d e r, 9698 W Judson Road, Polo, Illinois 61064-9015
Change of Address: Please send old mailing label (or old address and computer number) as well as new address Advertising: Classified ad rate is $30 for first 25 words, 25¢ for each a d d i t i o n a l w o r d R a t e i n c l u d e s Internet access Name, address, and phone number are not included in word count Display advertising rates sent on request Advertising deadline is the fifteenth day of the 2nd preceding month unless otherwise indicated Affiliations and Memberships: American Bus Association, The Bus History Association, Family Motor Coach Association, International B u s C o l l e c t o r s , N o r t h A m e r i c a n Tr a c k l e s s Tr o l l e y A s s o c i a t i o n , Motor Bus Society, Omnibus Socie t y o f A m e r i c a , To u r i s t R a i l w a y A s s
Are ELDs Causing More Fatalities? (by Larry Plachno) . . . . . . . . . .20
Truck speeds increased because of electronic logging devices (ELDs) and now truck parking has become a safety concern. While ELDs may not impact the bus industry as much as trucks, the buses are still required to comply with the same logging regulations.
The Future of Public Transit Awaits: APTA TRANSform Conference and Expo Returns to Orlando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
A preview of the forthcoming American Public Transportation Association’s TRANSform Conference & EXPO that will take place in Orlando from October 8-11. In addition to the education sessions and networking events, attendees will be able to view the latest developments and products in public transportation.
The Seattle Duck Accident of 2015 (by Larry Plachno) . . . . . . . . . . .28
This is one of those sad fatal accidents where the bus is not at fault but is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time Unfortunately, we always need to expect the unexpected.
Liquids are Tricky (by Dave Millhouser) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Buses require several different kinds of liquids and lubricants Getting the wrong ones in the wrong places can play havoc with engines, components and reliability While service technicians should know what to do, you might have to educate drivers about adding items when on the road
M o t o r C o a c h I n d u s t r i e s ( M C I ) , a s u bs i d i a r y o f N F I G ro u p I n c ( N F I ) , a n d N o r t h A m e r i c a ’s m o t o rc o a c h l e a d e r b a c k e d b y re l i a b l e i n - fi e l d t e c h n i c a l e x p e r t i s e , 2 4 / 7 r o a d s i d e a s s i s t a n c e a n d p a r t s s u p p o r t , announced on July 20 the deliver y of three zero-emission, batter y-electric MCI J4500 C H A R G E ™ c o a c h e s t o R o b e r t s H a w a i i , t h e l a r g e s t t r a n s p o r t a t i o n p ro v i d e r i n t h e 5 0 t h s t a t e R o b e r t s H a w a i i i s t h e fi r s t U S o p e r a t o r t o r u n t h e M C I J 4 5 0 0 C H A R G E zero-emission coaches in tour and char ter o p e r a t i o n s
T h e 4 5 - f o o t , 5 6 - p a s s e n g e r l u x u r y c o a c h e s a re e q u i p p e d w i t h m o d e r n p a ssenger amenities and high-tech safety features, including a 360-degree camera syst e m , a n d A m e r i c a n - m a d e , h i g h - e n e r g y b a t t e r i e s S u p p o r t e d b y f u n d i n g f ro m t h e Hawaii State Energy Office and the Hawaii D e p a r t m e n t o f H e a l t h t h ro u g h t h e D i e s e l R e p l a c e m e n t R e b a t e P r o g r a m , R o b e r t s Hawaii fully electric motorcoaches help to meet the state’s net-negative emissions targets and future-skills workforce development initiatives
“Hawaii has a long histor y of firsts when it comes to clean energy, so we are thrilled to assist Roberts Hawaii to become the first operator in the countr y to use fully electric motorcoaches for tour and char ter operations,” said Hawaii State Chief Energy Officer M a r k B G l i c k “ T h e D i e s e l R e p l a c e m e n t Rebate program administered by the Hawaii S t a t e E n e r g y O f fi c e i s h e l p i n g l o c a l b u s inesses transition their fleets to clean, zeroemission options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the state’s ambitious clean energy and climate goals ”
With an 82-year histor y as the leader in transpor tation and tourism throughout the i s l a n d s , R o b e r t s H a w a i i s e e s t h e ro a d t o z e r o e m i s s i o n s a s p a r t o f i t s c o n t i n u e d l e g a c y o f i n n o v a t i o n “ Te c h n o l o g y i s o u r f u t u re w h i c h i s w h y w e a re i n v e s t i n g i n i t n o w, ” s a i d R o y P f u n d , C E O o f R o b e r t s Hawaii The company began its transformation to electric in the middle of the Corona v i r u s p a n d e m i c , a p p l y i n g f o r t h e s t a t e ’s competitive grants and building the infrastructure required for the change
“It’s a significant accomplishment to be the first to purchase and operate three new M C I J 4 5 0 0 e l e c t r i c m o t o r c o a c h e s i n Hawaii,” continued Pfund “We recognize and appreciate our state’s energy office con-
tributions, our employee owner’s commitment to EV adoption and MCI for its support and exper tise in the entire electric vehicle implementation It has been a challenging and time-consuming process, but the first coaches are finally here Our goal is to cont i n u a l l y a d o p t n e w v e h i c l e t e c h n o l o g y t o maintain our leadership position within the transpor tation industr y ”
Emission-free and luxuriously appointed, the MCI J4500 CHARGE is the electric version of the best-selling J4500 motorcoach in North America, renowned for its reliability, state-of-the-ar t safety features and lowest cost of operation It is the most predominant and popular model in Roberts Hawaii’s fleet T h e e l e c t r i c m o d e l i n c o r p o r a t e s N F I ’s advanced technology for greater efficiency and smooth handling, with next generation, h i g h - e n e r g y b a t t e r i e s t h a t d e l i v e r l o n grange, quiet highway driving
“ We a re e x c i t e d t o s h o w c a s e R o b e r t s Hawaii’s leadership in hitting another major milestone in the move to zero emissions,” said Brent Maitland, vice president of private sector sales and marketing, MCI “We are thrilled they continue to rely on MCI, and we look forward to supporting them in providing reliable, comfortable and energy-efficient transportation to their tour and charter passengers ”
“ O u r l o n g s t a n d i n g r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Rober ts Hawaii spans four decades,” continues Maitland “We are honored to be part o f t h e i r e x p a n d i n g p o r t f o l i o i n t o z e r oemission vehicles and appreciate their confidence in our product, par ts, service and support as they continue to transform transpor tation in Hawaii ”
MCI’s parent company is NFI, a leader in zero-emission mobility, with electric vehic l e s o p e r a t i n g ( o r o n o rd e r ) i n m o re t h a n 1 3 0 c i t i e s i n s i x c o u n t r i e s N F I o ff e r s t h e widest range of zero-emission batter y and fuel cell-electric buses and coaches, and its vehicles have completed more than 115 million EV service miles
Today, NFI supports growing North American cities with scalable, clean and sustainable mobility solutions through a four-pillar approach that includes buses and coaches, t e c h n o l o g y i n f r a s t r u c t u re a n d w o r k f o rc e development NFI also operates the Vehicle Innovation Center (VIC), the first and only i n n o v a t i o n l a b o f i t s k i n d d e d i c a t e d t o advancing bus and coach technology and p ro v i d i n g w o r k f o rc e d e v e l o p m e n t S i n c e o p e n i n g i n l a t e 2 0 1 7 , t h e V I C h a s h o s t e d more than 350 interactive events, welcoming 7,000 industry professionals for EV and infrastructure training
Roberts Hawaii will first launch the electric models in its city guided tours to the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor and will make the coaches available to charter services
To distinguish its electric coaches from o t h e r s , a n e x t e r i o r c o a c h d e c a l d e p i c t s Rober ts Hawaii’s iconic bunny holding an electric bolt “It communicates we are adapting with the times,” says Randy Baldemor, executive vice president, Rober ts Hawaii “The phrase ‘Malama Hawaii’ – meaning to take care of Hawaii – is also placed on the e n t r a n c e d o o r a n d re a r p a n e l , c o n v e y i n g our commitment to protecting Hawaii’s enviro n m e n t t h ro u g h t h e s e a n d o t h e r s i m i l a r investments in the future ”
R o b e r t s H a w a i i b e g a n s e r v i n g t h e tourism industr y on Kauai in 1941 Today, R o b e r t s H a w a i i i s t h e s t a t e ’s l a r g e s t employee-owned company that serves individual visitors, travel agents, meeting planners, destination management companies and escorted tour providers on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii, with airp o r t s h u t t l e s e r v i c e s , p e r s o n a l i z e d s i g h tseeing tours and excursions Robets Hawaii operates a fleet of more than 900 vehicles, i n c l u d i n g z e ro - e m i s s i o n , b a t t e r y - e l e c t r i c t r a n s i t a n d s c h o o l b u s e s L e a r n m o r e a t www rober tshawaii com
MCI is North America’s public and private market motorcoach leader Products include the luxury J Series (an industry best-seller for more than a decade), the workhorse D Series and the brand new zero-emission luxury and c o m m u t e r c o a c h e s : t h e b a t t e r y - e l e c t r i c
J 4 5 0 0 C H A R G E ™ , D 4 5 C RT C H A R G E ™
and D45 CRT LE CHARGE™ MCI also provides maintenance, repair, 24-hour roadside a s s i s t a n c e , p a r t s a n d t e c h n i c i a n t r a i n i n g through the industry’s only Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) accredited and award-winning MCI Academy
Leveraging 450 years of combined experience, NFI is leading the electrification of mass mobility around the world With zeroemission buses and coaches, infrastructure a n d t e c h n o l o g y, N F I m e e t s t o d a y ’s u r b a n demands for scalable smar t mobility solutions Together, NFI is enabling more livable c i t i e s t h ro u g h c o n n e c t e d , c l e a n a n d s u s -
tainable transpor tation
With 7,700 team members in 10 countries, NFI is a leading global bus manufacturer of m a s s m o b i l i t y s o l u t i o n s u n d e r t h e b r a n d s New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), MCI® (motorcoaches), Alexander Dennis Limited (single- and double-deck buses), Plaxton (motorcoaches), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses) and NFI Par ts™ NFI currently offers the widest range of sustainable drive systems available, including zero-emission electric (trolley, batter y and
f u e l c e l l ) , n a t u r a l g a s , e l e c t r i c h y b r i d a n d clean diesel In total, NFI supports its installed b a s e o f m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 b u s e s a n d coaches around the world
Anderson Coach & Travel Adds
Three Prevost H3-45S
For the first time since a worldwide pand e m i c n e a r l y d e c i m a t e d t h e m o t o rc o a c h i n d u s t r y, l o n g t i m e G r e e n v i l l e c o m p a n y A n d e r s o n C o a c h & Tr a v e l i s a d d i n g n e w buses to its fleet
“ W e ’ r e v e r y e x c i t e d a b o u t t h e s e n e w coaches,” said President Doug Anderson “Our goal is to provide superior travel experiences for our guests, and these vehicles’ e n h a n c e d f e a t u re s w i l l m a k e f o r s m o o t h , comfor table rides ”
Three brand new Prevost H3-45 deluxe motorcoaches arrive this summer They are t h e fi r s t n e w v e h i c l e s f o r A n d e r s o n s i n c e 2019, said Evan Anderson, driver and safety manager of the family-owned company
According to the American Bus Association, 40 percent of bus companies closed during the Covid-19 pandemic Anderson was forced to lay off almost its entire staff of 200-plus people as buses came to a complete halt for months
Now in its 86th year of business, Anderson held on as people slowly star ted trave l i n g a g a i n T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n c o n t i n u e s g o i n g s t r o n g w i t h n e w 5 6 - p a s s e n g e r b u s e s f o r g u e s t s T h e n e w c o a c h e s f e at u r e s e a t i n g i n t h e c o m p a n y c o l o r s d e s i g n e d b y E v a n A n d e r s o n , t h e t h i r d g e n e r a t i o n o f A n d e r s o n s t o r u n t h e c o m p a n y
T h e n e w c o a c h e s – w h i c h a r e A D Aa c c e s s i b l e – i n c l u d e t h e m o s t s p a c i o u s cabin environment in its class, an ergonomically-designed leather seating configuration and unmatched accessibility with the lowest overall height in the industry, meaning easier a c c e s s t o a v a r i e t y o f l o c a t i o n s T h e n e w models feature improved fuel economy of 10 percent, optimal light and temperature control, 110V and USB outlets at each seat and ample storage options
Constructed in small town Sainte-Claire, Q u e b e c , C a n a d a , P re v o s t c o a c h e s h a v e been the brand of choice for Anderson for decades Over the years, Anderson has purchased many coaches from the company T h e s e t h re e b r i n g t h e t o t a l o f A n d e r s o n ’s entire fleet of motorcoaches to 46 vehicles
‘ We a re s o p ro u d o f o u r l o n g - s t a n d i n g par tnership with Anderson Coach and we are excited to be delivering three beautiful new, redesigned H3-45 coaches to them in July,” said François Tremblay, president of Prevost and Volvo Group Canada “The road b a c k t o b u s i n e s s - a s - u s u a l h a s a t t i m e s , b e e n a b u m p y o n e f o r t h e m o t o r c o a c h industr y Prevost is honored to be a par t of Anderson’s jour ney and we look forward to their continued success ”
“ N o w, w h a t w e n e e d m o s t , a r e m o r e p e o p l e t o c o m e b e p a r t o f o u r t e a m a s drivers,” said Evan Anderson The company h a s a t r a i n i n g c l a s s c o m i n g u p s o o n a n d i n t e r e s t e d p e o p l e c a n a p p l y a t
As part of the reinvestment into the company fleet, Anderson noted that used equipNational Bus Trader / September, 2023
ment is also for sale Information is available at GoAnderson com
NFI Group Inc (NFI), a leading independ e n t b u s a n d c o a c h m a n u f a c t u re r a n d a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, o n J u l y 2 1 a n n o u n c e d t h a t i t s s u b s i d i a r y N e w F l y e r o f A m e r i c a I n c ( N e w F l y e r ) received a new order from Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) for 26 zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ 40foot transit buses The vehicles, purchased o f f t h e Wa s h i n g t o n S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t o f E n t e r p r i s e S e r v i c e s c o n t r a c t , h a v e b e e n added to the company’s backlog in the second quar ter of 2023
T h e o rd e r f o r a d d i t i o n a l z e ro - e m i s s i o n buses follows COTA’s previous purchase of 1 4 b a t t e r y - e l e c t r i c X c e l s i o r C H A R G E N G transit buses, announced in Januar y 2023 T h e s e n e w z e ro - e m i s s i o n b u s e s w i l l h e l p COTA meet the growing mobility demand in the central Ohio region and deliver on the agency’s sustainability commitments
“ T h i s l a t e s t p u r c h a s e o f N e w F l y e r b a t t e r y - e l e c t r i c b u s e s f u r t h e r s o u r c o mmitment to building a zero-emissions public transit fleet for the central Ohio region,” s a i d C h i e f E n g i n e e r i n g a n d M e c h a n i c a l Officer Andy Biesterveld “With New Flyer CNG buses and now electric vehicles, we a re o n t r a c k t o b e c o m e a d i e s e l - f re e f l e e t b y 2 0 2 5 a n d a z e ro - e m i s s i o n f i x e d - ro u t e f l e e t b y 2 0 3 5 A s t h e c e n t r a l O h i o re g i o n g ro w s , C O TA b e l i e v e s o u r t r a n s i t s y s t e m m u s t g ro w re s p o n s i b l y a n d t h a t i n c l u d e s r e d u c i n g o u r c a r b o n f o o t p r i n t i n o u r c o m m u n i t i e s ”
“ B u i l t o n N e w F l y e r ’s p ro v e n X c e l s i o r ® p l a t f o r m , t h e X c e l s i o r C H A R G E N G b u s i n c o r p o r a t e s t h r e e d i s t i n c t t e c h n o l o g y a d v a n c e m e n t s : h i g h - e n e r g y b a t t e r i e s , advanced protective battery packaging and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90 percent energy recovery,” said Chris Stoddart, president, North American Bus and Coach, NFI “NFI has delivered 1 9 0 t r a n s i t b u s e s t o C O TA s i n c e 2 0 0 1 , including the agency’s first batter y-electric bus in 2021 Building on our 20-year par tnership, NFI is proud to continue supporting COTA’s transition to greener, safer and more efficient mobility ”
