Several years ago, the U.S. DOT Volpe Transportation Center in Cambridge, MA conducted a study of fires in motorcoaches to try to assess the scope of the problem. Their findings were startling. Since 1996, we have seen a steady annual increase in the number of fires in motorcoaches to the point where we are currently being reported at one fire every two days. Many of these fires are not significant from a loss perspective and none in the U.S., apart for the Wilmer tragedy, have caused a loss of life or significant injury.

However, ABA and the Bus Industry Safety Council are taking this growing problem very seriously. We have been working jointly with our partners in safety at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration over the past number of years and have developed both in-depth passenger safety briefing materials and industry emergency motorcoach fire escape recommendations.

ABA was an honorary sponsor at the first-ever international “FIVE – Fires in Vehicles Conference,” held in Gothenburg, Sweden a few weeks ago. I attended the meeting, which was hosted by the SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, a part of the Swedish government. The conference was a tremendous success, with delegates representing more than 200 of the world’s leading vehicle fire safety experts from more than 20 countries.

Topics of discussion and presentations focused fire statistics and insurance issues; fire development in vehicles; electric, hydrogen, hybrid vehicles and other alternative power source risks; incident management and case studies; heat source and fire detection and suppression in vehicles; and the current and future state of legislation, regulations and standards.

Bus fires

While the purpose of the gathering was to study causation factors and fire mitigation strategies for all types of surface transportation vehicles, the predominant theme throughout focused on bus fires. Losses of buses due to fire appear to mirror the U.S. DOT Volpe finding on a worldwide basis. Conference presenters underscored the urgency of addressing this issue before loss of life or injuries increase. A number of the presenters made a case for international vehicle fire safety standards, pointedly stating their belief in the inadequacy of the current vehicle materials burn test standard. The current standard apparently does not test surfaces that may burn vertically and does not consider smoke toxicity. These are believed to be key factors required for slowing a fire and reducing occupant risk once ignition occurs.

There was absolute agreement by all parties on the need for the early detection of high heat conditions that can ignite a fire. This is where technology will undoubtedly come to the forefront, but the question remains: what technology? So, the underlying approach is that came out of this first conference was:

• Fire harden the vehicle during construction through the use of fire resistant materials with, if possible, low combustion toxicity
• Install heat sensing devices in key ignition and fire migration points
• Increase maintenance inspections on areas and components with a known history of fire causation
• Continue advancement towards improved fire suppression systems and install them on new vehicles as they are introduced into the marketplace
• Move quickly through both legislative and regulatory means to develop a single set of international fire safety standards for conventionally fueled and alternatively-powered vehicles.

The FIVE conferences will be held ever two years from this point forward. The next conference is being planned for September 2012 in Chicago. Anyone in the industry interested in eliminating the deadly danger that fires in all types of vehicles present to the traveling public should attend. For further information on the past FIVE conferences or the 2012 event, please email me at nlittler@buses.org.

Norm Littler is ABA’s  Vice President, Regulatory & Industry Affairs; Executive Director, Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC)

S. 554 will likely come before the Senate in the “lame duck” session which begins November 15. While the bill claims to enhance motorcoach safety, in reality it is a bad bill that can’t be made right. The industry was not asked to provide any input to the bill.  It must not be passed by the Senate during the lame duck session.

S. 554 ignores the fact that the motorcoach industry is in favor of greater safety in the industry. The industry and its association, the American Bus Association, worked with NHSTA on the agency’s proposal for lap/shoulder belts on motorcoaches. NHTSA’s regulatory proposal (NHTSA -2010-0112) is the first of several motorcoach safety issues NHTSA has listed for research (e.g. roof strength standards, emergency egress, fire suppression and prevention).  Indeed, it is fair to say that S. 554 is unnecessary in view of NHTSA’s research and regulations, as well as harmful to small business. S. 554 requires the imposition of its safety mandates (and there are 14 of them) in an accelerated time frame without scientific research. This rush to establish rules without proper analysis could make motorcoaches less safe rather than more so.

The bill would also subject motorcoach operators complying with the mandates to private law suits for failure to move as expeditiously as plaintiffs’ attorneys deem necessary and does not prevent States from enacting inconsistent safety standards forcing operators to choose the States in which they wish to operate.

S. 554’s safety mandates will each cost the industry billions of dollars. NHTSA estimates that the seat belt rulemaking alone will cost the industry up to $40,000 per vehicle (see 75 Fed. Reg. 50958, 50979) or $1.5 billion for the entire fleet.

The private motorcoach industry, which is largely a small business industry, provides all manner of transportation services to the nation. The majority of operators have fewer than 10 employees and seven coaches. The industry provides 762 million passenger trips annually and operates largely without any subsidy.

