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| Re: Valley Metro 2008 New Flyer C40LFR Observations (101432) | |||
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Re: Valley Metro 2008 New Flyer C40LFR Observations |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Fri Jun 13 17:36:39 2008, in response to Re: Valley Metro 2008 New Flyer C40LFR Observations, posted by PHXTUSbusfan on Fri Jun 13 15:11:13 2008. 1. Don't forget about the Compo(st)Buses that have the door 3 windows back. The extension is on the high-floor section (3 windows instead of 2).3. I guess they ordered a mechanical runbox because they want it to be completely separate from the destination sign. When the destination sign fails, most of the time the runbox fails as well. Since Valley Metro is one of the few TAs that doesn't use runboxes to display runs (although the old Phoenix Transit used to have runboxes, the Novas have runboxes that display the route number mechanically, and all of the Tempe buses used to have one that displayed the route number, 4029 still has it but when the sign fails they fail too), I would guess that that "runbox" is there for when signs fail and so the drivers don't have to bring that little yellow card out. Today I saw that in action because 6600 does not have its destination sign programmed yet (it was blank) and so it was using the runbox with "72" displayed. Still, it kinda looks out of place on a 2008 bus since it is the same style of runbox that MUNI used to use on its 1970s and 1980s buses. 6. For frameless windows, it DEFINITELY won't work for Phoenix (remember the RTS?). The RPTA could pull it off because it seems like their buses are ridiculously clean all the time. Ironically, Oakland has it on their Van Stools and they have some significant vandalism inside (so much they ran a newspaper article about it a while back). Los Angeles wants to do it as well. Inside: Yep, I really like the interior "necklace" lighting. It is really nice although don't stare at the light that long as it is pretty bright. The drivers in Tempe were pretty excited today it seemed, possibly because of the new buses. The stop request tape is pretty high up and not above the seats (it is only on part of the bus) so I wouldn't worry about falling asleep on it. Plus, the seats there are all inward-facing. However, when a bus is crowded I would worry about pressing the button by accident. It will definitely take some getting used to by riders in the same way that the three different rear door opening systems affect riders. On that note, today on my way to work I took the 72 (2001 NABI 40-LFW CNG 6267) and there were several instances of passengers in Scottsdale who thought the bus was a Phoenix New Flyer and tried to press the rear doors open, ignoring the green "door open" buttons. Drivers better be ready to put up with passengers who don't know how to request a stop on the 2008 C40LFRs. At least the rear door opens automatically (although there are two stop request buttons in the same position as the door open buttons on the NABIs). I admit I fall victim to it too, the first time I rode a Phoenix RTS I tried to look for a button to open the rear door, not knowing that I had to push the doors open. BTW, http://www.valleymetro.org/Bus/How_To_Ride_The_Bus/index.htm mentions nothing about buttons to request stops. |
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