The next generation zero-emission buses for COTA will be equipped with high-energy, 520 kWh batteries, delivering more energyefficient and longer-range buses COTA Is a primary provider of public transit services for the greater Columbus and central Ohio region, providing nearly 19 million annual passenger trips on 410 transit vehicles in its fleet
Central Ohio Transit Authority (COT) in Columbus, Ohio recently placed an order for 26 buses from New Flyer The new buses are zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ 40-foot transit buses COTA plans to be diesel-free by 2025 and have a zero-emission fixed-route fleet by 2035
NFI is a leader in zero-emission mobility w i t h e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s o p e r a t i n g ( o r o n o rd e r ) i n m o re t h a n 1 3 0 c i t i e s i n s i x c o u nt r i e s N F I o ff e r s t h e w i d e s t r a n g e o f z e roe m i s s i o n b a t t e r y a n d f u e l c e l l - e l e c t r i c buses and coaches, and its vehicles have c o m p l e t e d m o r e t h a n 1 1 5 m i l l i o n E V s e r v i c e m i l e s
Today, NFI supports growing North America cities with scalable, clean and sustainable mobility solutions through a four-pillar approach that includes buses and coaches, t e c h n o l o g y, i n f r a s t r u c t u re a n d w o r k f o rc e development NFI also operates the Vehicle Innovation Center (VIC), the first and only i n n o v a t i o n l a b o f i t s k i n d d e d i c a t e d t o advancing bus and coach technology and p ro v i d i n g w o r k f o rc e d e v e l o p m e n t S i n c e o p e n i n g i n l a t e 2 0 1 7 , t h e V I C h a s h o s t e d more than 350 interactive events, welcoming 7,000 industry professionals for EV and infrastructure training
G r e y h o u n d H o l d s S e c o n d A n n u a l Hiring Event for Veterans
G r e y h o u n d , t h e l a r g e s t p r o v i d e r o f i n t e r c i t y b u s t r a v e l i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , h e l d a v i r t u a l h i r i n g e v e n t f o r v e t e r a n s o n J u l y 2 5 , t o c o i n c i d e w i t h N a t i o n a l H i re a Veteran Day Established in 2017, National H i re a Ve t e r a n D a y i s a n a n n u a l i n i t i a t i v e to encourage employers to consider hiring f o r m e r m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e m e m b e r s , a n d G re y h o u n d i s p ro u d t o d o i t s p a r t t o g i v e veterans a rewarding career This is Greyh o u n d ’s s e c o n d y e a r p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n t h e h o l i d a y, a d d i n g t o i t s l o n g h i s t o r y o f s u pp o r t i n g t h o s e w h o h a v e s e r v e d o u r c o u nt r y i n t h e a r m e d f o rc e s
“ T h e t r a i t s v e t e r a n s b r i n g t o o u r t e a m , including leadership, focus and commitment are invaluable to Greyhound,” said Tim Parrish, vice president of operations for Greyh o u n d L i n e s “ We a re h o n o re d t o e m p l o y those who served in the militar y These are s e l fl e s s p e o p l e w h o n e v e r h e s i t a t e t o p u t others first We are grateful to play a role in their career jour neys ”
The virtual hiring event took place on April 2 5 , 2 0 2 3 T h e re w e re t w o w a y s t o p a r t i c ipate First, greyhound hosted an open forum from 2-6 p m which enabled interested veterans to ask questions of the recruiters Veterans could also access the open forum by c l i c k i n g Ve t e r a n s O p e n F o r u m T h i s i s a great opportunity for veterans to learn more about what working for Greyhound entails, a n d t h e b e n e fi t s o f f e r e d A l s o , v e t e r a n s could fill out an application at Veterans 2023 and a recruiter would get back to them within 24-36 hours
G r e y h o u n d h o p e s t o a t t r a c t v e t e r a n s i n t e re s t e d i n j o n i n g i t s t e a m o f d r i v e r s b y offering various benefits such as health care, PTO, financial planning and oppor tunities for personal growth The company is also offering a sign-on bonus of $15,000
“ I j o i n e d t h e m i l i t a r y r i g h t o u t o f h i g h s c h o o l , a n d I w a s p r e t t y u n d i s c i p l i n e d , ” said driver Dwayne Franklin, a militar y vete r a n w h o h a s d r i v e n w i t h G re y h o u n d f o r 2 6 y e a r s “ T h e m i l i t a r y t a u g h t m e d i s c ip l i n e I a l s o l e a r n e d h o w t o f o c u s o n a j o b a n d b e t h e b e s t a t i t T h o s e a re a t t r i b u t e s t h a t h a v e s e r v e d m e w e l l i n m y 2 6 y e a r s w i t h G re y h o u n d ”
To f u r t h e r i l l u s t r a t e G re y h o u n d ’s c o mmitment to veterans, Greyhound offers mili t a r y d i s c o u n t s f o r c u s t o m e r s a n d s u p -
por ts militar y focused non-profits through e v e n t s p o n s o r s h i p a n d s p e c i a l c h a r t e r s A d d i t i o n a l l y, G re y h o u n d i s a l s o p ro u d t o
Greyhound recently held its second annual Veteran Hiring event The event was held on July 25 to coincide with National Hire a Veteran Day established in 2017 Greyhound hosted an open forum that enabled veterans to ask questions of the recruiters or they could fill out an application form
p a r t n e r w i t h H i r e H e r o e s , a n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n t h a t h e l p s c o m p a n i e s h i r e a n d s u p p o r t v e t e r a n s
To lear n more about all of Greyhound’s e m p l o y m e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s , v i s i t https://careers greyhound com/jobs/
M C I ’s D 4 5 C R T L E i s A C Tr a n s i t ’s New Transbay Bus
The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) is excited to announce the launch of the all-new Transbay MCI D45 CRT L E , a g a m e - c h a n g i n g b u s d e s i g n e d b y Motor Coach Industries (MCI), This cuttinge d g e b u s d u b b e d t h e “ Tr a n s b a y M C I , ” showcases a remarkable blend of sustainability, advanced technology and passenger comfor t
“The Transbay MCI represents a departure from the nor m, and by launching this revolutionar y new fleet of buses, the transit district is seamlessly combining safety measures with captivating design elements This bus was years in development and, unfortunately, delayed by COVID-induced supply chain issues Now that it is here, the Transbay MCI will transfor m access across San Fransisco Bay and char t a new path for an inclusive experience for all riders,” says Joel Young, AC Transit board president
In the pursuit of designing inclusive public transpor tation, AC Transit has a rich hist o r y o f c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h d i s a b l e d r i d e r s As a result, AC Transit launched the Accessibility Advisor y Committee in 1991, which n o w o p e r a t e s a s t h e G e n e r a l M a n a g e r ’s A c c e s s C o m m i t t e e ( G M A C ) T h e G M A C t h o ro u g h l y e x a m i n e d e v e r y a s p e c t o f t h e Transbay MCI Prototype, including hip-toknee room and narrow seats; excessively reclining seats; a narrow aisle with potential risks at the second set of stairs; inadequate s p a c e f o r l u g g a g e a n d ro l l b a g s a n d t h e need for handrails along the top and both s i d e s o f t h e re a r s t a i rc a s e , e s p e c i a l l y f o r individuals with visual impairments or limited arm mobility The committee’s keen insights were sent to the manufacturer’s design engineers for changes to amenities and accessibility features
“The result is a light-filled and low-floor vestibule that is revolutionary in design and breaking barriers for wheelchair accessibility,” says Michael Hursh, general manager “ T h e s t y l i z e d v e s t i b u l e p r i o r i t i z e s e a s e o f boarding through an all-new mid-cabin door, w i d e r a n d b r a w n y A D A r a m p , e n h a n c e d space for maneuverability, one-touch automated securement, and it is built to accommodate the future design of manual or powered wheelchairs, as well as scooters ”
Another groundbreaking onboard ADA innovation is the Q’Straint: Quantum Wheelc h a i r S e c u re m e n t S t a t i o n T h i s i n t e l l i g e n t technology gives mobility riders complete independence to secure themselves The m o b i l i t y r i d e r s c e n t e r t h e i r w h e e l c h a i r o r
s c o o t e r a g a i n s t t h e p a d d e d b a c k r e s t ; presses the ADA-friendly button to start the a u t o m a t i c l o c k i n g s e q u e n c e ; a n d t h e Q’Straint’s arms safely secure the wheelchair in place – typically in less than 25 seconds The bus operator releases the Q’Straint from the operator’s dashboard control, and the rider can independently exit the bus
Drawing inspiration from the luxur y and sophistication of jetliner cabins, every aspect o f t h e Tr a n s b a y M C I h a s b e e n c a r e f u l l y crafted to provide a best-in-class experience for daily commuters
The Transbay MCI features 52 seats with embedded headrests; jetliner-styled LED lighting; riders control cabin airflow through overhead air vents and stop request buttons a re a c c e s s i b l e t o e a c h p a s s e n g e r i n t h e overhead panel Two doors and staircases front and mid-cabin – lead to a broader center aisle with integrated overhead grab rails that increase onboard safety Each seat’s ar mrest is fully collapsible by depressing a single release button Also, like jetliners, the overhead parcel rack stows away packages or bags and creates more legroom
The all-new Transbay MCI features threepoint seat belts The Transbay MCI complies with the state of Califor nia’s Vehicle Code § 2 7 3 1 8 , w h i c h re q u i re s b u s p a s s e n g e r s who are 16 years of age or older to be properly restrained by a seat belt whenever riding To reduce the risk of injur y, AC Transit also asks that Transbay MCI riders always remain seated: standing is not permitted on this bus
An easy-to-use three-position bike rack mounted on the front of the Transbay MCI, e n h a n c e s a c c e s s t o w o r k , s h o p p i n g , services, family and friends
T h e n e w Tr a n s b a y M C I e m e r g e s a s a stellar example of meeting and surpassing Califor nia’s rigorous Vehicle Omnibus Regulation (Omnibus Regulation) The Omnibus Regulation, adopted to cut smog-for ming n i t ro g e n o x i d e s ( N O x ) f ro m c o n v e n t i o n a l h e a v y - d u t y e n g i n e s , b e c a m e e ff e c t i v e i n D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 1 B y d r a s t i c a l l y re d u c i n g NOx, this innovative bus produces less emissions than most hybrid cars
AC Transit is proud that the new coaches will serve as rolling reminders of the strides that can be made when technology and regulation work hand in hand to shape a better, greener Bay Area for all
A C Tr a n s i t r o l l e d o u t t h e i m p r e s s i v e n e w M C I f l e e t i n t i m e d p h a s e s T h e f i r s t 18 coaches launched into revenue service on Transbay Lines E, F, G, J and L on June 2 8 T h e f l e e t w i l l u l t i m a t e l y t o t a l 3 6 c o a c h e s
NFI Joins Spokane Transit’s City Line Launch Celebration
O n J u l y 1 8 , t h e N F I t e a m , i n c l u d i n g Jennifer McNeill, vice president, sales and m a r k e t i n g ; a n d J a m e s P a s t o r, v i c e p re s ident, quality and continuous improvement, joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony opening Spokane Transit’s City Line, powered with New Flyer five-door, zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE® buses
A C Tr a n s i t h a s selected the new MCI D45 CRT LE as its new Tr a n s b a y B u s T h i s service operates over t h e S a n F r a n c i s c oO a k l a n d B a y B r i d g e b e t w e e n E a s t B a y c o m m u n i t i e s a n d d o w n t o w n S a n F r a nc i s c o I t e f f e c t i v e l y replaces the Key System electric rail line that once operated over this s a m e b r i d g e P a s t b u s e s u s e d o n t h i s route include some of t h e E a g l e a r t i c u l a t e d coaches
City Line is eastern Washington’s first bus r a p i d t r a n s i t ( B R T ) s e r v i c e c o n n e c t i n g Spokane’s historic Browne’s Addition and S p o k a n e C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e , w h i c h w i l l b r i n g a n e s t i m a t e d $ 1 7 5 m i l l i o n i n t o t h e Spokane region over 20 years
The City Line fleet features 12 New Flyer s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t , b a t t e r y - e l e c t r i c X c e l s i o r CHARGE 60-foot buses, which are projected to provide emission-free rides to more than one million passengers annually
Bankruptcy
On August 7, 2023, Proterra voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U S B a n k r u p t c y C o d e i n t h e D i s t r i c t o f Delaware, where it is incorporated Proterra has been a leader in the movement to electric buses and batter y-electric power systems in the United States
Proterra was founded in 2004 and incorporated in Delaware with its headquar ters based in Burlingame, Califor nia The comp a n y w e n t p u b l i c i n 2 0 2 1 P ro t e r r a w a s a pioneer in developing and manufacturing batter y-electric buses in the United States b u t n e v e r b u i l t b u s e s p o w e re d b y d i e s e l They had some substantial early success with several lines including an operation in C a l i f o r n i a t h a t o p e r a t e d P r o t e r r a b u s e s c h a r g i n g a t t h e e n d s o f t h e l i n e M o r e r e c e n t l y, P r o t e r r a o f f e r e d t h e i r b a t t e r yelectric power system to other bus manufacturers and mass produced components Companies taking advantage of the Proterra batteries and power system include ABC, Van Hool and Alexander Dennis
Financial sources mention that Proterra eliminated 300 jobs in Januar y and consolidated its bus and batter y manufacturing in Greer, South Carolina Proterra filed a notice of going concern in March as part of its 2022 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission This kind of thing is sometimes followed by a company going out of busin e s s I t w a s a l s o n o t e d t h a t P ro t e r r a w a s facing a default on loans in March but reneg o t i a t e d i t s d u e d a t e t o 2 0 2 8 b u t a t t h e expense of paying a higher interest rate of 12 percent in stock and cash
The official news release from Proterra says that the company intends to continue to operate in the ordinary course of business as it moves through the bankruptcy process It plans to file the customar y motions with the Bankruptcy Court to use existing capital to fund operations These include employee s a l a r i e s a n d b e n e fi t s a n d c o m p e n s a t i n g vendors and suppliers in accordance with C h a p t e r 1 1 r u l e s P r o t e r r a C E O G a r e t h Joyce said, “This is why we are taking action to separate each product line through the
Chapter 11 reorganization process to maximize their independent potential ”
ABC Companies Launches Nor th America’s Lar gest Electric Motorcoach Char ging Station
ABC Companies, a leading provider of motorcoach, transit and specialty passenger t r a n s p o r t e q u i p m e n t , a n d P ro t e r r a I n c , a l e a d i n g i n n o v a t o r i n c o m m e rc i a l v e h i c l e e l e c t r i fi c a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y, o n J u l y 1 9 announced the official opening of the largest
electric motorcoach charging facility in North America
L o c a t e d o n a 3 5 - a c r e c a m p u s i n Newark, Califor nia, the facility is equipped to charge up to 40 electric motorcoaches with 20 dual-cable EV charging dispensers and can support up to 1 4 megawatts of EV c h a r g i n g p o w e r T h e f a c i l i t y e n a b l e s e n h a n c e d s e r v i c e , d e l i v e r y, t r a i n i n g a n d support for the growing number of Proterrap o w e r e d Va n H o o l 1 0 0 p e r c e n t e l e c t r i c
On August 7, Proterra filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the District of Delaware where the company is incorporated The official news release from the company says it plans to continue regular operations In addition to being a pioneer in offering battery-electric buses, Proterra has been providing batteries and power systems to other bus manufacturers
The NFI staff recently joined in Spokane Transit’s ribbon cutting ceremony on July 18 The event celebrated the opening of eastern Washington’s first bus rapid transit line connecting Spokane’s historic Brown’s Addition and Spokane Community College It featured 12 new five-door, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE™ articulated buses from New Flyer that will operate on this route.
