BusTalk

[Q65A]

As the last hours of 2008 tick away and NYCTA completes the 55th year of its existence, it's plain to see that the New Year will bring lots of opportunities, challenges and questions for the DOB and MTAB.
Here are some random questions that have crossed my mind lately, and I wanted to solicit your opinions about them:

1. Double Deckers: Do you think the Van Hool TD925 will lead to any future purchases of double deckers in NYC?

2. Artics: With this latest interest in double deckers at MTAB, do you think that the era of the artic in NYC might be at an end? Do you think artics will be used on a widespread basis in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island?

3. New Flyer: Given the past squabbles that DOB has had with NF, do you think that we'll ever see new New Flyers in NYC again?

4. NovaBus: Now that NovaBus has a U.S. factory of its own in Upstate NY, do you think that NovaBus may receive future orders from DOB/MTAB for buses of any type?

5. Prevost: How did the Prevost X3-45 demo perform in MTAB express service? Do you think that these units might challenge the MCI D Unit when it comes to future express bus purchases at DOB/MTAB?

6. DesignLine Hybrids: It looks as if the recent DesignLine demo impressed the DOB sufficiently to generate some nice orders; what do you think about this situation? Does DesignLine have enough on the ball to challenge Orion in NYC?

7. Orion: Will the Orion VII NG become this generation's RTS in NYC?
Will Orion finally launch an artic, and if so, do you think DOB/MTAB will go for it?

8. CNG @ DOB/MTAB: We've recently seen LIB place orders for new Orion VII NG CNG's. Do you think that DOB/MTAB will begin replacing Orion V CNG's with new CNG equipment, or will CNG depots in NYC go the way of Spring Creek Depot (who received new Orion VII HEV's instead of additional CNG's).

9. MTAB/LIB/DOB Route Integrations: Even though the MTA's infamous "Doomsday Budget" for 2009 might seem to suggest otherwise, would route integrations at DOB/MTAB/LIB actually lead to some money saving synergies?

10. NY-NJ Bus Service @ DOB: Now that the S89 has been up and running for a while, do you foresee any additional new interstate local services from the DOB (e.g. services across Outerbridge Crossing, Goethals Bridge, Holland Tunnel)?

11. More MTA Inclusions: Do you foresee Westchester Bee LIne, Transport of Rockland and/or SUffolk Transit being folded into the MTA family? This moght lead to some $$$ savings by creation of a new mega bus agency?

12. Charleston Depot: Will it open on time and on budget?

13. B/O Security Enhancements: Given the tragic murder of B/O Edwin Thomas at the wheel of the B46 recently, do you foresee new measures being taken to better protect B/O's on the job?

14. LIC Parking Lot: I had heard that DOB/MTAB might open a parking lot in LIC to store OOS express buses (to reduce deadhead mileage from Manhattan back to outlying depots); do you think that this might happen?

15. Corgi RTS in DOB Livery: I personally would love to see this happen, especially as the RTS (especially the TMC version) enters its golden years in NYC; how many of you feel the same?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!!!

[Hart Bus]

To Mr. 65A:

You have raised a lot of thought provoking questions. I don't know many of these answers but will try in numerical order.

1 - No idea

2 - No idea, but is linked with Question 1

3 - No idea

4 - Depends on State law about giving preferential treatment to certain classes of bidders. Doesn't Orion have a plant in Oriskany, NY. Doe they get an edge in the bidding process?

5 - No idea

6 - No idea

7 - Time will tell.

8 - No idea

9 - Perhaps, but the MTA has bigger money problems.

10 - Time will tell. Also depends on the lobbying efforts of the private companies and NJ Transit.

11 - That would shift the burden to NYS taxpayers instead of County taxpayers. Since I live in Suffolk, I would be for it since it would spread the pain to other taxpayers.

12 - No idea

13 - Hard to say, since this was the first murder in many years. Any enhcancements should be on newly ordered buses, rather than retrofits, which can be costly.

14 - Don't know but it sounds good. They could have one or two buses waiting there to take the drivers back to the depots for the rest of their shifts (or to get their cars) and reverse it at the end of the day.

15 - Has Corgi announced production of an RTS? I have not seen anything on a model bus board I am a member of. Corgi itself is undergoing some corprate reorganization so everyting is up in the air. Also they're models are not always spot on. They clearly missed the top colors on the GBL and TCC Fishbowls. They also chose a long discontinued route for the GBL Old Look. Not the greatest marketing decision.

[metrolinecoach111]

Hi, I will give you my opinion on a few of your questions which I can speak first hand about:

1. In term sof the double deckers, I think they may want to do a bit more research into it before actually making a significant investment - they work good in premise in the entire system, but in reality if you think about it, they will only be good on the SI express lines or maybe even the Western Queens express lines because of the their capacity, they do not really fit well on local routes and the coaches themselves were designed more for over-the-road travel.

2. I don't think so, especially with all this talk about Select Bus Service expansion, it has done wonders for the Bx12 and is desperately needed in Manhattan - and I think with careful, and I mean careful in terms of street radius and compatibility, they can work in Brooklyn and even on the Q60 in Queens to 60th & 2nd in Manhattan (even though dwell times would explode on teh Q60 using artics)

3. I don't think so.

5. Here's the thing about Prevost's, and I'm speaking from my experiences on them when on BoltBus and my previous experiences on them riding Academy's former H series, that they are not for local transit, even by our express bus standards, a Prevost is in the class of coaches that Setra is in, elegant and striking, and used mostly for touring and charters, and of course in the case of BoltBus, for intercity line run - nice thought though, but it just wouldn't work.

10. I would expect a spike in service connecting SI and Hudson County, but eventually I think it will be operated by a private company a la an Atlantic Express or Academy with subsidies from both states for expanded service outside of the rush in addition to what is being operated now on the S89.

11. Maybe Bee-Line because they utilize on a full scale the Metrocard system, but I don't see TOR or HART/PART coming into the fold, especially because most of their operations (particularly TOR because its operated by Coach USA), but look out for SCT, that is a possibility.