April 2010 - BUSRide


Journey to the end of the earth

Alfred Lomas is on the other side of some tough going. It started 35 years ago at age 12 with his “jump-in” initiation into the Florencia 13, a nearly unavoidable move considering his neighborhood that ensnared him in the world of violence and drugs that forever dogs street gang members.

Repair or replace, that is the question

In the mop up after an accident, one final item on the list is to tend to the damaged coach. The question is often whether to repair or replace, with several mitigating scenarios in play where there is no one answer.

Neoplan celebrates 75 years

In 1927, Gottlob Auwärter qualified as a master coachbuilder. Eight years later he founded his own company and began building bus and coach bodywork on high frame truck chassis with the driver sitting behind the engine.

Motorcoach Council welcomes new leaders for stage-two

Since ignition and liftoff two and a half years ago, word from Motorcoach Council mission control is the first stage is compete with the grassroots effort Todd Holland has diligently spearheaded. With the message firmly positioned, the second stage has fired and the next sequence of events is in motion.

Navistar Maxxforce 13 delivers BCI 2010 solution

Bus and Coach International (BCI) is going with the Navistar MaxxForce® Big Bore 13 engine with Advanced EGR technology as its solution to 2010 EPA emissions mandates.

How to make a trolley magically appear

Twelve years ago, sign-painter-turned- illusionist, Stan Mitts, reconfigured his first transit bus into a trolley for Jackson Transit, Jackson, MI. Painting on blank white siding using traditional brush and airbrush techniques, Mitts created the appearance of wood paneling and traditional trolley detailing with pin striping, scrolls and custom lettering. The Bluebird bus underneath did not change in any way but lent the appearance of a trolley car with all the trimmings.

Prison on wheels serves the security minded

While a number of prison systems still rely on the more archaic school bus-style vehicles, and even book inmates onto commercial transport for longer distances, the truly security-minded government agencies favor the safety of coaches designed and built expressly for prisoner transport.

When customers speak, the response is faster and better

Dayton RTA, Dayton, OH, always tries to provide the best possible transit service. As hard as we try, as a public agency we know we are going to receive comments and complaints about an RTA experience at one time or another.

FMCSA promises more punch with CSA 2010

Later this year Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010 and its Safety Measurement System will replace the current Motor Carrier Safety Status Measurement System (SafeStat) used by regulators to identify and target unsafe operators.

Flxible Bus No. 55 resides in the Pacific Bus Museum

The Utah Parks Company, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad, operated restaurants, lodging, and bus tours in Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon and Cedar Breaks parks from 1923 to 1973. Operating as a concessionaire of the National Park Service, the company operated from its base in Cedar City, UT. The company bus tours connected with Union Pacific trains there and offered a loop tour of the parks and monuments in this region.