motorcoaches, which are powered by Proterra’s batter y technology
D e v e l o p e d i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h E V charging and batter y par tner, Proterra and local utility provider Pacific Gas and Electric C o m p a n y ( P G & E ) , t h e A B C C o m p a n i e s charging facility demonstrates that both the power and charging solutions are available to meet fleet operators’ needs to scale their commercial EV operations
“As the largest passenger motorcoach d e a l e r i n N o r t h A m e r i c a , w e a r e g o i n g beyond selling and suppor ting these vehic l e s , a s w e e d u c a t e , d e m o n s t r a t e a n d invest in zero emissions commercial transp o r t a t i o n , t o a c c e l e r a t e E V a d o p t i o n I n u n d e r t w o y e a r s , o v e r 2 0 p e r c e n t o f o u r motorcoach sales are now batter y-electric vehicles However, the rapid growth in our c o m m e r c i a l E V s a l e s r e q u i r e s a c o r r esponding charging infrastructure capable o f h a n d l i n g t h e s i z e a n d p o w e r r e q u i r em e n t s o f t h e s e v e h i c l e s T h e re f o re , A B C h a s c h o s e n t o i n v e s t s t r a t e g i c a l l y t o s u pp o r t t h e v e h i c l e s a l r e a d y i n o p e r a t i o n T h ro u g h p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h i n d u s t r y l e a de r s , w e p ro u d l y c o m p l e t e o u r E V E c o s y stem, suppor ting and sustaining e-mobility, while serving our customers and their comm u n i t i e s , ” s t a t e d R o m a n C o r n e l l , C E O o f A B C C o m p a n i e s
Proterra Energy provides fleet operators w i t h a c o m p re h e n s i v e s e t o f E V c h a r g i n g solutions to scale their zero-emission commercial vehicle fleets, paired with Proterra’s
decade of charging installation experience
Proterra’s team of electrification experts reco m m e n d t h e i d e a l fl e e t c h a r g i n g s o l u t i o n f o r e a c h p r o j e c t , o p t i m i z e d f o r u s a b i l i t y, physical footprint, power or cost, matching each customer’s priorities
W i t h h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f m i l e s l o g g e d i n o p e r a t i o n a l d e p l o y m e n t o v e r almost two years, across electric vehicles ranging from eight-passenger vans to 75p a s s e n g e r, 4 5 - f o o t d o u b l e - d e c k m o t o rc o a c h e s , A B C C o m p a n i e s h a s q u i c k l y become a leader in electrifying private fleets
A B C C o m p a n i e s F l e e t E l e c t r i fi c a t i o n Services offers a breadth of options to meet the needs of customer fleets from the largest p o r t f o l i o o f E V o p t i o n s t h ro u g h c h a r g i n g equipment, ABC Companies can suppor t their customers unique road maps to zero emissions
“ P r o t e r r a i s d r i v e n b y i n n o v a t i o n a n d sustainability,” said Chris Bailey, Proterra’s chief business officer “From batteries and v e h i c l e s t o c h a r g e r s a n d s o f t w a r e , o u r unique technology ecosystem is providing our par tners with high-per for ming EVs and c h a r g i n g s o l u t i o n s t o p o w e r t h e m W i t h o v e r a d e c a d e o f e x p e r i e n c e w i t h i n t h e e l e c t r i f i c a t i o n i n d u s t r y, o u r t e a m k n o w s the only successful way for fleet operators to scale their commercial fleets is through s t r a t e g i c p l a n n i n g a n d c o l l a b o r a t i o n T h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n a m o n g P ro t e r r a , A B C C o mpanies and PG&E’s EV Fleet Program was k e y t o t h e l a u n c h o f t h i s i n n o v a t i v e c h a r gi n g f a c i l i t y ”
PG&E’s EV Fleet program is accelerating E V a d o p t i o n f o r c o m m e r c i a l c u s t o m e r s , helping medium- and heavy-duty fleet cust o m e r s e a s i l y a n d c o s t - e ff e c t i v e l y i n s t a l l charging infrastructure via comprehensive construction suppor t and financial incentives To date, the EV Fleet program has contracted with more than 180 sites to suppor t t h e e l e c t r i fi c a t i o n o f m o r e t h a n 3 , 7 0 0 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in PG&E’s service territor y
“ P G & E i s p ro u d t o s u p p o r t t h e c o a c h vehicle electrification effor ts of ABC Comp a n i e s t h r o u g h t h e E V F l e e t p r o g r a m , ” s a i d L y d i a K r e f t a , P G & E ’s d i r e c t o r f o r clean energy transpor tation “This project a l i g n s w i t h o u r c o re f o c u s o f p ro a c t i v e l y p re p a r i n g t h e g r i d f o r t h e f u t u re , i n c re a si n g a c c e s s t o c h a r g i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u re a n d s u p p o r t i n g e l e c t r i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n a d o ption through rates, rebates, tools and educ a t i o n P G & E i s c o m m i t t e d t o p r o v i d i n g simple and affordable clean transpor tation p ro g r a m s a n d i n c e n t i v e s t h a t h e l p re d efine the energy landscape to suppor t Cali f o r n i a ’s c l e a n a i r a n d g r e e n h o u s e g a s e m i s s i o n re d u c t i o n g o a l s a n d c o l l e c t i v e a c t i o n o n c l i m a t e c h a n g e ”
Next Generation MCI D4020 Inmate Security Transpor tation Vehicle
From August 10-13, MCI and New Flyer teams came together to present MCI’s next g e n e r a t i o n D 4 0 2 0 I n m a t e S e c u r i t y Tr a n sportation Vehicle (ISTV) at the American Correctional Association’s (ACA) Congress of Correction in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A B C a n d P r o t e r r a o p e n e d t h e l a r g e s t e l e c t r i c m o t o r c o a c h c h a r g i n g f a c i l i t y i n N o r t h A m e r i c a T h i s new facility is located on a 3 5-acre campus in Newark, California It can charge up to 40 electric motorcoaches at the same time with 2 0 d u a l - c a b l e R V charging dispensers
The new model was officially unveiled on August 11 at 3:30 p m in booth #230 Shown w a s a m o re s e c u re , d u r a b l e a n d e f fi c i e n t D4020 ISTV, an evolution of the D4000 ISTV m o d e l , d e v e l o p e d t h ro u g h l o n g - s t a n d i n g c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h N o r t h A m e r i c a n l a w enforcement agencies
T h e a t t e n d e e s i n t h e b o o t h h a d a n oppor tunity to meet the sales team, led by P a u l S o u b r y, p r e s i d e n t a n d C E O o f N F I , a n d e x p l o re t h e n e w D 4 0 2 0 I S T V d e s i g n , o f f e r i n g e n h a n c e d o p e r a t i o n a n d s a f e t y f e a t u re s t o d e l i v e r a m o d e r n a p p ro a c h t o i n m a t e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n
FMCA RV Club has its roots in a gathering that took place 60 years ago in Maine o n J u l y 2 0 , w h e n a g r o u p o f R V o w n e r s came together to view a total eclipse of the sun and to talk about for ming an organization for like-minded travelers
The year was 1963 Families had begun to discover a convenient new way to vacation Pioneering folks purchased buses that had been decommissioned from their original roles of transporting schoolchildren or other passengers and then outfitted them as rolling homes Many called them “house cars ” Production motorcoaches were just coming into being then Not everyone was a fan of the newfangled traveling machines, though, and these inventive families sometimes faced resistance in the communities they visited
A few of the folks pursuing this new form of travel decided it would be beneficial to
MCI recently introduced their new Inmate Security transportation Vehicle The ongoing upgrade of MCI’s “D” models has seen an evolution of the former D4000 ISTV to the newer D4020 model The new model offers several advances and new technology that were originally introduced on the D45 CRT LE and are now being applied to the other “D” models
band together to work to ensure their rights; t o a l l o w f o r c o l l e c t i v e b u y i n g p o w e r ; t o e x c h a n g e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d i d e a s ; a n d t o enjoy each other’s company
Among them were Bob and Jean Richter of Hanson, Massachusetts, who had converted a 1940 Greyhound bus with 2 6 million miles on it to accommodate travel with their four children They met a couple of other families who had similar conversions, and the
The Family Motor Coach Association celebrated its 60th anniversary on July 20 commemorating when several motor home owners met in Hinckley, Maine in 1963 to witness an eclipse At that time there were no factory RVs and commercial converted coaches were just getting started Shown here is the first factory converted coach that was built by Flxible for the Elmers family in 1951
Richters ultimately started a list of people with rolling homes like theirs In April 1963, they mailed out a mimeographed letter inviting families to gather in Maine to view the solar eclipse that would take place in July
The path of visibility of that total eclipse was so narrow that it would cross less than one percent of the entire surface of the Earth, a n d w i t h i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , i t w o u l d b e seen only over a thin strip of Alaska and 53 miles across the middle of Maine
The eclipse created a frenzy in Maine, and it served as an exciting reason for house c a r o w n e r s t o g a t h e r D u r i n g t h a t g e ttogether at the Good Will-Hinckley School i n H i n c k l e y, M a i n e , t h e y d e c i d e d t o f o r m FMCA, 60 years ago this month
Richter described that first gathering: “It was an experience impossible to describe a s w e fi r s t h e a rd – a n d t h e n s a w – t h e 2 6 coaches arriving, one after another, with our new friends The coaches varied from a simple school bus on its fifth engine with only a mattress, a crib and a stove in it, to a lush executive coach costing well into the six figures What a sight to see them coming up the hill And what great people ”
T h e R i c h t e r s a n d o t h e r f o u n d i n g a n d early members of FMCA set a fir m foundation for the organization that carried it into the future and helped to make it the organization it is today In its 60 years, FMCA has i s s u e d m o re t h a n 5 4 3 , 0 0 0 m e m b e r s h i p s , touching many lives along the way Six years a g o , m e m b e r s v o t e d t o t r a n s i t i o n f ro m a
g r o u p o f m o t o r h o m e o w n e r s t o a n a l linclusive RV owners organization The port i o n o f t h e m e m b e r s h i p w h o o w n t o w a b l e RVs continues to grow
“One thing that has remained constant t h ro u g h s i x d e c a d e s o f F M C A’s e ff o r t s t o e n h a n c e t h e R V l i f e s t y l e a r e t h e ‘ g r e a t p e o p l e ’ B o b R i c h t e r d e s c r i b e d f ro m t h a t inaugural gathering in Maine,” FMCA CEO C h r i s S m i t h s a i d “ W h i l e RV s p ro v i d e t h e b a s i s f o r t h e b o n d t h a t t i e s t h e o r g a n i z at i o n t o g e t h e r, i t ’s t h e p e o p l e w h o f o r m t h e f a b r i c o f F M C A T h o u s a n d s o f RV e n t h us i a s t s h a v e h e l p e d t o w r i t e t h e s t o r y t h a t b e g a n w i t h a g ro u p o f h o u s e c a r o w n e r s g a z i n g a t t h e s k y o n e J u l y a f t e r n o o n , a n d d re a m i n g o f w h a t c o u l d b e ”
Ster til-Koni Delivers 20,000th
Mobile Column Lift
Heavy-duty vehicle lift leader Stertil-Koni recently announced that its U S production facility – Ster til ALM, located in Streator, Illinois – has recently produced its 20,000th
Mobile Column Lift
The significance of the milestone underscores Ster til-Koni’s growing dominance in the heavy-duty vehicle lift industr y in Nor th America, which serves such key sectors as transit agencies, public works departments,
fire and emergency rescue, municipalities, c o r p o r a t e fl e e t s , s t a t e a g e n c i e s , t h e U S Militar y, aviation, light rail, pupil transpor tation and others
Ster til-Koni Mobile Column Lifts feature d e p e n d a b l e h y d r a u l i c t e c h n o l o g y w i t h a u t o m a t i c s y n c h r o n i z a t i o n f o r s m o o t h , r a p i d l i f t i n g a n d l o w e r i n g e v e r y t i m e I n m a k i n g t h i s a n n o u n c e m e n t , S t e r t i l - K o n i G e n e r a l M a n a g e r S c o t t S t e i n h a rd t n o t e d : “Ster til-Koni is dedicated to delivering the ver y best and broadest range of ALI (Autom o t i v e L i f t I n s t i t u t e ) c e r t i f i e d h e a v y - d u t y v e h i c l e l i f t s W h a t ’s m o re , o u r M o b i l e C o lumn Lifts, which are exceedingly durable, dependable and indeed mobile, represent o u r m o s t p o p u l a r l i f t i n g s y s t e m i n N o r t h A m e r i c a ”
These lifts, with capacities ranging from 14,000 pounds to 40,000 pounds per column, utilize advanced hydraulic technology a n d a re a v a i l a b l e i n w i re l e s s , c a b l e d a n d EARTHLIFT models They feature rapid lifting and lowering every time, are made from m a x i m u m s t r e n g t h h i g h t e n s i l e D O M E X steel, are equipped with a full-color, touchscreen control console along with a super safe mechanical locking system and have as standard overload protection and automatic synchronization systems
Added Steinhardt, “A key component of o u r s u c c e s s h a s b e e n t h e o u t s t a n d i n g efforts of Stertil ALM and its president, Allan P a v l i c k – e n a b l i n g u s t o p ro u d l y o ff e r t h e ver y best in Buy America-compliant lifting systems ”
The recent milestone follows a multi-year plant expansion at Ster til ALM in which the company purchased a 4 5-acre parcel adjacent to its long-standing facility and completed a 36,000-foot expansion designed to deliver enhanced flow and efficiencies in production
Concluded Stertil-Koni President Dr Jean DellAmore, “Our war m congratulations to ever yone at Ster til-Koni and Ster til ALM on this achievement From the production and deliver y of world-class, heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems to customer sales, suppor t and service, our entire team is dedicated to delivering vehicle lifts that consistently set new industr y standards in per for mance
A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s , a s u b s i d i a r y o f N F I Group Inc , one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, on July 13 announced that it has concluded on-track testing of an Enviro200AV autonomous bus in the 2023 Dubai World Challenge for SelfDriving Transpor t
A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s a n d i t s t e c h n o l o g y par tner Fusion Processing Ltd are one of just six automotive consor tia globally that the Roads and Transpor t Authority (RTA) of Dubai shortlisted for the competition, which this year focuses on buses It has been organized in conjunction with the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transpor t taking place in September, where a winner will be announced
The vehicle submitted to the challenge by Alexander Dennis and Fusion Processing is an Enviro200AV autonomous single-deck b u s I t i s o n e o f fi v e v e h i c l e s b u i l t f o r t h e C AV F o r t h p ro j e c t , w h i c h l a u n c h e d i t s 1 4mile route across the Forth Road Bridge near E d i n b u r g h e a r l i e r t h i s y e a r a s t h e w o r l d ’s most complex and ambitious autonomous bus service
In Dubai, the bus has been put through its paces on a test track that captures a near real-life experience of traffic conditions in the city During testing, it completed 21 case s c e n a r i o s r a n g i n g f r o m a u t o n o m o u s l y b y p a s s i n g o b s t a c l e s s a f e l y t o s e v e r e weather conditions like sandstor ms
I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e t e c h n o l o g y ’s p e r f o rmance, finalists are evaluated on the value proposition their solution offers the RTA for a potential implementation in Dubai as par t
of its strategy for 25 percent of all transportation trips to be smart and driverless by 2030
T h e R TA s u p p o r t s p a r t i c i p a n t s i n t h e challenge with a mobilization grant paid to each shor tlisted company
Alexander Dennis Head of Concepts and Advanced Engineering, Jamie Wilson led the team in Dubai: “This has been a great opportunity to build on the great work we’ve done with our partners in the CAVForth project and test our autonomous bus under further traffic conditions We’re extremely grateful to the RTA f o r g i v i n g u s t h e c h a n c e t o s h o w t h e capabilities of our Enviro200AV and we hope to continue the conversation on how we can support the RTA’s strategy Our spirit of innovation makes Alexander Dennis a technology leader recognized on the world stage ”
A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s G ro u p E n g i n e e r i n g Director Chris Gall added: “Our selection as one of only six finalists globally is a fantastic credit to the amazing work done by our engineering team and our par tners at Fusion ”
Fusion Processing CEO Jim Hutchinson s a i d : “ T h e s u c c e s s f u l t e s t i n g i n D u b a i i s another great step in our collaboration with t h e t e a m a t A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s F u s i o n ’s CAVStar® Autonomous Level 4 system will allow Alexander Dennis to offer bus operators transformational improvements in safety, operational efficiency and cost ”
E q u a n s W i n s L a n d m a r k C o n t r a c t with City of Brampton
A Computer Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) and Real-Time Passenger Information (RTPI) system world
Alexander-Dennis recently completed testing of an Enviro200AV autonomous bus in the 2033 Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport Alexander-Dennis was one of six companies that were invited to join this competition The vehicle submitted was one of the five buses used for the CAVForth project that is running a 14-mile autonomous route near Edinburgh
l e a d e r, I n e o S y s t r a n s I n c ( a d i v i s i o n o f E q u a n s F r a n c e ) , h a s b e e n s e l e c t e d b y B r a m p t o n Tr a n s i t , t o m o d e r n i z e i t s e n t i re bus fleet with a new CAD/AVL system As o n e o f t h e f a s t e s t - g ro w i n g l a r g e c i t i e s i n Canada, home to 700,000 people and more t h a n 9 0 , 0 0 0 b u s i n e s s e s , B r a m p t o n i s a l e a d e r i n t r a n s i t fl e e t e l e c t r i fi c a t i o n B y i m p r o v i n g t h e s e r v i c e q u a l i t y o f i t s 4 7 5 buses, serving more than 31 million passengers in 2022 along 70 fixed routes, the city of Brampton leads in technological and envir o n m e n t a l i n n o v a t i o n a n d p r o m o t e s t h e
development of a safer, more sustainable and accessible mobility
Executed in June 2023, the contract will deliver a full replacement of Brampton Transit’s current system for its fixed-route serv i c e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e c e n t r a l s y s t e m , o nboard components, communications and passenger information systems with the latest Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) techn o l o g i e s E q u a n s w i l l s u p p l y, i n s t a l l a n d c o m m i s s i o n , t h e N AV I N E O ’s c o m p u t e raided dispatch and automatic vehicle loca-
Equans recently won a contract with the City of Brampton in Canada to improve their bus technology They provided a computer-aided dispatch/automatic vehicle local and real time passenger information system for the operation. This photo of a Brampton bus is courtesy of Brampton Transit
Start with a step-on guided tour (1 hour).
48 hours may not be enough time to experience everything in Michigan’s Little Bavaria!
Tour St. Lorenz Church, taste at St. Julian’s Winery, or tell time at Frankenmuth Clock and German Gift Company (1 hour).
Browse boutiques at River Place Shops then board the Bavarian Belle Riverboat (1-3 hours).
Feast on World-famous family-style chicken at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant or Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth (2 hours).
End your night with a drive down the lighted Christmas Lane (20 minutes).
Begin your day at Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the World’s Largest Christmas Store (2 hours).
Explore the shops, enjoy the sweets, and experience the sites of Main Street. (1-2 hours).
Savor the selection of locally crafted cuisines for lunch (1-2 hours).
