[Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order

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[Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by Gold_12TH on Sat Aug 11 16:33:38 2012 edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d TTC bus riders may soon get some breathing room during their overcrowded commutes, thanks to new 60-foot articulated buses that will hit the city’s busiest routes by 2014. The TTC decided to order the extra-long accordion-style buses during the 2012 budget deliberations, but information posted to the commission’s website indicates a $24.3-million contract for the vehicles was awarded to Quebec-based Nova Bus Corp. last week. Pending the approval of the contract award at the TTC’s next board meeting on September 27, Nova will be responsible for supplying 153 of the vehicles starting as early as next year. The corporation is headquartered in St.-Eustache, QC and is part of the Volvo company. It built buses for the TTC in the late 90s, but has also supplied vehicles for the Chicago Transit Authority and New York City’s Metro Transit Authority. TTC spokesperson Brad Ross says the long vehicles will help the commission cut costs by reducing the number of buses it runs on jam-packed bus lines, while also improving service. “You save money on maintenance and capital costs on the bus fleet, you save money on operating costs because you need fewer operators, but you’re also able to deal with some capacity issues,” he says. Although Ross says a detailed plan of where the buses will be deployed has yet to be worked out, commission staff have identified the 29 Dufferin, 7 Bathurst, 116 Morningside, 25 Don Mills, 36 Finch West, and 85A Sheppard lines as priorities. On Finch alone, the articulated buses are expected to save the commission $1 million annually. Because the long buses have a maximum capacity of 112 passengers – nearly double the 65 riders on current 40-foot models – Ross says they will run a little less frequently, meaning wait times at stops could be slightly longer than they are now. “You may have to wait longer but your more apt to be able to get on a bus and board faster,” says Ross. The TTC is looking at how to improve loading times on the articulated buses by implementing a proof-of-payment system that would allow riders to board at all three of the vehicles’ doors. Currently, passengers can only enter the doors at the front of TTC buses. While the new buses may be roomier, they will also be less environmentally friendly than some of the TTC’s current fleet, roughly a third of which is made up of diesel-electric hybrids. In 2008 the commission decided to stop buying more hybrids after it discovered batteries on more than 550 of the “smart energy” buses died too quickly. The articulated buses will be “clean diesel” vehicles instead. The TTC is hoping the Nova order will work out better than its only previous experiment with articulated buses. Dozens of 60-foot vehicles received from a Soviet-era Hungarian company (Ikarus Bus / Orion III) in the late 1980s had to be prematurely retired due to corrosion problems. The last one was decommissioned in 2003. ---http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=188125
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by D40LF on Sat Aug 11 16:57:59 2012, in response to [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by Gold_12TH on Sat Aug 11 16:33:38 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d oh wow!!! I'm surprised they go with New Flyer
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by Nabinut on Sat Aug 11 22:39:38 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by D40LF on Sat Aug 11 16:57:59 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Not really. New Flyer burned TTC in the 80s with two bad batches of D40HFs, which suffered from corrosion and powertrain issues. They were retired early. Another reason why the fishbowls stayed around so long. Besides the 51 D40LFs which are close to retirement age, TTC has had nothing to do with New Flyer. However, the 40 foot bid is up as well so they still have a chance to get back into TTC's good graces. Look at NYCT and New Flyer now...
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by D40LF on Sat Aug 11 23:42:55 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by Nabinut on Sat Aug 11 22:39:38 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d ...true, bringing back an extinct model really paid off for NF. My gut tells me if TTC is pleased with the Novas that's who they'll stick with.
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by AMoreira81 on Sun Aug 12 01:10:53 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by D40LF on Sat Aug 11 23:42:55 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The question is, however: Are there still enough 40LF old-style kits? Keep in mind that there are 74 fewer kits available.
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by WayneJay on Sun Aug 12 01:26:34 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by AMoreira81 on Sun Aug 12 01:10:53 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I don't know how many assembly lines New Flyer has, but I'd bet that they have the capacity to start/restart a LF assembly line.
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by daimlerbuses on Sun Aug 12 07:41:53 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by Nabinut on Sat Aug 11 22:39:38 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Highly doubt they would bid more D40LF's, although anything could happen. The 40 foot tender is smaller and only requests 40 footers in 2013 and 2016, a big gap. I'm not sure I would call it 'bad blood' between the TTC and New Flyer, it's more that every time there is a tender, they have bid on it but refused to meet the TTC's requirements in one or several areas (warranty, specifications, delivery time, performance bonds)
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by Nabinut on Sun Aug 12 09:56:27 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by AMoreira81 on Sun Aug 12 01:10:53 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d If TTC somehow wins this bid, they will be pushing the XD40s instead of the D40LFs. Mississauga and Brampton has them and probably will use one of their models as a demo unit until the TTC ones arrive.
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by RailBus63 on Sun Aug 12 11:33:39 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by AMoreira81 on Sun Aug 12 01:10:53 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d If an old-style LF look is what is needed to win an order, then I'm sure NF can make or buy more kits. The supposed limit on those kits is entirely within their control.
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by WayneJay on Sun Aug 12 17:02:45 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by RailBus63 on Sun Aug 12 11:33:39 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Agreed. I get that most of the fans here seem to prefer New Flyer's later styling over the original LF style. However, it amazes me that so many folks seems to think there's a limit on how many LF styled buses can be built.
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by TTCOrionVII8100 on Fri Aug 17 15:32:35 2012, in response to [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by Gold_12TH on Sat Aug 11 16:33:38 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Back then TTC had a NovaBUS LFS Demo #1001 built in 1997 because of the bus shortage. That was sold to Barrie in 2000, TTC didn't order LFSes because of constraints, now they got the LFS Artics. IMO, this will be the first Nova order since 1998. I'm sure the XD60s are too new for the TTC as in "unproven", they could've bought the D60LFRs since it was around longer than the LFSAs.
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by AMoreira81 on Sat Aug 18 01:17:44 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by TTCOrionVII8100 on Fri Aug 17 15:32:35 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I wonder if the TTC will be monitoring the MTA order - is the MTA the launch customer for the Xcelsior artic?
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Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order
Posted by Dr. Casca on Sat Aug 18 12:33:29 2012, in response to Re: [Toronto] Extra long buses coming to the TTC; Nova Bus wins 153 articulated order, posted by AMoreira81 on Sat Aug 18 01:17:44 2012. edf40wrjww2msgDetailB:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d IINM, Brampton Transit is the launch customer. NYCT might be the US launch customer, Omnitrans was actually supposed to be the launch customer as IINM they were the first to order them.
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