Calgary Public Transit - Discussion

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Anybody know why the city decided to switch bus providers for the community shuttles? They ordered 10 new buses from a different vendor.

http://www.marketwired.com/press-rel...us-2063798.htm

I'd be very interested in any details, pm if you don't want to post publicly.

Last trade show It was suggested that the Vicinity had a longer lifespan than the ARBOC Cut-aways. But the real deal changer is that the GMC diesel chassis used by the ARBOC is going out of production.

GMC's decision has lots of Transit properties taking a serious look at the Vicinity

[timun]

Since when is GM ending production of the Express/Savana...? They cut the light-duty '1500' versions last year and replaced them with the Chevrolet City Express, a rebadged Nissan NV200, but they still churn out 2500, 3500 and 4500 chassis vans...

These Vicinity buses look a lot like the EZ-Rider 30 ft buses Calgary Transit already has. They have, what, 150 of the GM-based cutaways? 10 buses ain't exactly "replacing" the community shuttles.

[bizaro86]

"Replacing" the community shuttles raises an interresting question. Will these be driven by shuttle operators or 'regular' operators. I think there's a decent pay/guaranteed hours difference....

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by timun

Since when is GM ending production of the Express/Savana...? They cut the light-duty '1500' versions last year and replaced them with the Chevrolet City Express, a rebadged Nissan NV200, but they still churn out 2500, 3500 and 4500 chassis vans...

These Vicinity buses look a lot like the EZ-Rider 30 ft buses Calgary Transit already has. They have, what, 150 of the GM-based cutaways? 10 buses ain't exactly "replacing" the community shuttles.

Sorry I should be more specific.

GM is apparently discontinuing the diesel Dura max powertrain for the Express/ savana chassis. Lack of a heavy duty diesel engine for the chassis is felt to be a detriment for operators of a heavy-use community shuttle bus. Without diesel, the transit maintenance folks question if they will get their usual seven operating years out of the purchase.

Thus, the Vicinity is making it's appearance on the market as a gap is opening for a heavy use community shuttle.

[timun]

"Apparently" according to whom?


Vicinity's product is a shortened (≤30') version of a full-size (≥40') bus, it's nothing 'new'. Calgary Transit has a couple dozen of them already. Arboc makes one. New Flyer makes one now. Nothing special or unique about the 'niche' it fills...

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by timun

"Apparently" according to whom?


Vicinity's product is a shortened (≤30') version of a full-size (≥40') bus, it's nothing 'new'. Calgary Transit has a couple dozen of them already. Arboc makes one. New Flyer makes one now. Nothing special or unique about the 'niche' it fills...

Apparently? Well ultimately GM is the source:

This link is from the ambulance industry that uses the same gm chassis and drivetrain as the ARBOC's purchased by Calgary Transit. The Facebook posting describes the change at GM better than my recall of conversations with bus vendors.

https://m.facebook.com/permalink.php...55503890770118

[para transit fellow]

Even though there are only two of them, for some strange reason I keep encountering the 4 car LRT trains.

Does any one know why there are so few people on them ( even at southbound erlton at rush hour)??

[Fuzz]

They are testing them.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Does it make sense to run 3 car trains (or 4 in the future) at non peak hours of the day? Often I'll see 3 car trains with 2/3 people per car. Clearly it would mean for less wear and tear and required maintenance if they didn't do that?

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Does it make sense to run 3 car trains (or 4 in the future) at non peak hours of the day? Often I'll see 3 car trains with 2/3 people per car. Clearly it would mean for less wear and tear and required maintenance if they didn't do that?

Given the overhead in time to switch off cars, there might not be as big of a savings as you might think.

Totally spitballing, of course.

[stevinder]

This was posted by @coltonium on Twitter this morning:


S200.jpg-large by Steve Perry, on Flickr

[Jimmy Stang]

While I prefer the other designs, that still looks pretty sharp.

When are these bad boys going to be rolling out? I'm guessing quite soon because they'll be needed for 4-car trains.

[lambeburger]

http://calgarymayor.ca/stories/calga...-service-early

[Madman]

Those new cars look really good, but the red swoop design, (what amount is actually on it), doesn't translate too well at all unfortunately.

[You Need a Thneed]

Too much black.

[You Need a Thneed]

It doesn't look much like the actual chosen design either.

[Burninator]

Any information on what the interior looks like?

[Russic]

Originally Posted by lambeburger

http://calgarymayor.ca/stories/calga...-service-early

For those who ain't got time for that...

The successful three-week training period running two four-car trains prompted the call to keep both longer trains in regular service immediately, rather than wait until the scheduled launch in December. Two four-car trains will continue running on the 201 Red Line (Tuscany-Somerset).

Plans to expand four-car train service will occur in the new year as new trains begin arriving in Calgary.

[You Need a Thneed]

For reference, here is the design Calgarians picked:

Spoiler!

[Tyler]

The grey windows were a bit misleading. Very black.. not very, um.. friendly/accessible? looking.