Before you depart, hone in on history with a guided tour of the Michigan Heroes Museum, Frankenmuth Historical Museum, or Frankenmuth Woolen Mill. (1-2 hours).
tion (CAD/AVL) solution, real-time passenger information (RTPI) systems and interface to existing Passenger Counters, along with its Smar t Yard Management module
Irizar at Busworld
T h e I r i z a r G r o u p w i l l a t t e n d t h e B u sworld Inter national Trade Fair to showcase i t s m u l t i - t e c h n o l o g y r a n g e o f b u s e s a n d c o a c h e s , a l o n g w i t h t h e c o m p a n y ’s f i r m commitment to sustainable mobility for the future The Irizar Group will once again be d e m o n s t r a t i n g t h e c o m p a n y ’s h i g h i n n ov a t i v e a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l c a p a c i t y a t B u sworld by presenting its new Efficient range of sustainable vehicles and a host of technological innovations that will prove essent i a l f o r t h e f u t u r e o f m o b i l i t y a n d d e c a rb o n i z a t i o n
Irizar and Irizar e-mobility will be showc a s i n g f o u r l a t e s t g e n e r a t i o n I r i z a r v e h ic l e s a t s t a n d N o 6 0 2 i n H a l l 6 : a n I r i z a r i 8 c o a c h , a n I r i z a r i 6 S E f f i c i e n t c o a c h , a n I r i z a r e l e c t r i c i e Tr a m v e h i c l e a n d t h e n e w I r i z a r i 6 S E f f i c i e n t H y d r o g e n c o a c h A l l t h e s e v e h i c l e s o n d i s p l a y f e a t u re i m p o rtant innovations compared to current mode l s i n t e r m s o f t e c h n o l o g y, s u s t a i n a b i l i t y a n d f u e l c o s t s
On October 7 at 11:30 a m , Irizar’s stand at Busworld will also be the setting for Irizar’s n e w i 6 S E f fi c i e n t H y d ro g e n v e h i c l e t o b e unveiled for the first time, thereby turning this trade fair into the ideal backdrop for Irizar to present its future business strategy and technology roadmap, which includes Irizar’s Efficient range of multi-technology vehicles
T h e s t a n d w i l l a l s o h a v e a n a re a d e d ic a t e d e x c l u s i v e l y t o s u s t a i n a b i l i t y, w h e re their commitment to a better world will be showcased, as well as the full Irizar product range, the circular economy brand consisting of products made from surplus materials from their own production process
Marcopolo’s Paradiso G8 1800 doubledecker coach remains the most requested model by road transpor t operators in Latin America ITTSA BUS, from Trujillo, Peru, has j u s t a c q u i re d 1 0 n e w u n i t s T h e v e h i c l e s ,
Ten new Marcopolo Paradiso G8 buses have found their way to ITTSA Bus in Trujillo, Peru These new double-decker buses are 14 4 meters (47 feet) long and have refrigerators and food heaters Noteworthy is that the buses are equipped with sleeper seats on both the upper and lower levels
sold by Mercobus, Marcopolo’s representative in the country, will be used for regular line operations
“ G e n e r a t i o n 8 c o n t i n u e s t o e x p a n d i t s presence and strengthen Marcopolo’s participation on the roads of Latin America The 1800 DD model has especially conquered operators and the market, transforming how main roads of the continent look,” highlights Guilherme Schmidt Neto, commercial operations consultant foreign market responsible for the Peruvian market
T h e 1 0 P a r a d i s o G 8 1 8 8 0 0 D D b u s e s o f I T T S A B U S a re 1 4 4 m e t e r s l o n g , w i t h n e x t s l e e p e r s e a t s w i t h m a s s a g e r s o n t h e upper floor, and sleeper seats on the lower f l o o r, a l l w i t h r e t r a c t a b l e s e a t b e l t s , c u p h o l d e r s a n d U S B s o c k e t s F o r m o re c o mf o r t , t h e v e h i c l e s a re e q u i p p e d w i t h Va l e o CC430 P3 air conditioning and a restroom with ultraviolet light system for disinfection, i n t e r i o r w i t h c h ro m o t h e r a p y, t w o 7 0 l a n d 5 3 l re f r i g e r a t o r s , 5 8 1 f o o d h e a t e r a n d t w o 6 5 l l i q u i d h e a t e r s
A m o n g t h e e l e c t ro n i c e q u i p m e n t , t h e buses have an audio and video system, with a DVD player and five monitors on the upper floor and two on the lower floor, a monitoring system, with six inter nal and one exter nal cameras (reverse) They also have a total separation wall, curtains, electronic itinerary, luggage area and overhead rack
ITTSA BUS began its activities in 1992 and ever since, has invested to offer a great travel experience to its passengers, with a m o d e r n fl e e t t h a t i s c o n s t a n t l y b e i n g u p d a t e d T h e o p e r a t o r i s o n e o f t h e m o s t traditional in the Peruvian market and has approximately 200 buses q
Arecent incident has opened up new reasons why electronic logging devices (ELDs) have not increased safety but have increased accidents and fatalities Yet there are concerns that government regulators are ignoring the problems that ELDs have caused which will only lead to more accidents and deaths. While we will admit that the ELD problem is more of a trucking concern, it will obviously impact the bus industry because we fall under similar regulations.
ELDs have already come under fire from several reports. These reports have shown t h a t E L D s c a u s e t ru c k d r i v e r s t o i n c re a s e speeds that in turn causes more accidents and fatalities The roads have become less s a f e s i n c e E L D s w e re m a n d a t e d A re c e n t accident on July 12, 2023 at the Silver Lake R e s t A r e a o n I n t e r s t a t e 7 0 j u s t e a s t o f S t Louis caused three fatalities and brings up the question of whether ELD requirements
are even more dangerous because of a lack of safe truck parking spots
Some industry people have taken a step back for an overall view and are suggesting that the government and its regulators need to get their act together On the one hand, C o n g re s s d e c i d e d t o d e re g u l a t e t r u c k i n g a n d e n c o u r a g e c o m p e t i t i o n C o m p e t i t i o n requires getting a customer ’s load delivered quicker which suggests driving more hours and driving faster On the other hand, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) wants to regulate Hours of Service and possibly speed to make competition difficult or unsafe. These conflicting goals have created serious problems
Hours of Service and Logging
While I suspect that most of our readers are at least somewhat familiar with the regu l a t i o n s , i t i s p ro b a b l y a g o o d i d e a t o g o
bythrough the basics for anyone who does not have some background in this area Commercial vehicles in the United States operating in interstate commerce are subject to various federal regulations including safety requirements and hours-of-service (HOS) l a w s T h e h o u r s - o f - s e r v i c e l a w s re g u l a t e how long drivers can be on duty and how long they can drive These laws are primarily intended to improve safety by limiting the number of hours a driver can work to prevent fatigue and possible resulting accidents
As a side note, I might mention that not everyone agrees with the hours-of-service r e g u l a t i o n s . S e v e r a l e x p e r t s i n t h e f i e l d , including our own columnist Ned Einstein, suggest that factors other than working hours are also a major factor in driving safety. The most important of these include shift inversion and the presence of sleep apnea Others suggest that one size does not fit all. Some
people can safely drive longer than others I sometimes drove with a bus company owner w h o c o u l d d r i v e 2 0 o u t o f 2 4 h o u r s w h i l e seemingly remaining a safe driver The same could not be said of most drivers, but it does show that drivers are different
In order to show compliance with hoursof-service laws, drivers have been required to keep a record of their on duty and driving h o u r s . H e n c e , t h i s c o u l d b e s h o w n t o t h e police officer if they were pulled over In the old days this record was manually kept in a paper log book about half the size of a standard sheet of paper with a pad of pre-printed sheets. It was never a secret that since the logging was done manually, there were ways to modify the log to give the driver extra driving time. If the driver got caught in an unexpected traffic jam, it was possible to make up some of that time by changing the log so that he could still make the delivery on time
On the one hand, there were complaints from the regulators that drivers had intentionally modified their logs in order to get in more driving hours. On the other hand, there was no real evidence that this practice was obviously dangerous or caused a large number of fatal accidents In fact, some people felt that this practice might actually be beneficial in some ways.
What resulted is that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration decided to go t o e l e c t r o n i c l o g g i n g d e v i c e s i n o r d e r t o reduce opportunities for drivers to modify t h e i r d r i v i n g re c o rd T h e i r i d e a w a s t h a t r e s t r i c t i n g d r i v i n g h o u r s w o u l d r e d u c e f a t i g u e a n d t h u s r e d u c e a c c i d e n t s . T h e y failed to consider the fact that Congress had already deregulated the truck and bus indus-
tries With the truckers, transportation costs to the customers could be a major factor but for many, on time delivery was equally or even more important
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admini s t r a t i o n i s s u e d a m a n d a t e t h a t t ru c k a n d bus drivers would begin to track their working hours using an electronic logging device In December of 2017 the new law went into effect. An initial light enforcement period was in effect until April 1, 2018 followed by regular enforcement after that
Since trucking is deregulated, it is also competitive. While cost may be a factor, getting a load delivered on time makes a great deal of difference in keeping customers happy Hence, many truckers are tempted to drive faster or extend their driving time in order to be competitive.
A look at the Impact of ELDs
Now that the ELD mandate had been in e ff e c t f o r a w h i l e , t h e re w a s a n i n t e re s t i n looking at the impact that going to ELDs has had on the industry and in regard to safety
A s t u d y w a s s t a r t e d b y t h e S u p p l y C h a i n M a n a g e m e n t R e s e a rc h C e n t e r a t t h e U n iv e r s i t y o f A r k a n s a s I t w a s h e a d e d b y Andrew Balthrop, a research associate at the Sam M Walton College of Business Several c o l l e a g u e s f r o m o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s w e r e i n v o l v e d O n e c o - a u t h o r o f t h e re s u l t i n g report was Alex Scott, an assistant professor of supply chain management at the Univers i t y o f Te n n e s s e e A n o t h e r c o - a u t h o r w a s Jason Miller, an associate professor of logistics at Michigan State University The resulti n g re p o r t w a s p u b l i s h e d i n t h e J o u r n a l o f Operations Management.
B a l t h ro p a n d h i s c o l l e a g u e s a n a l y z e d d e t a i l e d d a t a o b t a i n e d f r o m t h e F e d e r a l Motor Carrier Safety Administration The d a t a w a s b ro k e n d o w n i n t h re e d i ff e re n t ways. One was by activity. This included: A ) To d e t e r m i n e h o w t h e E L D m a n d a t e affected compliance with reporting hoursof-service B) The impact on accident counts, and, C) The frequency of unsafe driving
The second breakdown of data was based on time period This included: A) Before the ELD mandate; B) During the light enforcement period from December of 2017 to April 1, 2018, and, C) During the strict enforcement period after April 1, 2018
A third breakdown was by company size. Th i s i n cl u de d i n de p e n de n t o w n e r- o p e r ators, smaller carriers and large carriers with more than 50,000 trucks. It might be noted that some of the larger carriers had already
National Bus Trader / September, 2023 •
been using ELDs although they were typic a l l y n e w w i t h t h e s m a l l e r o p e r a t o r s a n d independent owner-operators.
The results of the study were interesting. What might be considered the most positive result from the study was that the use of the ELDs significantly improved driver compliance in reporting hours-of-service with opera t o r s o f a l l s i z e s S i n c e m a n y o f t h e l a rg e r carriers were already using ELDs, there was not much change in this group However, there was a significant increase in accurate re p o r t i n g a m o n g t h e s m a l l e r c a r r i e r s a n d the independent operators This was somewhat expected since it was considerably easier to manipulate the old paper logs than the new ELDs
H o w e v e r, w h a t m i g h t b e c o n s i d e re d a negative result of the study is that accidents increased after the ELD mandate took effect T h e i n c re a s e w a s m i n i m a l w i t h t h e l a rg e r carriers but more obvious among the smaller carriers and independent operators According to the study, smaller carriers operating two to 20 trucks saw a nine percent increase in accidents The worst results were with the independent operators who saw an 11 6 percent increase in accidents
The study also looked at unsafe driving infractions for all carriers during both the light and strict enforcement periods This w o u l d i n c l u d e s p e e d i n g a s w e l l a s o t h e r actions that might reduce safety Unsafe driving infractions increased among all three size groups It was least noticed among the largest carriers, many of which had already transitioned to ELDs. However, the increase in unsafe driving infractions was more obvio u s a m o n g t h e s m a l l e r c a r r i e r s a n d i n d ependent operators who had not been using ELDs prior to the mandate
W h a t b e c a m e o b v i o u s i s t h a t t h e n e w ELD mandate gave the truckers less flexibility in logging. Hence, when running late or t r y i n g t o m a k e a n o n t i m e d e l i v e r y t h e y resorted to speeding or unsafe driving habits b e c a u s e t h e y c o u l d n o t m o d i f y t h e i r l o g s . T h e g o v e r n m e n t m a n d a t e t h a t w a s o r i g inally intended to improve safety did just the opposite.
Andrew Balthrop from the Sam M. Walton College of Business, who co-authored t h e s t u d y, o ff e re d s o m e o b s e r v a t i o n s H e said: “Our results indicate that the electronic logging device did not immediately achieve its goal of reducing accidents ” He went on to mention that the study showed that the drivers reacted in ways the FMCSA did not a n t i c i p a t e . I n a d d i t i o n , h e s u g g e s t e d t h a t t h e s e b e h a v i o r s s h o u l d b e a c c o u n t e d f o r w h e n t h e F M C S A r e v i s i t s i t s h o u r s - o fservice policies.
Some observers have suggested that the re g u l a t o r s a re t r y i n g t o re g u l a t e w i t h o u t understanding the industry and its needs
Bear in mind that the government deregulated interstate trucks and buses in order to increase competition and thus reduce costs to the consumer We need to step back and realize that reducing costs and increasing safety may be at odds in many situations In addition to keeping costs competitive, the truckers are also trying to achieve on-time delivery Hence, deregulation on one side with safety and hours-of-service rules on the other side has them squeezed between two
opposites As some truck drivers comment, “Between a rock and the hard place.”
With the numbers showing that the movem e n t t o E L D s re d u c e d s a f e t y a n d w i t h a n ongoing number of complaints from truckers and trucking groups, it was expected that the FMCSA would take a long and hard look at the negative impact of ELDs. The 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act required the Secretary
While buses fall under hours-of-service laws and the same ELD mandate, they are not affected as much as the trucks. For the most part scheduled buses, charters and tours all have a terminal point every night. Hence, they would not normally run into hours-of-service problems unless there is an unusual delay
These
parking on an interstate exit
there was not enough room in the rest area for trucks In some cases the truck drivers are caught between the federal ELD regulations and state or local parking restrictions
o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n t o s u b m i t a r e p o r t t o Congress on ELDs That report sidestepped the deadly issues by suggesting that external factors since the implementation of ELDs have prevented the agency from determining the safety impacts of the devices FMCSA mentioned “confounding factors” that prevented analyzing the effectiveness of ELDs The one thing that was mentioned was the p o s s i b i l i t y o f re d u c i n g t h e s p e e d l i m i t t o reduce accidents
M e a n w h i l e , t r u c k e r s a n d t r u c k i n g groups had a lot of negative things to say John Miller, a truck company owner, said: “ M a n d a t i n g E L D s i n t h e f i r s t p l a c e w a s supposed to improve safety, but it did the o p p o s i t e S o w h y i s t h e w h o l e E L D m a ndate not just scrapped? It was never about s a f e t y. ” A s u b m i s s i o n t o F M C S A b y
N i c h o l a s M c C a b e o ff e re d : “ F o r s t a r t e r s , t h e r e h a s b e e n n o s t a t i s t i c a l e v i d e n c e t o prove truck drivers are safer with an ELD than without. . . . ELDs have caused more havoc in the industry than any other rule or regulation Truckers should be allowed to drive at our discretion If we are going to be held to a professional standard on the road as drivers, then why is there a double s t a n d a r d w h e n i t c o m e s t o d e c i d i n g whether to continue or whether to park ”
There were several comments suggesting that only the truck driver knows how he or s h e f e e l s a n d t h a t i s m o re i m p o r t a n t t h a n numbers on a piece of paper or a clock A poll by Overdrive Magazine indicated that 87 percent of respondents noted negative safety impacts from the ELD mandate
There is an increasing concern over the safe parking of trucks when the ELD tells the driver it is time to quit driving and pull off the road. What if there are not enough safe parking spots? Should the driver park where it may not be safe for himself or others?
The ELD Fiasco Expands
The recent fatal accident in Illinois has a d d e d n e w d i m e n s i o n s a n d c o n c e r n s because of other serious problems caused by ELDs
J u s t p r i o r t o 2 a m o n t h e m o r n i n g o f Wednesday, July 12, a Greyhound bus with 2 2 p a s s e n g e r s w a s p u l l i n g i n t o t h e S i l v e r Lake Rest Area in Madison County, Illinois on I-70 just east of St Louis It ran into the trailer of a semi truck parked on the ramp. As a result, three bus passengers died and 14 others, including the driver, were injured T h e d r i v e r o f t h e p a r k e d t r u c k , w h o w a s t h r o w n a g a i n s t h i s w i n d s h i e l d b y t h e i m p a c t , h e l p e d p u l l p a s s e n g e r s f ro m t h e wreckage of the bus and extinguish flames on the bus
It was discovered that the parked truck w a s c a r r y i n g J i m m y D e a n s a u s a g e s T h e truck driver said that his original intention was to reach Troy, Illinois, an exit about 12 miles ahead requiring about 15 more minutes of driving time However, his ELD told him that he had run out of driving hours and had to stop and park. Had he been using the old paper logs, he could have found a way to drive those additional 15 minutes and get his truck off the interstate. As it was, his compliance with the ELD cost three lives and 14 people injured.
