Topic: New Small Buses

[Towntalk]

Here's a link that talks about clean diesel fuel.
 
 
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/how-clean-diesel-fuel-works.htm

[Towntalk]

Clean diesel whatever that is. If someone can furnish the name of the maker, I can possably find more details.

[mrniles266]

 
Yes, those are good pictures. I hope they will switch them around to other routes. Test how reliable, and do they save money. Do they do the job, they are supposed to do. What type of fuel do they use? At one time, WRTA had a Natural Gas filling station. I saw it. They had big Natural Gas buses.(Federally funded) They sold them no to long after they got them. I don't know why. Does anybody?

[Towntalk]

Happy now mrniles226 or do you now want mechanics specks, photos of motor, and other details, or are the two photos and the article enough?

[jay]

Does anyone have any exterior and interior pictures? Do they  have destination signs?

This is the interior looking toward the back from the passenger entrance.

[jay]

This reminds me of the person who buys a car (capable of carrying six passengers) but drives alone.  I know some people who drive a pickup trucks but rarely carry anything in the back let alone a load that would occupy the entire space.

[iwasthere]

Hopefully WRTA keeps ridership numbers, route by route and stop to stop so they can predict with a high level of certainty what the ridership will be on any bus and at any time.  They would then be able to match available equipment with the expected demand.   

they do. jf gives a monthly report on ridership at the monthly wrta board  meetings.

[Towntalk]

Here

[mrniles266]

 
 
Does anyone have any exterior and interior pictures? Do they  have destination signs?

[Rick Rowlands]

Hopefully WRTA keeps ridership numbers, route by route and stop to stop so they can predict with a high level of certainty what the ridership will be on any bus and at any time.  They would then be able to match available equipment with the expected demand.   

[iwasthere]

the buses are full when the buses leave the wrta station but they are empty by the time they arrive at thier final destintion. the return trip back to the wrta station is th reverse. everyday wrta ridership has different numbers.

[westsider]

I'm thinking that a 24 seat bus is all they ever need, not the 16 to 18 full sized coaches that Jim Ferraro wants.

The oldest of the full size--32 seat--buses are 12 years old.  Most transit agencies retire their buses when they reach 12 years old.  The newest of the full-size buses are 7 years old, BTW.  Sorry, I don't know how many full size buses are in the fleet.

[Why?Town]

Good question....but when the day comes we need a 24 seat bus...I'll be glad we have them....

I'm thinking that a 24 seat bus is all they ever need, not the 16 to 18 full sized coaches that Jim Ferraro wants.

[jay]

Not everyone who boards a WRTA bus downtown rides all the way to the end of the line.

On the 35-Cornersburg bus for example, some people board the bus at the Brandywine Apartments and then get off in the Wedgewood area.  That's about a two mile trip.  When homeowners won't shovel their sidewalks after a heavy snow, I've taken the bus for a one mile trip rather than risk walking through the deep snow.

[Towntalk]

I can remember the days when every seat in the buses were full and people were standing, and that was just on the inbound trips. The outbounds were just as full and folks were carrying packages.
 
Between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM things were slow, but then between 10:00 and Midnight, the buses were full again.