The private motorcoach industry is safety conscious. The industry does support a true safety bill, H.R. 1135, introduced on a bipartisan basis by several members of the House of Representatives. H.R. 1135 has all of the provisions S. 554 lacks, including a reasonable, workable time line in which all of the safety mandates in S. 554 can be enacted by the federal government, motorcoach manufacturers and operators.

It is fair to say that if S. 554 is passed that many operators will be forced to close their doors or drastically curtail service. It is also fair to say that this bill will do little to enhance safety.

Please write, call or email your Senators. Tell your elected officials that S. 554 is a bad bill that cannot enhance safety and must be rejected.

Clyde Hart is Senior Vice President for Government Affairs & Policy at the American Bus Association.

My passengers have been talking nearly every day about the Megabus accident a couple of weeks ago.

“Bob, any low bridges on this route?”

“You’re not taking the parkway today are you, Bob?”

And so on.

I don’t know any more about the accident than what I read in the papers and online, so I’m not in a position to make any judgments about what the driver did or didn’t do. But accidents like this serve as a reminder to all of us drivers that we have to be vigilant at all times when we’re behind the wheel.

A few additional thoughts:

1) Know where you are going. I say this so often: DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Don’t rely on someone else — a dispatcher, lead driver, group leader, tour escort — to do your homework for you. They can certainly help, but don’t rely solely on them.

2) When you do make a mistake — a wrong turn, a missed exit, etc. — remind yourself that you are now at a higher risk to compound your error by making another, possibly worse error. You must be twice as vigilant!

Do not rush — find a safe spot to pull off the road, if necessary, to check a map, check your GPS or iPad, or ask for directions. Believe me, your passengers would rather lose a couple of minutes of time for directions than lose a couple of hours after an accident, or, heaven forbid, suffer the physical consequences of an accident.

3) Remember, if a highway is called a parkway, it is usually intended for cars only — no buses, no trucks. And the primary reason it’s limited to cars is because of low bridges ahead. There are exceptions, of course — the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in Maryland, for instance — both allow buses, but not trucks.

There are low bridges, however they are high enough for buses. But if you don’t know for certain that a parkway is safe for buses, don’t take a chance.

4) Watch the signs. We are fortunate in the U.S. and Canada in that most obstacles to buses and trucks are pretty well marked in advance — bridge heights and weight restrictions, especially. When you’re on a road you’ve rarely or never traveled before, you’ve got to be extra watchful for those signs.

Most accidents are preventable: know where you are going, be vigilant, and drive smart. Keep the odds in your favor.

For more information and links for motorcoach drivers, visit my website, EightWheels.com.

Bob Bergey is a motorcoach driver based in Fanconia, PA.

Retaining capable bus and coach drivers has always been a major challenge for motorcoach operators. In today’s travel market, however, retaining safe and qualified drivers is no longer enough. The most competent drivers also serve efficiently and effectively as safety experts, schedulers, technicians, ticket-takers, baggage handlers and customer service representatives.

Motorcoach drivers have always been responsible for balancing their duties as a one-person crew, fulfilling by themselves the many tasks for which airline flight crews have separate staff.

But the travel mode shift away from planes, trains and automobiles toward coaches has added to the driver’s lengthy list of duties the role of company ambassador. Passengers may never see a coach company CEO. In many instances, the only personal, face-to-face contact passengers will have with a bus company will be with the driver. In that sense, your driver is the public face of your company.

That means many of the frustrated travelers abandoning other travel modes because of hassles, price, delays, cancellations and baggage fees may be trying the motorcoach option with your company for the first time. So getting safe, conscientious, and customer-centric drivers is more important than ever. Even the most upscale amenities on a motorcoach could potentially be remembered less vividly, and make less of a lasting impression, than its driver’s demeanor.

Business management experts refer to this phenomenon as “primacy and recency.” Customers will always remember their primary personal experience with any business, as well as their most recent experience with it, to form their lasting impression of that business.

In the motorcoach, tourism and group travel industry, any customer’s primary contact is almost universally with the driver. And their most recent contact – the last interaction with a company employee once they reach their destinations – is with that driver.

Eron Shosteck is senior vice president of communications at American Bus Association in Washington, D.C.

By Brian Pessaro

Imagine this scenario. It is January and a Metro bus is heading north on I-35West into Minneapolis during morning rush hour. Traffic starts to back up at the Crosstown as it always does, and within only a few minute the bus comes a standstill. Great. Now the driver is going to miss the next time point. If this keeps up the bus may be a full 20 minutes late arriving downtown. Passengers start to grumble and start whispering to one another. “Why doesn’t he just take the shoulder,?” they ask. “After all, Metro buses are allowed to use them during traffic jams.”