In the aftermath of this accident the negative aspects of the ELD mandate is being l o o k e d a t b y t r u c k e r s , t r u c k i n g g r o u p s , s t a t e p o l i c e , re g u l a t o r s a n d e v e n e l e c t e d officials. Questions being asked are: Why a re t h e re n o t e n o u g h s a f e p a r k i n g p l a c e s f o r t r u c k s t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e E L D m a nd a t e ? W h y d o n ’ t t h e t r u c k e r s h a v e s o m e l e e w a y t o k e e p d r i v i n g t o a s a f e p a r k i n g l o c a t i o n ? W h a t a b o u t t h e d r i v e r s b e i n g a s s a u l t e d , m u r d e r e d o r r o b b e d b e c a u s e t h e i r E L D f o rc e d t h e m t o p a r k i n a p l a c e that was not safe for them?
Drivers have complained that they are c a u g h t b e t w e e n f e d e r a l a n d s t a t e re g u l ations. If they obey the federal ELD hours-ofservice law and get off the highway to park, they may violate a state parking law or end up parking in a location that is dangerous to the driver U S Representative Mike Bost o f I l l i n o i s h a s s p o n s o re d l e g i s l a t i o n t h a t seeks $750 million over three years to build truck parking spaces across the nation The truck driver involved in the accident said he
would like to see some allowances so truckers can find safer parking even if it means going over the time limit by a few minutes.
Representative Bost agreed and said: “The r
What this has brought out is that research
indicated that from 2013 to 2017 there were 2,315 accidents involving parked trucks that were blamed for 138 fatalities. A 2022 study by the California Department of Transportat i o n s h o w e d t h a t f ro m 2 0 1 4 t o 2 0 1 8 t h e re were 1,626 crashes in the state that involved parked trucks They resulted in 131 deaths
We can only hope that the regulators and our elected officials do something to eliminate the loss of life caused by ELDs. q
People from trucking groups and regulators a r e h o p e f u l l y n o w taking a closer look at p r o b l e m s c a u s e d b y e l e c t r o n i c l o g g i n g d e v i c e s . W h e n t h e E L D t e l l s t h e t r u c k driver to park, can he or she find a safe location? Numerous peop l e a r e p o i n t i n g o u t that the truckers could u s e s o m e l e e w a y o r even more options in m a k i n g t h e i r o w n judgment
Thousands of leaders from around the world will come together in Orlando, October 8-11, for the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) TRANSform Conference & EXPO to experience the industry’s latest innovations and technologies. After a highly successful event in 2021, APTA returns to Orlando to share the future of public transportation with the world.
F r o m v i s i b i l i t y t o c r e d i b i l i t y, A P TA’ s TRANSform Conference and EXPO is a powerful platform to launch products, increase
b r a n d a w a r e n e s s , c o n d u c t c o m p e t i t i v e research and expand professional networks As a global industry that faces a wide-array of challenges, this event offers a one-stop shop to interact with transit agencies, policy make r s , re g u l a t o r s a n d c u s t o m e r s t o p re v i e w i n n o v a t i o n s a n d b e s t p r a c t i c e s w h i l e a l s o gaining knowledge from the unique attribu t e s a n d p e r s p e c t i v e s o f t h i s d i v e r s e a n d
inclusive industry In addition to the exhibit floor, APTA’s TRANSform Conference offers educational sessions and networking events exclusively for their attendees that expose
participants to new people, new businesses and new ways of thinking
“Public transit shapes how people move and interact with cities in a way that both supports and strengthens our nation. Public transportation has proven to help drive econ o m i c g r o w t h , t a c k l e c l i m a t e c h a n g e , a d v a n c e e q u i t y i s s u e s a n d p r o v i d e o u r growing communities sustainable mobility o p t i o n s , ” s a i d A P TA P re s i d e n t a n d C E O Paul P. Skoutelas. “Our industry is extensive and complex, and APTA’s TRANSform Con-
National Bus Trader / September, 2023 • 25
The American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) TRANSform Conference & EXPO taking place in Orlando on October 8-11 will show off the industry’s latest innovations and technologies. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation including bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services and intercity and high-speed passenger rail America’s $80 billion public transportation industry directly employs 450,000 workers and supports millions of private-sector jobs. APTA.ference and EXPO brings together all facets of our industry ”
With millions of people relying on buses, trains and light rail to travel, public transportation is essential not only to keeping life moving, but also to economic growth and stability. With 87 percent of trips directly benefiting local economies, public transit builds communities and directly employs more than 450,000 people. Ongoing innovation in public transportation is also vital to helping meet t h e c l i m a t e a n d m o b i l i t y d e m a n d s o f t h e nation’s cities and communities To keep pace with technology, the industry is rapidly innovating operations that support passenger n e e d s , i n c l u d i n g s w i f t a n d c o n t i n u o u s exchanges of information, safety improvements and increased operational efficiencies.
F ro m t h e e c o n o m i c s o f t h e i n d u s t r y t o reinventing rider experiences and advances i n s a f e t y a n d s u s t a i n a b i l i t y, y o u w i l l n o t want to miss this gathering of transit professionals from across the country and the globe (especially as travel restrictions have e a s e d s i n c e 2 0 2 1 ) . L e a r n w h a t a w a i t s t h e industry at APTA’s TRANSform Conference and EXPO in Orlando this October and register at www aptaexpo com
The TRANSform Conference and EXPO is hosted by APTA, a non-profit international association representing America’s $80 billion public transportation industry, which
directly employs 450,000 workers and supports millions of private-sector jobs APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation, including bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passen-
g e r r a i l I n a d d i t i o n , A P TA m e m b e r s a re engaged in every aspect of the industry –from planning, designing, financing, constructing and operating transit systems to the research, development, manufacturing and maintenance of vehicles, equipment and transit-related products and services. q
n Thursday, September 24, 2015, an amphibious duck tour vehicle went out of control on the Aurora bridge in Seattle and hit the side of a coach transporting incoming college students, killing five of them In addition to being a tragedy, t h i s p a r t i c u l a r a c c i d e n t i s n o t e w o r t h y f o r several things.
of events that had to take place in order for this to happen There are a number of lessons to be learned from this accident. Perhaps the most important, but most difficult to deal with, is to always expect the unexpected Ducks
A key factor in both the accident and the a c c i d e n t s e v e r i t y i s t h a t o n e o f v e h i c l e s involved was an amphibious duck tour vehicle Although originally a military vehicle, they do have a strong connection with buses
As the United States entered World War II, the military found a need for an amphibious vehicle to transport troops and supplies b e t w e e n s h i p s a n d b e a c h e s O p e r a t i n g u n d e r m i l i t a r y s u p e r v i s i o n , t h e f i r m o f Sparkman & Stephens joined with General M o t o r s C o r p o r a t i o n t o c o m e u p w i t h a workable vehicle. What they did was to take the standard 21⁄2-ton military CCKW truck and add a watertight hull and rear propeller.
As with the Orland, California accident where a truck crossed the median, the coach was not at fault but was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time In fact, much of the blame for this event did not fall on either driver but rather mostly on the company that modified the duck As with many other accidents, there were several things in a chain
The resulting vehicle was 31 feet long and 9 9 i n c h e s w i d e . G M C c a l l e d i t a D U K W where D stood for 1942, the year of design; U represented utility or amphibious; the K indicated all-wheel drive and the W signified two powered rear axles Initial product i o n s t a r t e d i n w h a t w a s s t i l l t h e Ye l l o w
Truck & Coach bus assembly line in Pontiac, M i c h i g a n T h i s i s w h y m a n y d u c k p a r t s match bus parts of that era. Some DUKWs were later made at the Chevrolet facility in St Louis A total of 21,147 units were built before production ended in 1945.
Ducks distinguished themselves in World War II and were used by both U S and allied forces in both the Pacific and European thea t e r s A f t e r t h e Wa r, m a n y o f t h e d u c k s ended up with the military in other countries They were used in the Korean War and s e v e r a l o t h e r c o n f l i c t s W h i l e i n i t i a l l y intended to only last long enough to meet t h e i m m e d i a t e d e m a n d s o f c o m b a t , t h e ducks seemed to go on forever
In the years after the War, it was discovered that the ducks offered an ideal way to provide a unique ride for tourists covering both land and water The first of these opera t i o n s w a s f o u n d e d i n 1 9 4 6 i n Wi s c o n s i n Dells, Wisconsin Still operating today as the O r i g i n a l Wi s c o n s i n D u c k s , t h e c o m p a n y runs tours on land as well as the Wisconsin R i v e r a n d L a k e D e l t o n S i n c e t h e n , t o u r ducks have gone into operation in several other cities
In 1999, Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing developed and received U S Coast G u a r d a p p r o v a l f o r a s t r e t c h e d d u c k W h i l e m o d i f i e d f ro m t h e o r i g i n a l D U K W design, this new stretch duck modification included some updated and new systems I n 2 0 0 5 , t h i s c o m p a n y w a s m e r g e d i n t o R i d e T h e D u c k s I n t e r n a t i o n a l o f B r a n s o n , Missouri. The duck involved in the Seattle accident was a stretch duck that was completed by Ride The Ducks International in 2 0 0 5 .
W h i l e I d o n o t w a n t t o g o i n t o d e e p mechanical details, it should be noted that
Their ability to operate on both land and water made the ducks popular for local sightseeing and tours. The first of these operations started in 1946 in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. This photo shows that the Original Wisconsin Ducks are still delighting people by taking them on land and water tours. WISCONSIN DELLS CVB
t h e f r o n t a x l e w a s m o d i f i e d d u r i n g t h e stretch and rebuilding process If my nomenc l a t u r e i s c o r r e c t , a p i e c e o f m e t a l w a s welded to the tapered area of the knuckle ball where it joined the axle housing This procedure was intended to strengthen this area because of prior problems with fatigue
Ducks were designed for use during World War II and proved themselves during the war effort Taken on September 30, 1944, this photo shows a British DUKW carrying supplies and American paratroopers across the Waal River at Nijmegen. The ducks went on to serve in later conflicts and some ended up providing local tours ARMY FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHIC UNIT
cracking here. It was the fatigue cracking in this area that ended up causing the accident
The National Transportation Safety Board re p o r t o n t h i s a c c i d e n t b re a k s d u c k s i n t o three categories These include the original DUKW units, the stretch ducks and “truck d u c k s ” w h i c h a r e n e w e r u n i t s b u i l t o n a newer chassis to look like the orignal DUKW ducks Their report indicated that there are a total of 142 ducks operating in the United States with either 46 or 56 being the stretch version
Aurora Bridge
O ff i c i a l l y k n o w n a s t h e G e o rg e Wa s hi n g t o n M e m o r i a l B r i d g e , t h e A u r o r a Bridge is a cantilever and truss bridge runn i n g e s s e n t i a l l y n o r t h a n d s o u t h . I t g e t s i s n a m e b e c a u s e i t c a r r i e s A u r o r a Av e n u e North (State Route 99) over what might be c a l l e d t h e n o r t h w e s t a r m o f L a k e U n i o n a n d s u r r o u n d i n g v a l l e y T h e a r e a t o t h e s o u t h o f t h e s p a n i s c a l l e d Q u e e n A n n e w h i l e t h e a re a t o t h e n o r t h o f t h e s p a n i s c a l l e d F re m o n t
B u i l t i n 1 9 3 2 , t h e b r i d g e i s 2 , 9 4 5 f e e t l o n g a n d 7 0 f e e t w i d e I t i s 1 6 7 f e e t h i g h w h e re i t p a s s e s o v e r L a k e U n i o n . P h o t o s a n d d i a g r a m s s u g g e s t t h a t i t a c c o m m od a t e s t h re e l a n e s o f t r a ff i c i n e a c h d i re ction The bridge was added to the Register o f H i s t o r i c P l a c e s i n 1 9 8 2 B e c a u s e o f i t s h e i g h t , t h e b r i d g e h a s b e e n p o p u l a r w i t h s u i c i d e j u m p e r s I t a l s o w a s t h e s i t e o f a p re v i o u s b u s a c c i d e n t
That happened back on November 27, 1998 when an articulated Metro transit bus operating on Route 359 was crossing the bridge A passenger sitting in the first seat by the front door opened fire and killed the driver with two shots before shooting himself Newspaper accounts say that the shooting was unprovoked Uncontrolled, the bus went across the oncoming traffic lane, ran off the bridge and landed on top of an apartment building about 50 feet below before falling to the ground Three people were killed and 36 injured. Had the bus fallen into Lake Union, I am sure there would have been more fatalities
The events leading up to the accident are fairly well documented The duck drivercaptain checked in for work at 9:08 a.m. and b e g a n h i s p re - t r i p i n s p e c t i o n o f t h e d u c k about 9:15 a m He then drove the duck to the Seattle Ride The Ducks ticket booth in downtown Seattle, arriving there at about 10 a.m. By his scheduled departure time of 10:30 a m , all 36 seats on the duck were filled with passengers
At about 10:35 a m , the driver-captain gave the required safety briefing to the passengers and then departed for the land portion of the tour This involved driving along the waterfront, through Pioneer Square and then the downtown shopping district Foll o w i n g t h a t t h e d u c k w e n t n o r t h o n S t a t e R o u t e 9 9 a n d A u ro r a Av e n u e t o c ro s s t h e Aurora Bridge going north N o r t h S e a t t l e C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e i s located north of Lake Union and just west
Union The two buses originated at North Seattle Community College, shown north and higher on the
NBT
downtown Seattle
south
o f I n t e r s t a t e 5 T h e c o l l e g e h a s a p p r o x im a t e l y 4 , 0 0 0 s t u d e n t s w i t h a b o u t 9 0 0 o f those involved in its popular international program On Thursday morning, September 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 m a n y o f t h e i n c o m i n g f re s h m a n international students were due to be transported south to Safeco Field, the home of the Seattle Mariners, for an orientation. Since both students plus some staff members were involved, the college had asked Bellair Charters to send over two coaches by 9:45 a.m.
The driver of the lead coach reported for w o r k t h a t m o r n i n g a n d b e g a n d r i v i n g a t a b o u t 8 : 3 0 a m B y 9 : 3 0 a m b o t h c o a c h e s w e r e a t t h e c o l l e g e . I t a p p e a r s t h a t t h e coaches loaded the students and staff then left the college at about 10:45 a m Their route would most likely have been west to Aurora Av e n u e a n d t h e n s o u t h t o t h e A u r o r a Avenue bridge and downtown Seattle I am n o t s u r e w h y t h e c o a c h e s u s e d A u r o r a Avenue since Interstate 5 runs parallel down to Safeco Field.
Hence, at approximately 11:11 a m the duck was driving north on the Aurora bridge in the right hand lane while the two buses were driving south on the Aurora bridge in the center lane Everyone involved said that the traffic was very light with very few vehicles on the bridge. This is confirmed by cameras on both vehicles Behind the buses was a 2011 Ram pickup truck while behind the duck was a 2006 Toyota Highlander SUV and a 2007 Toyota Tundra pickup
Reports indicate that the duck was driving north on the bridge in the right hand lane The driver-captain advised the passeng e r s a b o u t a p o s s i b l e p h o t o o p p o r t u n i t y since most of Lake Union would be visible from the right side of the duck At least one passenger stood up to take photos As the d u c k p a s s e d o v e r t h e s e c o n d e x p a n s i o n point on the bridge, the driver said he heard a n u n u s u a l “ c l u n k , c l u n k ” n o i s e f ro m t h e area of the left front axle It is presumed that the slight bump of the expansion joint was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” in regard to the fatigue cracking on the knuckle ball. A driver following behind the duck said he saw a puff of smoke coming from the left front wheel and then the wheel seemed to “pop off” of the duck
At this point the duck driver said that the vehicle drifted to the right and the steering felt loose Then, the duck started drifting to t h e l e f t , c ro s s i n g t h e c e n t e r a n d l e f t l a n e s . The driver reportedly said, “Oh No” when he realized that the steering was locked and the brakes would not respond even though he was “standing” on them Unfortunately, t h e b u s e s w e re a p p ro a c h i n g i n t h e c e n t e r southbound lane
The lead bus driver may not have considered the duck in the northbound lanes to
be a hazard when it was moving to the left and changing lanes The problem might only become obvious when the duck continued drifting to the left and crossed the double yellow lines separating the northbound and s o u t h b o u n d l a n e s T h e n , w i t h a c l o s i n g speed of around 100 miles per hour, options were limited. The bus driver did start trying to steer the bus to the right in a futile attempt to avoid the approaching duck, but it hit the bus on the left (driver ’s) side near the front.
