Port Authority of Allegheny County installs air and surface purification devices

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is installing air and surface purification devices in its fleet of 700 buses and 80 light-rail cars to improve the customer experience by creating an even healthier and safer environment for its passengers and employees.

The installation of NFI Parts® Proactive Air and Surface Purification (PASP) units began this fall, and more than half of the bus fleet is now equipped with them. Installations in rail cars will begin early next year.

"The safety of our riders and employees has always been our top priority, and we remain committed to following every precaution to ensure our vehicles are safe," said Port Authority CEO Katharine Kelleman. "In addition to installing Plexiglass barriers for our drivers and manually sanitizing our vehicles, installing these devices is another step to round out our safety strategy."

The PASP units use technology to create advanced purification by producing High Energy Clusters that are distributed throughout the interior of the vehicle, safely sanitizing both air and surfaces. Mounted directly inside the passenger compartment, the devices eliminate the virus that causes COVID-19 as well as other germs, microbes, viruses, bacteria, and volatile organic compounds in the air and on surfaces.

In addition to these devices, Port Authority will soon be installing high-efficiency HVAC filters in buses to further ensure riders and employees are breathing fresh, clean air. The filters will be installed during regularly scheduled preventative maintenance.

The PASP units and HVAC filters cost the authority $2.9 million and were paid for with local, state and federal funding.