Large buses offer options * USA - Are cost-effective for MTC
The three Cs: Capacity, comfort and cost...
St. Cloud,MN,USA -The St. Cloud Times, by David Tripp -St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission- April 01. 2007: -- One of the most widely asked questions about St. Cloud Metro Bus's Fixed Route operation is "Why do you run big buses when many times there are only a few riders inside?"... Similar to the transit systems in Duluth, Rochester and Moorhead, St. Cloud's fleet consists of 35-foot, heavy-duty transit buses for the following reasons: The three Cs: Capacity, comfort and cost... A 35-foot bus has 25 seats when the two federally required ADA wheelchair positions are occupied, while a 25-foot bus has seating for 14 passengers and two wheelchair positions. A 30-foot bus has 18 seats with two wheelchairs and a 40-foot bus has 31 seats with two wheelchairs... Operating 25-foot buses is impractical unless we double the number of drivers and buses several times during the day. For the minor purchase price difference of about $10,000 between a 30-foot and 35-foot bus with practically no difference in operating costs-per-mile, it's logical and wise to use 35-foot buses... In addition, 25-foot buses are usually five-to-eight-year lifetime rated buses, while 30-, 35- and 40-foot heavy-duty buses are usually 12-to-15-year rated. If external conditions suddenly cause a rapid ridership increase, the larger and longer life buses would obviously be able to handle the loads better... (Photo by Kimm Anderson/N.Y.Times - David Tripp of the St. Cloud MTC says a variety of factors — cost, safety, durability, etc. — spur the commission to use Metro Buses that are at least 30 feet in length)Labels: large buses
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