There were no side windows on the duck but only an open space between the sidewall and the top canopy Eleven of the duck passengers were ejected from the vehicle either p r i o r t o o r d u r i n g t h e c o l l i s i o n w i t h t h e coach Sixteen of the duck passengers and the driver received serious injuries and the other 20 passengers received minor injuries Thankfully, no one on the duck was killed
M y f i r s t t h o u g h t w a s t h a t t h e b u s h a d received more serious damage than I would have expected I was gratified when I noted a similar thought in the NTSB report on the accident. The reason behind this can best be explained by three unexpected factors in this accident First, since the duck has a watert i g h t h u l l a s w e l l a s w h e e l s , i t r i d e s h i g h a b o v e t h e p a v e m e n t – h i g h e r t h a n a u t o -
mobiles and most trucks Second, the front of the duck is not flat like most vehicles but comes to a point in what the nautical people c a l l a b o w o r p ro w T h i rd , w i t h t h e d u c k d r i f t i n g t o t h e l e f t a n d t h e b u s s t a r t i n g t o move to the right, the two vehicles met at an a n g l e o f o n l y 2 1 d e g re e s W h i l e n o t q u i t e head-on, this was certainly not a “T-bone” as mentioned in some reports
What actually happened is that the duck struck the bus near the front on the driver ’s s i d e B e c a u s e o f i t s h e i g h t , t h e b o w o f t h e duck then rode up and into the bus at a distance of about six feet above ground As the momentum of the bus carried it foreward, the bow acted like a giant can opener and cut the bus open for a distance of 19 feet The maximum penetration of the bow into the bus was about two feet between seat rows five and six Passengers killed were seated in rows four through 10 in the left or driver ’s side of the bus
O f t h e m o t o r c o a c h p a s s e n g e r s , 1 3 received serious injuries and 20 passengers plus the driver received minor injuries. One p a s s e n g e r re p o r t e d n o i n j u r i e s a t a l l a n d information is not available on the other 10 passengers. In addition, four students lost their lives in the accident and a fifth subse-
National Bus Trader / September, 2023 • 31
This diagram provides a graphic view of what happened on the Aurora Bridge. With three traffic lanes in each direction, the duck in the right lane going north began moving across the lanes to the left. It soon crossed the center line and hit the lead bus going south. Most likely, the bus drivers had only seconds to realize that the duck had become a hazard. NBTquently died in a hospital All five of those k i l l e d w e r e r e p o r t e d t o b e i n t e r n a t i o n a l incoming freshman students from Austria, Indonesia, Japan, China and Korea
A l t h o u g h n o t n e c e s s a r i l y s i g n i f i c a n t , three other vehicles were also involved in a minor way. The 2011 Ram pickup truck was following southbound behind the buses and suddenly found the road ahead blocked by the first bus and the duck. Unable to stop in time, he hit the side of the duck that pushed him into the northbound lanes where he hit the northbound Toyota Tundra pickup The d u c k ro l l e d b r i e f l y o n t o t h e To y o t a H i g hl a n d e r, w h i c h m a y h a v e k e p t i t u p r i g h t . None of the occupants of these three vehicles reported any injuries
Emergency response to this accident was e x t re m e l y p ro m p t d u e t o t h e f a c t t h a t t h e Seattle Fire Department had just finished an emergency response practice drill near the crash site. The Seattle Fire Department incident commander arrived on the accident site only four minutes after the initial emergency call and a Disaster Medical Control Center was already established Three minutes later, additional units began arriving Impressive w a s t h e f a c t t h a t t h e A m e r i c a n M e d i c a l Response Ambulance Service sent 36 basic l i f e s u p p o r t a m b u l a n c e s t o t h e s c e n e a n d these were augmented by other companies and agencies
have asked what would have happened had the bus driver swerved to the left instead of
Looking up at the Aurora Bridge from below, it is obvious that the bridge crosses over both water and land. Had the duck not hit the bus, there is at least a possibility that it could have gone over the edge of the bridge and fell a substantial distance to the ground below Had this happened, there undoubtedly would have been more injuries and deaths RUNNER 1928 – CREATIVE COMMONS 4 0
to the right My observation would be that t h i s w o u l d h a v e b e e n u n l i k e l y f o r a t l e a s t two reasons. One is that there was no time to think By the time the driver would have realized that the duck was a threat, he only had a few seconds to do something The second is that the driver could easily see two v e h i c l e s f o l l o w i n g b e h i n d t h e d u c k . I f h e s w e r v e d i n t o t h e n o r t h b o u n d l a n e s , h e would most likely hit one or both of these northbound vehicles.
I n t h e e v e n t o f s u c h a n a c c i d e n t , i t c e rtainly would have been less traumatic for the bus passengers but possibly not for the people in the two Toyotas. However, consider that with the bus swerving left, an accident with one or two other vehicles might have re-directed the bus over the edge of the bridge with resulting considerable loss of l i f e W h i l e t h e re i s a h i g h c o n c re t e c u r b , a small fence and a high fence at the edge of the roadway, the transit bus managed to roll off the bridge in 1998.
Another scenario worth considering is t h a t w i t h a l o w t r a f f i c s i t u a t i o n o n t h e bridge, a difference of a little as five seconds in the travels of either the duck or the buses might have avoided this accident If the bus did not stop the forward movement of the d u c k , i t c o u l d h a v e p l u n g e d t h ro u g h t h e b arrier an d fen ce at t h e side of t h e b ridg e a n d o ff t h e b r i d g e w i t h m a j o r l o s s o f l i f e From what I can determine, had this happened, the duck would have landed in an earthen area with some trees near a roadway beneath the bridge
T h e N T S B re p o r t o n t h i s a c c i d e n t t o o k t h e t i m e t o r e p o r t o n p r e v i o u s d u c k o r amphibious vehicle accidents Mentioned w a s t h e s i n k i n g o f a d u c k i n A r k a n s a s i n
1999 with the loss of 13 passengers including t h r e e c h i l d r e n S a f e t y a n d m a i n t e n a n c e issues were mentioned. A duck sank in Lake Union in Seattle in 2001 after the passengers were safely put on shore. The cause was a m i s s i n g p l u g t h a t h a d b e e n re m o v e d a n d not replaced
In 2010 a tugboat and barge collided with and sank a duck in Philadelphia resulting in the death of two passengers and injuries to 26 others The probable cause was the distraction of the mate steering the tugboat with a comp u t e r a n d c e l l p h o n e C o n t r i b u t i n g w a s a missing pressure cap on the duck and the risk of anchoring in an active navigation channel.
I t w a s m e n t i o n e d i n t h e N T S B r e p o r t t h a t t h i s a c c i d e n t i n S e a t t l e w a s t h e f i r s t w i t h a d u c k o n l a n d H o w e v e r, a s e c o n d would happen only months later In Boston in April of 2016, a duck essentially ran into two people on a motor scooter, killing one o f t h e m . T h i s d u c k w a s t h e “ t r u c k d u c k ” variety and built on a 1972 jeep chassis The NTSB pointed out that the driver had also b e e n a c t i n g a s a n a r r a t o r a n d t h a t t h e scooter may have been at least partially hidd e n f ro m t h e d u c k d r i v e r ’ s v i e w b e c a u s e of the bow of the vehicle
The NTSB offered a probable cause and two contributing factors of the Seattle accident The obvious major cause was improper manufacturing and inadequate maintenance on the left front axle housing on the duck They mentioned that the reinforcing tab on the axle had been improperly welded and may not have helped the fatigue cracking anyway A contributing factor was the structural incompatibility of the duck with the
coach that allowed intrusion into the interior of the coach In addition, it was mentioned that the lack of occupant crash protections and the high impact forces contributed to the severity of injuries on the duck.
Several recommendations were made by the NTSB. These included that the duck manufacturer issue a recall on its stretched ducks and provide a remedy to the axle problem It w a s r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t N H T S A u s e t h e Coast Guard’s 185 pounds per passenger in d e t e r m i n i n g g r o s s v e h i c l e w e i g h t f o r a n amphibious vehicle Another suggestion was to classify all amphibious passenger vehicles as non-over-the-road buses and therefore subject to FMVSS safety standards Interesting was a recommendation that passengers on amphibious vehicles not wear seat belts while on the water Expectedly, there were additional comments directed at Ride the Ducks and the Passenger Vehicle Association
One lesson to be learned from this accident is to expect the unexpected All of us who have driven buses over any period of time have thought about the possibility of meeting a car head-on In most cases you are probably better off taking the hit than leaving the roadway One of the more interesting driving suggestions I heard over the years is to watch out for what is going on ahead of you and to have a plan in mind in case of an emergency If there is an emergency, you may not have more than a second to think.
A second lesson to be learned is that you m i g h t g e t i n v o l v e d i n a n a c c i d e n t e v e n i f y o u d o n o t h i n g w r o n g O n c e y o u a r e i n v o l v e d , e v e r y t h i n g y o u d i d o r s a i d w i l l b e s c ru t i n i z e d M a y b e i t w o u l d b e a g o o d idea to do things properly every day – just i n c a s e . q
A s o u t h b o u n d R o u t e 45 bus going to Queen Anne crosses over the A u r o r a B r i d g e i n t h e i n s i d e l a n e . W h i l e t h e r e i s a p e d e s t r i a n w a l k w a y a n d t w o f e n c e s a t t h e e d g e o f t h e b r i d g e , t h e r e i s a r e c o r d o f a b u s o u t o f control running off the s i d e o f t h e b r i d g e i n 1998. Fortunately for all concerned, none of the v e h i c l e s r a n o f f t h e b r i d g e i n t h i s 2 0 1 5 i n c i d e n t
Ic e d Te a i s w h a t m y w i f e o rd e re d a t t h e re s t a u r a n t . I h e a rd i t d i s t i n c t l y. Wi t h i n m i n u t e s o f g e t t i n g h e r d r i n k , s h e w a s becoming giddy There are many words to describe Susan – smart, charming, beautiful (she does read this column sometimes), but giddy is not one of them.
T h e l a s t t i m e s h e w a s g i d d y w a s y e a r s ago as we were sitting with her ex-landlady, t o a s t i n g o u r r e c e n t m a r r i a g e w i t h c h a mp a g n e E i g h t y - s e v e n y e a r o l d R u t h d r a n k u s b o t h u n d e r t h e t a b l e . I t d i d n o t t a k e m u c h
Remembering that occasion, I took a sip of her drink and figured out that the server had provided Long Island Iced Tea It tastes a lot like sweet tea but is about a thousand percent alcohol.
Liquids are tricky. Understanding what you have, and how it is supposed to act, is just as important in bus maintenance as it is in dining out.
As coaches grow more sophisticated, new fluids are being added to the menu, and existing ones are becoming more specialized
A recent addition is DEF (diesel exhaust f l u i d ) . B y m o s t a c c o u n t s i t i s w o r k i n g O K (does that matter, since it is mandated?) However, there are some amusing anecdotes circulating about what happens if you pour it in the wrong opening
One story involves a gentleman driving a n e w b u s w h e n t h e l o w c o o l a n t l i g h t i l l u m i n a t e d . H e r u m m a g e d a r o u n d t h e s t o r a g e b a y s , b u t c o u l d n o t f i n d a n y a n t i f r e e z e – w h e n s u d d e n l y a j u g o f D E F mischievously presented itself. What could g o w ro n g ?
Everything Evidently DEF holds some s o r t o f g r u d g e a g a i n s t m o s t m e t a l s , a n d devours them. In this case it turned all the c o p p e r c o o l a n t l i n e s a n d h e a t e x c h a n g e r s into something akin to lawn sprinklers . . . a situation not covered by warranty A coach has lots of these pipes, most of them hiding in the tummy of the bus.
Better training for this driver could have saved tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, and the EPA is greatly irritated by puddles of ethylene glycol
Storing spare fluids on coaches, particularly ones traveling far from home is a good idea IF containers are carefully marked and t h e d r i v e r s u n d e r s t a n d e x a c t l y w h a t t h e y a re f o r. N o t o n l y d o e s t h i s s a v e m o n e y, i t reduces (but, does not eliminate) opportunities for mischief
When drivers must buy stuff on the road, they have to know what the “right stuff” is, based on either training or a call to the office Reading the labels is often a plus
T h e r e a r e p o t e n t i a l p r o b l e m s w i t h coolant, diesel fuel, transmission and powersteering fluids, engine lubricant, gear oil and the malevolent DEF Hope I did not miss any
Dropping a quart of transmission fluid i n t h e p o w e r - s t e e r i n g r e s e r v o i r i s n o t a s h o w s t o p p e r, b u t t h e s i m i l a r s n a f u o f a d d i n g c o o l a n t t o t h e e n g i n e ' s o i l w i l l q u i c k l y p e r m a n e n t l y s q u e l c h i t s d e d i c at i o n t o ro t a t i o n
N o t o n l y d o y o u n e e d t o a d d t h i n g s t o t h e r i g h t re s e r v o i r, b u t i n s o m e c a s e s , o n e size does not fit all with component vendors
prescribing very specific diets for their products Many are color coded (a semi-useless piece of information since colors may vary from one supplier to another)
This all boils down to training – drivers (and technicians) understanding what each fluid does, and what bussy dangers it represents
Even something as basic as coolant may have a number of variants, and choosing the wrong one can cause damage Human bod-
ies come in a variety of blood types so why c a n n o t c o a c h e s b e p i c k y ? A b u s i n g t h i s metaphor a bit farther – O-negative is a “universal donor” blood type for humans, but there is not a comparable coolant In modern engines even water will not do.
Wi t h m o d e r n c o a c h e s , i t i s a b s o l u t e l y critical to put the correct liquid in the right r e s e r v o i r – e v e r y t i m e I f y o u g o o f , o r cheat, the Bus Fairy will get you. The only d e f e n s e i s t h o ro u g h t r a i n i n g o f a n y o n e i n your organization who might have reason t o t r a n s f u s e a c o a c h . ( B e a t t h a t m e t a p h o r t o d e a t h )
Years ago my friend Leroy was driving a VW from Colorado Springs the 90 miles to Buena Vista, Colorado. It was winter, he was exhausted after working 16 hours on buses a n d d i d n o t h a v e e n o u g h g a s t o m a k e t h e trip. There were no filling stations along the way, but he did have five gallons of diesel fuel in a Jerry can
Wi t h t h e e n g i n e i d l i n g , h e p o u re d t h e diesel into the gas tank and headed over the mountains towards home
H e w a s s m o k i n ’ – n o t s m o k i n ' f a s t –smokin' smokin The bus chugged into the garage, and he shut ' er down There used to be engines designed to run on both gas and d i e s e l T h i s w a s n o t o n e o f t h e m T h u s endeth the VW's engine.
I t i s e a s y f o r m e t o s e c o n d g u e s s h i s choice of fluids. I was not the one facing a cold, lonely night in the high country
Fortunately, there was a happy ending –the car was borrowed q National Bus Trader / September, 2023 • 35
by Ned Einstein
T h e p r e v i o u s s i x i n s t a l l m e n t s o f t h i s series identified and explored, in considerable detail, the elements needed to make a public transportation system work Not a hodgepodge of disjointed and sometimes overlapping or duplicative services, but a c o l l e c t i o n o f s y s t e m e l e m e n t s w h i c h fi t together to form a coherent system
The goal of this series was not historical, although various installments note that every one of these elements was given serious consideration, often supported by a considerable n u m b e r o f a r t i c l e s a n d , o f t e n , s u b s t a n t i a l studies, in the late 1960s and early 1970s In s o m e c a s e s , t h e s e e l e m e n t s w e re a c t u a l l y implemented, often as “demonstration projects.” In some cases, a considerable number of actual, full-blown elements were created – following former President Johnson’s “rescue” of our nation’s fixed route services, in 1964, at a time when the remaining skeleton of our former bus system practically disappeared altogether because fares had continually failed to cover their capital and operating costs – with fixed route bus and passenger rail service the most critical component of our overall public transportation system
re s p o n s e t o t h i s e x p a n s i o n o f t h e f e d e r a l highway system The dysfunctional consequences quickly began to appear By 1975, t h e S t a t e o f I l l i n o i s f o u n d i t s e l f u n a b l e t o even maintain its highway network – built i n re s p o n s e t o a g o a l t h a t n o p o i n t i n t h i s sprawling largely-rural state should lie more t h a n 3 0 m i l e s f ro m a m a j o r h i g h w a y A s a result of this dynamic, and a few others –including the fact that passenger fares could not keep pace with rising costs (even while the federal government paid for 80 percent o f t h e b u s e s , a n d m u c h o f t h e o p e r a t i n g costs) – public transportation was headed for trouble By 1977 – a mere decade after o p e r a t i n g a s s i s t a n c e w a s p r o v i d e d b y USDOT – farebox revenue covered only 50 percent of operating costs
• P a r k a n d R i d e L o t s ( s e e https://transalt com/article/making-public-t ransport at ion-work -p art -2-p ark -andride-lots/)
• Feeder Service (https://transalt.com/ article/making-public-transportation-workpart-3-feeder-service/)
• S y s t e m D e s i g n a n d N e t w o r k s (https://transalt.com/article/making-publ i c - t r a n s p o r t a t i o n - w o r k - p a r t - 4 - s y s t e mdesign-and-networks/)
• Ride-Sharing (https://transalt com/ article/making-public-transportation-workpart-5-ridesharing/)
• H i g h O c c u p a n c y Ve h i c l e L a n e s (https://transalt com/article/making-public-transportation-work-part-6-high-occupancy-vehicle-lanes/)/
As noted in the earliest of these installments, this radical expansion of high-speed roadways made many more motorcoach trips possible and fruitful Many were not feasible b e f o re P re s i d e n t E i s e n h o w e r ’ s m a n d a t e greatly expanded the opportunities for such b u s i n e s s e s – i n a d d i t i o n t o e n h a n c i n g o u r nation’s overall public transportation system and, of course, expanding opportunities for more trips by personal occupant automobiles (POVs). Plus, this newly-expanded core of “super-highways” triggered an explosion of state and county highways constructed to support and supplement them
A f e w s t a t e s w i t h “ p i e s i n t h e i r e y e s ” grossly overbuild their highway systems in
Today, the most productive system in the country, New York City’s transit system, was c o v e r i n g 3 5 p e rc e n t o f i t s o p e r a t i n g c o s t s from farebox revenue – up until two years before the emergency of COVID-19 During t h e t w o y e a r s p r i o r t o t h e e m e r g e n c y o f COVID-19, ridership on public transit had decreased by 10 percent a year By 2020, fareb ox revenue covered only nine p ercent of the operating costs of transit in Los Angeles, a n d o n l y 1 3 p e rc e n t o f o p e r a t i n g c o s t s i n densely-populated San Francisco – where a separate transit agency (AC Transit) served much of that city’s suburbs (including Oakland, and parts of counties in the East Bay, including the western portions of Alameda a n d C o n t r a C o s t a c o u n t i e s ) K a n s a s C i t y, re c o v e r i n g o n l y s e v e n p e rc e n t o f i t s c o s t s from farebox revenues, recently eliminated fares altogether – presumably because it cost more to collect these fares than the percentage of operating costs they covered.
