BURLINGTON — School buses, trash trucks and fire apparatus have gone from routine budget lines to urgent problems as diesel prices spike. District and city officials say they are combining routes, postponing nonessential work and rethinking repairs so essential services can keep rolling while fuel costs stay unpredictable.
School fleet hit hard
The Alamance‑Burlington School System’s transportation office told Spectrum News it runs 144 buses and “averages about 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel every week,” a level of demand that stings more with every jump in pump prices. Emily‑Lynn Adkins told Spectrum the district had a contract that kept its cost near $2 per gallon, but recent deliveries have been closer to $4. To cope, the system is preparing to park…..