BusTalk

[RailBus63]

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) recently completed the purchase of a new bus fleet for Boston's Logan International Airport shuttle network. The previous fleet was made up of a group of Neoplan AN440 CNG buses from the 1990's, supplemented at the end by various second-hand New Flyer and Gillig buses from contractor Paul Revere Transportation. In conjunction with the establishment of a new consolidated rental car center, Massport contracted with NABI to replace and greatly expand its bus fleet. Eighteen 42-BRT CNG buses and thirty 60-BRT hybrid buses were purchased.

The new buses arrived last year and were put in service on the existing shuttle routes while the rental car facility was still under construction. The rental facility opened on September 24th and the Massport fleet replaced the buses that were being operated by Hertz, Avis and others. The shuttle network was revised to reroute the main airport-to-subway routes (route 22 Terminal A-B and route 33 Terminal C-E) via the rental car facility. These routes use the 60-BRT articulated buses and the 42-BRT's are used on the route 11 terminal shuttle and the route 88 Economy Parking shuttle.

I was back in town on the last weekend of September for a wedding and had to pick up my son at the airport. Massport has set up a 'cell phone lot' for drivers waiting to pick up arriving travelers and the shuttle buses pass by on both sides of the lot (but not the MBTA buses). Not a great vantage point, but here are a few shots of the new Massport buses in service. Very clever paint scheme - transit vehicles in Massachusetts cannot have a full wrap covering the windows, but I guess this airplane outline is permitted.

Jim D.

[Mr. Linsky]

RailBus63,

Very nice photos - thanks for sharing.

On the 30 NABI 60 BRT's; I hope they're not sorry for buying them because they've been less than perfect out here in L.A.

The first thing they have to watch for are tears in the pleating between the front and rear sections - a quality issue!

Apparently, they also have some mechanical problems because it is not uncommon to see breakdowns on the #720 line (Santa Monica to Downtown via Wilshire Boulevard) - a heavily traveled route that depends wholly upon this equipment.

The L.A. jobs are now at least four or five years old so it may be that the newer versions have the kinks ironed out (hopefully!).

Regards,

Mr. 'L'