Many of the essential elements of a public transportation system that account for the majority of trips in many countries across t h e g l o b e n e v e r f u l l y m a t e r i a l i z e d h e r e Among these elements were:
• A l t e r n a t i v e Wo r k S c h e d u l e s ( s e e https://transalt.com/article/making-public-transportation-work-part-1-alternativework-schedules/)
In truth, alternative work schedules are rare in any country – although Germany’s w i d e s p re a d i n t ro d u c t i o n o f t h e f o u r- d a y workweek, several years ago, is clearly an example, even if reducing traffic was not the principle reason for it. At the same time, the act of actually designing transportation systems is endemic to almost every developed nation with the exception of ours Plus, there is considerable design in many nations often perceived as third world countries – China being the most outstanding example, while Brazil developed certain modes (e g , buson freeway systems) at least a decade before any Americans involved in transportation appear to have become aware of them
The first installment of this series actually e x a m i n e d a n e l e m e n t w h i c h w o u l d n o t m e re l y t h i n o u t t r a f fi c , b u t w h i c h w o u l d serve as a fallback option (the management of work hours – a temporal consideration) if some of the more traditional spatial elem e n t s p ro v e d i n s u f fi c i e n t T h e f o u r t h o f them dealt, instead, with the failure to produce and coordinate the other elements – in addition to the failure to optimize even a single one of the elements needed to produce a coherent system.
This series did not deal, in much detail, with phenomena like “traffic cops,” which, after about a 50-year hiatus in this country, are re-emerging to help minimize the consequences of our decades-long failure to curtail t r a f fi c
l a rg e l y b e c a u s e o f o u r f a i l u re s t o make public transportation work. Nor did this series deal with new aberrations – like Lyft and Uber – which decimated certain tra-
This radical expansion of h i g h - s p e e d r o a d w a y s made many more motorcoach trips possible and fruitful
Farebox revenue covered o n l y n i n e p e rc e n t o f t h e operating costs of transit in Los Angeles
ditional sectors within our public transportation system (i e , the taxi and limousine industries), and thinned the density of other modes (transit and motorcoach service, in particular) which had contributed far more to alleviating traffic congestion – not to mention increasing taxpayers’ subsidies for the provision of these highly-underutilized services The failure to contain or stop the spread of Transportation N e t w o r k C o m p a n i e s , l i k e U b e r a n d Ly f t , were covered extensively by NATIONAL BUS TRADER years ago, when the mode split from taxis – and transit – was just beginning (see https://transalt com/article/bad-regulations-and-worse-responses-part-1-introduction/; https://transalt com/article/bad-regulations-and-worse-responses-part-2-the-rise -fall-and-transformation-of-supershuttle/; https://transalt.com/article/ bad-regulations-and-worse-responses-part-3-invasiono f - t h e - t n c s / ; h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t com/article/bad-regulations-and-worser e s p o n s e s - p a r t - 4 - j u d i c i a l - h e r o i s m / ; https://transalt com/article/bad-regulations-and-worse-responses-part-5-executiveb r a n c h - r e s p o n s e s / ; h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t com/article/bad-regulations-and-worseresponses-part-6-industry-and-associationresponses/ and https://transalt com/article/bad-regulations-and-worse-responses-pa rt-7-conclusions/.
Nor did these installments cover the dabbling of other incursions threatening public t r a n s p o r t a t i o n – l i k e d r i v e r l e s s v e h i c l e s –w h i c h , t h a n k f u l l y, e x p e r i e n c e d a l mo st n o penetration into the public transportation a r e n a , o r e v e n r e p l a c e d m a n y p r i v a t e l yowned vehicles, although they threaten to d o g r e a t h a r m t o b o t h i n t h e f u t u r e ( s e e https://transalt com/article/autonomousand-inevitable-part-1-what-is-to-come-andw h a t - i s - a l re a d y - h e re / ; h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t . com/article/autonomous-and-inevitablepart-2-invasion-by-mode-small-vehicles/;
https://transalt com/article/autonomousand-inevitable-part-3-extraordinary-develo p m e n t s - a n d - t o u g h - c h o i c e s / ; h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t c o m / a r t i c l e / a u t o n o m o u s - a n dinevitable-part-4-invasion-by-mode-largev e h i c l e s / ; h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t . c o m / a r t i c l e / autonomous-and-inevitable-part-5-the-regu l a t o r y - e n v i r o n m e n t - i n i t i a l - t h o u g h t s / ;
https://transalt com/article/autonomousand-inevitable-part-5-the-regulatory-environment-initial-thoughts/; https://transalt com/article/autonomous-and-inevitable-
p a r t - 6 - t h e - t r a n s i t i o n - t o - c o m p l e t e - a u t o no m y / ; h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t c o m / a r t i c l e / autonomous-inevitable-part-7-cameras-ands e n s o r s / ; h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t c o m / a r t i c l e / autonomous-and-inevitable-part-8-accessand-accountability/ and https://transalt com/article/autonomous-and-inevitablepart-9-conclusion-the-best-of-both-worlds/
This series of installments identified those broad elements of a public transportation system that would necessarily have to exist, in most places, to make a public transportation system succeed in meeting its principle g o a l s : E l i m i n a t i n g t r a f fi c a n d p r o v i d i n g alternatives to it that their passengers could afford, both monetarily and in terms of the time spent traveling on them
Huge Mistakes in a Single City
H i s t o r y i s f u l l o f e x a m p l e s w h e re o n e mistake led to, and compounded the consequences of, previous mistakes In New York City, a combination of corruption, politics and astonishing ignorance doomed its transportation system to failure, and led to a level of traffic that has become unmanageable –e v e n a s t h e c u r r e n t M a y o r h a s b e g u n t o deploy traffic cops to cope with the desperation this failure has left in its wake
C o m p o u n d i n g t h i s p ro b l e m ( l e s s s o i n many or most cities throughout the country), in 2014, former Mayor De Blasio began letting unlimited numbers of Ubers and Lyfts enter the city’s “taxi sector” without paying for taxi medallions – which, in 2015, were v a l u e d a t $ 1 1 m i l l i o n a p i e c e ( S e e https://transalt com/article/uber-and-lyftdefendants-most-vulnerable-lawsuits-mostlucrative/ and https://transalt com/article/transportation-network-companies-eve n - w o r s e - t h a n - e x p e c t e d / ) T h i s fl o o d o f unneeded vehicles that brought the city no revenue, decimated its taxi system – effectively replacing what, if used properly, could h a v e c o n t r i b u t e d t o s o m e s e m b l a n c e o f a f e e d e r s y s t e m . ( I n s t e a d , i n t h e h e a r t o f COVID-19, 11,000 of the taxis still left were assigned to provide deliveries )
One interesting aspect of this failure – a theme I have often voiced in installments of NATIONAL BUS TRADER – is that many things that affect public transportation lie beyond its control The most obvious example that comes to mind is politics – although all or m o s t a r t i c l e s i n N AT I O N A L B U S T R A D E R , including most of my more than 250 installments, have tried their best to avoid references to politics, at least when it was possible to discuss the issue without reference to such things As a former New Yorker who “put up with” what I knew would doom the city t o i r re v e r s i b l e g r i d l o c k , I w a t c h e d a s t a l l buildings were razed and replaced by yet taller ones At one point about 10 years ago, t h e r e w e r e r o u g h l y 2 , 5 0 0 h o u s i n g u n i t s b e l o w Wa l l S t r e e t ( m o s t o f t h e m i n l a r g e buildings in Battery Park) while there were 7,500 under construction Had the city had an intelligible public transportation system, this exponential growth would have translated into higher transit ridership – until traffic levels began to erode its effectiveness and decrease ridership, by roughly 10 percent, nationwide, roughly two years before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, as noted
L a s t y e a r ( 2 0 2 2 ) , n e w l y - e l e c t e d M a y o r Eric Adams finally “capped” the number of Ubers in NYC at 60,000 By then, of course, plenty of plain-old motorists with relativelynew vehicles were providing similar service – picking up New Yorkers and visitors who were hailing taxis – vehicles whose drivers h e l d n o l i c e n s e s t o d o s o , w i t h m i n i m a l insurance, and none of the other trappings o f t a x i c a b s e r v i c e , s u c h a s m a n a g e m e n t , monitoring and dispatching At least these vehicles’ employers (if companies engaging only 1099 workers could be deemed employers) did not steal and sell their riders’ personal information, and that of everyone else in their passengers’ social media networks, a s Ly f t a n d U b e r d o . W h e n I a m i n N e w Yo r k , a n d c a n n o t h a i l o n e o f t h e c i t y ’ s re m a i n i n g l e g i t i m a t e t a x i s , h a i l i n g o n e o f these “bandits” is how I choose to travel –other than on overcrowded subways, from which nearly a hundred waiting passengers a year are shoved onto the tracks
Then, of course, are the cost overruns. An early example was the expenditure of $4 million to “upgrade” the World Trade Center PATH station (a passenger rail system trave l i n g t o n o r t h e r n N e w J e r s e y c i t i e s l i k e Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken and Bayonne, as well as “transfer stations” like Secaucus Junction, where PATH trains could intersect with additional passenger rail lines of New Jersey Transit, most passengers of which are New Jersey residents employed by the New Yo r k S t o c k E x c h a n g e o r re l a t e d fi r m s a n d vendors supporting it).
For purposes of comparison, for roughly $ 5 7 b i l l i o n , C h i n a b u i l t s e v e r a l h u n d re d miles of heavy rail, numerous light rail spurs and all its stations, throughout six countries (known as “The Silk Road”) France recently expanded part of its heavy rail network at a fraction of our costs (in 2014, construction of high speed rail lines ranged from 5 5 to 19 7 million Euro per kilometer – or roughly
F
$ 8 m i l l i o n t o $ 3 1 7 m i l l i o n p e r m i l e [https://www statista com/statistics/76448 6/cost-construction-lines-lgv-by-kilometerla-france/]; costs for the recent construction o f N Y C ’ s “ S e c o n d Av e n u e L i n e ” c o s t roughly $2B/mile)
Then, of course, was the recent expansion of the highway network on the New Jersey side of the Holland Tunnel – an $11 8 billion investment that did not add a single vehicle’s worth of capacity to the tunnel, but instead, simply enriched selected landowners and businesses on the New Jersey side of it (with much of the money, funneled through the New York/New Jersey Port Authority, much of which came from the city, state and federal taxes of New Yorkers) In fact, currently residing in somewhat rural Warwick, New York – about 50 miles northeast of Upper Manhattan – I continue to pay several hundred dollars a y ear of “MTA t ax es” – as p art of my State-of-New York taxes
As her reward for helping to dismantle New York City’s public transportation system, the former mayor ’s Director of Transp o r t a t i o n w a s a p p o i n t e d , b y P r e s i d e n t B i d e n , a s t h e D e p u t y D i re c t o r o f t h e U S D e p a r t m e n t o f Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n ( U S D O T )
The attorney who presided over the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission from 2014 t h r o u g h 2 0 1 9 – d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d w h e n TNC’s destroyed the city’s taxi system – was appointed to head the Federal Motor Carrier S a f e t y A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ( F M C S A ) T h e Administration within USDOT charged with regulating the trucking industry (as well as the motorcoach industry, as an asterisk) in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic
Then, of course, there are the brokers Bad enough that administrators outnumber people involved in actual operations – just as they do, for example, in higher education, where administrators outweigh university professors. Particularly in the past 20 years, largely (and increasingly) in complementary paratransit service, and completely in the n o n - e m e r g e n c y m e d i c a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n (NEMT) sector (see https://transalt.com/ article/nemt-brokers-motivecare-and-mtms t e a l i n g - h u n d r e d - o f - b i l l i o n s - f r o m - o u rh e a l t h c a re - s y s t e m / a n d h t t p s : / / t r a n s a l t com/article/defending-contractors-part-3the-whistleblowers-song/), these bureaucracies have been replaced by brokers
I n o n e l a w s u i t i n w h i c h I w a s re c e n t l y engaged, that city’s NEMT broker received 93 percent of an annual $250 million budget (for transporting only Medicaid recipients f o r m e d i c a l t r i p s ) s i m p l y f o r s u b m i t t i n g more than 100 mostly-unneeded documents to that city’s healthcare agency – many or most of which were never submitted at all That transit ridership is collapsing from its brokerages should hardly be a surprise (see https://transalt com/article/responses-todeclining-ridership-part-1-contracting-independent-contractors-and-brokers/).
such service are going to come from. With USDOT already paying for 80 percent of a transit system’s capital costs, and much of each one’s operating costs, where else can additional funding come from – to add the additional passenger rail “group bedrooms” (for their ever-increasing homeless populations), much less the additional buses needed to handle the c a p a c i t y n e e d e d d u r i n g p e a k p e r i o d s o f demand on selected route segments?
A literary shrug of Kurt Vonnegut (Breakf a s t o f C h a m p i o n s ) A s N AT I O N A L B U S TRADER readers who know from past articles o f m i n e , a n d re f e re n c e s w i t h i n t h e m ( s e e https://www nytimes com/2020/04/09/ u p s h o t / t r a n s i t - b a t t e re d - b y - c o ro n a v i r u s h t m l ? a c t i o n = c l i c k & m o d u l e = To p % 2 0 S t or i e s & p g t y p e = H o m e p a g e , w h i l e p o v e r t y (and its “transit dependents”) swelled since ro u g h l y 1 9 8 0 , t r a n s i t r i d e r s h i p , a s n o t e d a b o v e , d e c l i n e d b y r o u g h l y 1 0 p e r c e n t , nationwide, during the two years prior to the emergence of COVID-19 It has still not yet recovered, although points of a system’s peak demand, during certain times of the day, have swollen selected segments of certain routes or lines and subway passengers continue to be shoved onto the tracks
As noted, the year before the emergence of COVID-19, Kansas City’s transit system ( R i d e K C ) , e l i m i n a t e d f a r e s a l t o g e t h e r Months ago, Washington, D C announced that it would begin doing so beginning this July, 2023 As we now know, this fare elimination was not implemented
For those transit systems which may be forced to eliminate transit fares because their streets are frozen with bumper-to-bumper traffic during both peak service hours and often throughout the mid-day “base period,” one can only wonder where the funds to pay for
Will the FTA’s budget simply stretch and stretch? Perhaps such communities may experience a reenactment of a 1999 lawsuit named Bus Riders Union v Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Commission (BRU v. LACMTA), in which the court ordered the defendant transit agency to purchase an additional 3,200 buses (and, with them, the costs of operating them for 12 years, as USDOT requires). Two years from now, when the debt ceiling recently extended for two more years this past early June, 2023 ends, one will have to wonder even harder where such funding is going to come from.
My hunch is that eliminating free bus service will be a much higher priority than cutting social security or Medicare funds – the latter, as noted, swollen by the waste and corruption of NEMT brokers This is hardly a fantasy: One occasionally tuning into the news knows that, during the debt ceiling discussions, social security and Medicare lay promin e n t l y o n t h e c h o p p i n g b l o c k , N e x t t i m e around, where should we expect free transit to lie? Even with our ingenuity for eliminating jobs, making transit free will not come as easily as we made most music free; only a moderate number of U S and other nations’ citizens suffered from that clever trick. Every taxpayer will contribute to free transit – although perhaps not much more, since taxpayer dollars pay for most of its costs now
Talk of free fares in New York City began a few months ago, with widespread support from many city council persons That talk did not go nearly as far as did efforts to reinvent congestion pricing fees – which is actually slated to begin in the Spring of 2024 –w i t h t h e e n t r y i n t o m i d - a n d L o w e r M a nhattan to cost a projected $23/vehicle during rush hour, and $17/vehicle in between (and perhaps at night, when there is little or no traffic in even this heavily-traveled part of t h e c i t y. O n e s h o u l d a p p l a u d s u c h a n approach – even if much of the hardship will be borne by a large segment of the population, with few or limited reasonably public transportation choices as an alternative.
