that figure compares favorably with Los Angeles' 170 CNG vehicles (consider that LA is 467 sq miles, pop. 3.8 million). According to Ron Flowers, DPW's Fleet Management Administrator, investing in alternative-fuel cars now puts DC ahead of anticipated legislation that may soon mandate that cities use more of the cleaner-running vehicles.

DPW's Fleet Management Administration has been working with the US Department of Energy (DOE), the Council of Governments and Honda Corporation to gather detailed mileage, fuel and maintenance data on the city's fleet of CNG cars. The data will be compiled into a Case Study which will be posted on DOE's Clean Cities Web site.