Even so, this approach will produce a few drops in the MTM’s bucket (for which it is earmarked) – a hapless agency with few if any buses running on time throughout its e n t i r e s y s t e m d u r i n g t h e p e a k a n d b a s e
r a n c e r e c e n t l y e xpanded par t of its heavy r a i l n e t w o r k a t a f r a c t i o n of our costs.
where the funds to pay for such service are going to come from.
period hours, unable to recover the ridership base it enjoyed in 2018 – which at that time covered 35 percent of the system’s operating c o s t s T h a t t h i s “ o p e r a t i n g r a t i o ” i s t h e n a t i o n ’ s h i g h e s t s h o u l d b e s o b e r i n g . T h a t this drop in the bucket will have an imperceptible impact on traffic reduction is a mere footnote One should not forget the sum that would have accumulated if a moderate fraction of the city’s 60,000 Ubers had paid for taxi medallions (or, if not decimated by these “ e x c e p t i o n s , ” f e w e r b i l l i o n s m a t e r i a l i z e d from the medallion fees paid by legitimate taxis otherwise put out of business by Uber and its TNC cousins) Nor should one forget the $11 8B billion paid to widen Routes 1 and 9 on the New Jersey side of the Holland Tunnel – a program that, as noted, did not add a single millimeter of vehicle capacity to the tunnel itself, although this expansion will clearly make the merging between the additional robot-controlled EZPass toll booths and the tunnel itself even more hazardous and terrorizing than it already is
N e w Yo r k C i t y i s a p o s t e r c h i l d f o r t h e collapse of public transportation, and readers of NATIONAL BUS TRADER should keep a c a re f u l e y e o n i t – e s p e c i a l l y t h o s e h u ndreds (or perhaps thousands) of motorcoach operators who serve the city – and continue to pay bridge and tunnel tolls as a price for each of their vehicles replacing roughly 50 personal vehicles Because of the building boom – higher, higher and higher – vehicles account for only about 20 percent of the city’s energy expenditures. All the electric vehicles one can jam onto the roadways will not put a dent in most of this energy drain pool One city employee told me that the number of wind turbines needed to provide energy to accommodate the city’s tall buildings lies far beyond what is remotely achievable
“learning curve?” These questions are only starting points At least the robots will not have to share tents with the homeless
Otherwise, one can barely imagine the future of Los Angeles, whose transit fares cover only nine percent of the system’s operating costs, with a countywide service area ro u g h l y 1 6 t i m e s l a rg e r t h a n a l l fi v e b o ro u g h s o f N e w Yo r k c i t y – w i t h t h e
L A C M TA’ s c o r e o f b u s s e r v i c e s u p p l emented by an uncoordinated crazy quilt of dozens of “municipal” bus systems, many o f w h i c h o p e r a t e i n s e g m e n t s o f t h e LACMTA’s service area
Beginnings with No Middle and No End
Apart from the gradual disappearance (or near-disappearance) of element after elem e n t o f a p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s y s t e m , a m a j o r re a s o n a l l t h e s e a p p ro a c h e s f a i l e d stemmed from the failure to connect them I n a n i n t e l l i g i b l e u n i v e r s e , t h e l a n d s c a p e w o u l d b e fi l l e d w i t h p a r k - a n d - r i d e l o t s , motorists would carpool to or from them or t r a v e l t o a n d f ro m t h e m v i a s o m e s o r t o f feeder service (including bicycles, shuttles, taxis and even TNCs), and buses operating a t h i g h f r e q u e n c i e s w o u l d p a s s t h r o u g h these lots and transport their occupants to, mostly, each city’s “central business district,” where they could then transfer to a tight network of other buses or trains, also operating at high frequencies
Of course, for this coordination to occur, o n e w o u l d n e e d a s y s t e m t o a c t u a l l y b e designed As noted, our nation rarely does things like this other than planning related to the hope of landing federal funds for a heavy rail system, light rail system or bus-on-freeway system Those few individuals who can actually design a transportation system rarely have any say in the matter From those of them I know, they want no part of it.
tems), buses and other vehicles must travel in the same traffic stream clogged with other p e r s o n a l o c c u p a n c y v e h i c l e s ( P O V s ) a n d more and more delivery trucks
At some point in the future, some writer is going to blame the decrease in ridesharing on one’s need for privacy, which many feel their solo jaunt in their personal vehicle provides In reality, of course, this is a complete i l l u s i o n M o d e r n a u t o m o b i l e s a r e v e r i l y loaded with devices to capture the driver ’s p e r s o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n – a c a p a b i l i t y enhanced by every motorist’s cell-phone –w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n o f t h e s e l e c t f e w w h o have figured out how to dismantle its tracking devices. One would have to be a top-tier a u t o m o t i v e e n g i n e e r t o fi g u re o u t h o w t o dismantle the information-collecting devices in a modern automobile
A s a n i ro n y, o f c o u r s e , a t r a n s i t o r t a x i p a t ro n p a y i n g i n c a s h w o u l d r i d e a l m o s t anonymously, the sole exception being the video cameras on board – cameras whose footage is almost never pulled for reasons other than for a lawsuit, and whose data is regularly overwritten at regular intervals A s f a r a s “ p r i v a t e ” a u t o m o b i l e a r e c o ncerned, if their drivers want privacy, all they n e e d d o i s l e a v e t h e i r p h o n e s a t h o m e o r have their phones’ tracking devices dismantled, and hop on the nearest bus or taxi – if one is lucky enough to live in a community where drivers of such vehicles accept cash As an important curiosity about the privacy o f p a y i n g i n c a s h , a c r i m i n o l o g i s t c a n n o t even lift a fingerprint from a bill unless, for e x a m p l e , i t w a s s a t u r a t e d w i t h s t i l l - w e t Gorilla glue or perhaps thick grease
Most interesting (to me, at least), as noted earlier – as a sign of desperation – the city has actually resorted to assigning live traffic c o p s t o n u m e r o u s c l o g g e d i n t e r s e c t i o n s throughout the city – and not just in Manh a t t a n ( T h i s p r o v e s o n c e a g a i n t h a t a “switch” that can make judgments can significantly outperform a “hub,” which cannot). This city’s traffic logjam has necessarily forced it to violate the decades-long trend of replacing live earthlings with robots Does one actually think that some form of artificial intelligence will emerge to replace these offic e r s ? W h a t m i g h t s u c h ro b o t s c o s t ? H o w much mayhem will they cause during their
One could write multiple volumes about t h e re a s o n s f o r t h e s e f a i l u re s O n e o f t h e thorns cited as an excuse for these failures is the principle of “latent demand” – a concept that reflects the fact that the moment one car ’s space in the roadway disappears, another car is poised to jump into it. While this is clearly the case where the public transportation system is poor – and an unproven theory in those rare places where it is not –i t h a rd l y e x p l a i n s o u r f a i l u re t o d e s i g n a coherent public transportation system – one including all the elements noted above (and written about in the NATIONAL BUS TRADER a r t i c l e s c i t e d a b o v e ) , m u c h l e s s e l e m e n t s thoughtfully connected to one another
Another cause for this failure is the reality of traffic itself. Other than modes operating on exclusive guideways or “rights-of-way” ( e g , p a s s e n g e r r a i l , b u s - o n - f re e w a y s y s -
Finally, one has to wonder how and why the two-digit percent of many or most urban populations who now work “remotely” do n o t a p p e a r t o h a v e c o n t r i b u t e d t o t r a f fi c reduction – the city of San Francisco being the sole and dramatic exception Otherwise, t h e c h a l l e n g e s o f n o w c re a t i n g a c o h e re n t p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s y s t e m re s e m b l e a snake regurgitating its last meal, and then trying to re-swallow most of the pieces after having scattered them about in all directions
In a community fortunate enough to provide a coherent and intelligible public transportation system, the road to privacy is not one’s personal car The road to privacy is the use of public transportation As an added b e n e fi t , i n a c o l l i s i o n b e t w e e n a c a r a n d a bus, the impact to a bus passenger is roughly one percent that of the impact to the personal car ’s occupant Unless the total travel time b y p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n i s s i g n i fi c a n t l y l o n g e r, t h e co mb i n a t i o n o f sa f e t y, p r i v a cy and the freedom to do other things by not having to drive is a bonanza This bonanza
is available only to those fortunate to reside in the Land of Reason, or at least in country that dabbles in it occasionally
It is not difficult to be a fan of public transpor tation.
It is not difficult to be a fan of public transportation What is difficult is getting one’s commu n i t y t o cre a t e a co h e re n t f o r m o f i t t h a t enough people will use to make it affordable to many or most of them Unfortunately, in today’s America, as in many other parts of the world, accomplishing this is becoming more and more a magic trick. For many Americans still alive today, it is already a memory
The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of National Bus Trader, Inc or its staff and management q
Ned Einstein is the president of Transportation Alternatives (www.transalt.com [1]),
Einstein (einstein@transit com) specializes in catastrophic motorcoach accidents.
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Number 297 of a Series
“ T h e C u r i o u s C o a c h o w n e r ” i s a q u e s t i o n a n d a n s w e r c o l u m n t h a t p ro v i d e s s i m p l e a n s w e r s t o s i m p l e q u e s t i o n s t h a t a re t o o shor t to warrant a full ar ticle or inclusion in one of our regular columns We will accept re a s o n a b l y s i m p l e t e c h n i c a l o r h i s t o r i c a l questions on coaches, buses or even conver ted coach shells by letter, fax, e-mail or phone If our staff is unable to answer them, w e w i l l c a l l u p o n o u r p a n e l o f e x p e r t s Names and addresses should be submitted w i t h y o u r q u e s t i o n s , b u t w e w i l l w i t h h o l d n a m e s f r o m p u b l i c a t i o n o n r e q u e s t W e reserve the right to modify questions to make them more useful to our readers
Q Is it true that Flixbus, the new owner of Greyhound, will be going public?
–– Reader in MichiganA W e d i d r e c e i v e w o r d t h a t i n J u l y, F l i x picked three banks including JP Morgan, G o l d m a n S a c h s a n d B N P P a r a b a s f o r a n initial public offering in the first half of 2024
Originally founded in 2011 in Munich, Flix now runs bus and train services in 40 count r i e s O n e s o u rc e s a y s t h a t t h e c o m p a n y showed an 185 percent increase in revenue in 2022 to more than 1 5 billion Euros
We h a v e n o t s e e n a n y i n d i c a t i o n o f w h a t stock exchange may be involved
Q. Will the Proterra bankruptcy impact electric bus production?
A The answer to that may well depend on who you ask As we go to press, there is not a great deal of information available, but we can share what we know and what is available from Proterra and the financial press
Proterra was an early manufacturer in the electric bus field Founded in 2004, the comp a n y s t a r t e d b u i l d i n g e l e c t r i c b u s e s b u t never previously built any vehicles with intern a l c o m b u s t i o n p o w e r T h e re w e re s o m e early success stories including a bus line in C a l i f o r n i a t h a t c h a r g e d a t t h e e n d o f t h e route
In more recent years, Proterra began offering their batteries and electric power system to o t h e r b u s m a n u f a c t u r e r s C o m p a n i e s i n v o l v e d i n c l u d e d Va n H o o l , A B C a n d Alexander Dennis In recent months, Alexan-
der Dennis has been using the Proterra system less as they move into using their own system
On Monday, August 7, Proterra voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U S Bankruptcy code Some of the financial press suggested that things might not be well In March of 2023 as par t of its 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Proterra filed a notice of going conc e r n T h i s i s s o m e t i m e s f o l l o w e d b y a company going out of business
In addition, at that same time Proterra was facing a default on loans due These were re n e g o t i a t e d a n d p u t o ff u n t i l 2 0 2 8 b u t a t the price of paying a higher interest rate of 12 percent in stock and cash
However, the official news release from Proterra says that the company intends to cont i n u e t o o p e r a t e i n t h e o rd i n a r y c o u r s e o f business as it moves through the bankruptcy process Hence, we may have to wait and see how things develop
Q. Will the sale of electric autos impact the sale of electric buses?
–– Southeast Bus Operator
A Electric autos have been difficult to sell lately Tesla recently reduced the prices on their electric cars which has impacted other electric car builders Dealers in the United States are reporting having difficulty selling n e w e l e c t r i c a u t o s a n d s o m e c a r l o t s a re crowded with them
We have a friend who was given a new electric car by her husband While she likes the c a r, s h e s a y s s h e h a s p r o b l e m s fi n d i n g places to charge it and then waiting an hour for it to charge
Electric buses will probably not be impacted b e c a u s e t h e y a re u s u a l l y p u rc h a s e d w i t h gover nment grants
Q. Has New York City has had problems with lithium ion batteries?
–– East Coast Operator
A I n m i d - A u g u s t t h e N e w Yo r k C i t y F i re Depar tment repor ted that there had been 108 lithium ion batter y fires in the city since t h e fi r s t o f t h e y e a r T h e s e fi re s i n j u re d 6 6 people and killed 13 The fire commissioner h a s w a r n e d N e w Yo r k C i t y re s i d e n t s t h a t these devices could be very dangerous and
s o m e t i m e s e x p l o d e i n a w a y t h a t m a k e s escape impossible
It was noted that inter nal combustion vehicles can also catch fire, but that the lithium ion batter y fires can be substantially more dangerous Lithium ion batteries can have w h a t i s k n o w n a s a “ t h e r m a l r u n a w a y ” re a c t i o n w h e re t e m p e r a t u re s re a c h t w i c e t h a t o f a g a s o l i n e fi re w h i l e e m i t t i n g t o x i c a n d fl a m m a b l e g a s s e s T h e s e a re c a l l e d t y p e “ D ” fi re s a n d a re v e r y d i f fi c u l t t o p u t o u t , r e q u i r i n g a s p e c i a l d r y p o w d e r fi r e e x t i n g u i s h e r
The Fire Depar tment of New York said that in the past three years, lithium-ion batter y fires have surpassed cooking and smoking fires as the most common cause of fatal fires in New York City
–– Several Readers
A DEFC stands for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell, one of the latest developments in alternative f u e l s I t u s e s b i o - g e n e r a t e d e t h a n o l f ro m sugar cane, wheat, cor n or straw that is fed directly into a fuel cell to provide electricity for power
T h o s e w o r k i n g i n t h i s a re a c l a i m s e v e r a l advantages for DEFC over lithium batteries or hydrogen fuel cells Among these are that ethanol is far less likely to become a fire hazard than lithium batteries or hydrogen Unlike h y d r o g e n t h a t n e e d s t o b e e x t r a c t e d , ethanol with its high hydrogen content can be used directly in the fuel cell In addition, ethanol is not only renewable but is also a d o m e s t i c p r o d u c t w i t h a s u p p l y c h a i n already in place
T h e o n e n e g a t i v e i s t h a t a b y p ro d u c t o f a fuel cell using ethanol is some CO2 However, this is generally offset by the fact that the crops that supply ethanol take CO2 out of the air as par t of their growing process
It is also notewor thy that, unlike lithium ion batteries, the fuel cell catalyst does not contain precious metals
This may be a good alter native fuel in the future since DEFC is a renewable domestic product and does not require precious metals to operate
A n s w e r s n o t c r e d i t e d t o o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s are provided by Larry Plachno q
Our News section this month showed one o f t h e b u s e s f r o m M a r c o p o l o i n B r a z i l , w h o n o w o w n s p a r t o f N F I / M C I . T h e double-deck bus pictured was built for ITTSA Bus in Peru. While we provided a n e x t e r i o r v i e w o f t h i s P a r a d i s o G 8 model with the news, it is the interior that is impressive as you can see from these photos
Note that curtains provide some degree o f p r i v a c y T h e d e g r e e o f r e c l i n e i n t h e seats is impressive.
Classified ad rate is $30 per issue for first 25 words, 25 cents for each additional word. Rate includes Internet access. Name, address, zip and phone number are not included in word count The total number of words in a classified ad can not exceed 70 Rates apply on each ad individually – the rate for multiple insertions is the total of each ad figured individually. Free classified ads are acceptable ONLY when submitted on or with your free classified ad certificate. Display advertising rates on request.
1 – BUSES WANTED seeking 102d3 converted by Custom Coach Prefer motor home interior with side aisle or semi-side aisle
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6 – MOTOR HOMES FOR SALE
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10 – PARTS AND EQUIPMENT
6V-92t detroit diesel engine Fresh overhaul in storage spent $4,700 Make offer Phone (815) 262-0587 in i
Coming events of interest to readers of NATIONAL BUS TRADER. Submissions for the department should be directed to the editor Unless otherwise indicated, events are not open to the general public.
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