But in this case the driver is not willing to take the risk. With all the snow on the ground he has no way to tell where the shoulder ends, so he stays put. The passengers continue their grumbling as the bus indeed arrives downtown 20 minutes late. If only there were a way he could safely use that shoulder during lousy weather.

Now, imagine a different scenario. Heading north on the same corridor again traffic starts to back up. Only in this scenario the driver presses a button that activates the new driver assist system, making the snow no longer a concern as the driver can view the shoulder boundaries digitally projected on a head-up display.

He moves safely onto the shoulder and starts bypassing the congestion — much to the delight of the passengers onboard. Continuing down the road, the bus starts to drift  a little too far left, causing the digital boundary on the head-up display to flash red as a warning. At the same time the left side of the driver’s seat begins to vibrate as if driving over a rumble strip — another warning cue from the driver assist system. The driver makes a steering correction and keeps moving, arriving downtown on time and unstressed with a happy busload of passengers.

Welcome to the world of vehicle assist and automation (VAA), guidance technologies that provide partial or full control of a vehicle’s movements. In the transit industry, VAA can be used for guiding buses in a narrow lane or shoulder, precision docking at stations or collision avoidance.

As yet, VAA is not in widespread use. What little use is predominately by European operators. For example, in Rouen, France bus transit buses use an optical guidance system that relies on cameras that can read the road stripes and make steering corrections. In Eindhoven, Netherlands, a series of magnetic markers embedded in the road precisely guide the bus into the station. Until recently, only two agencies in the U.S. even attempted to use VAA in bus revenue service.

The Las Vegas MAX bus rapid transit was created with an optical guidance system, but it was quickly discontinued after it was discovered the cameras couldn’t read the stripes in the harsh desert environment. The other system, which was much more successful, was the Cleveland HealthLine bus rapid transit. They opted for a low-tech form of VAA. They use mechanical guide wheels mounted on each side of the front axle to guide the buses into the stations.

That being said, several locations in the U.S. are giving VAA another try and are experimenting with a variety of technologies.

MVTA

In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority has partnered with the ITS Institute at the University of Minnesota to create a GPS based driver assist system very much like the one described above.

In California and Oregon, Caltrans has partnered with the engineers at PATH at UC Berkeley to develop a magnetic based guidance system. They plan to use it in two places. AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay area will use it to guide a bus on an HOV lane across the San Mateo bridge and through a narrow toll plaza. Lane Transit District in Oregon will use it for precision docking on their EmX bus rapid transit system. Finally, the San Diego Association of Governments plans to start a new bus on shoulder service on I-805 between South Bay and University Towne Centre that will include buses equipped with optical guidance and adaptive cruise control.

We at the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute have been asked by FTA to evaluate what impacts these technologies have on bus revenue service. We’ll be looking at customer and bus operator satisfaction, efficiency and productivity, maintenance, and safety, as well as how the technology performed. Will these new demos of VAA succeed? Will they be worth the investment? Stayed tuned for the results!

Brian Pessaro is a senior research associate for the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute

By Bob Bergey

I frequently receive compliments on my smooth driving. Smooth driving is no accident (no pun intended). It’s something I do very intentionally, very purposefully. And it’s not that difficult to do.

There’s probably no faster way to lose passengers’ confidence in your ability to drive your motorcoach than to start off with a jerky drive of rough starts, fast stops, running over curbs, near-misses with other vehicles, sudden corrections to stay in your lane or fast and frequent lane changes, “dancing” on the accelerator and/or brake pedal and taking corners too fast.

Most of these are easy to avoid with just a bit of concentration until they become second nature. Smooth starts are easy. Most new motorcoaches have computers that severely limit your ability to accelerate quickly in order to optimize fuel usage. On older coaches, just ease up on the accelerator; fuel savings aren’t the only benefit from an easy start.

Aim High

Smooth stopping is an area where nearly every driver can improve. The first factor in stopping smoothly is also the number one factor in driving safely, something the Smith System for Safe Driving calls “Aim high.” Aiming high basically means looking down the road, at least 15 seconds or more ahead of you. That gives you lots of time to see things developing that might require an adjustment in your driving, whether it’s a traffic light, heavy traffic, a stop sign, a turn, a lane change, or something else. You can slow down gradually, avoiding a hard stop.

As you come to a stop, feather the final edge of the stop. Ease up on the brake so the nose of your coach gently eases up at the very end rather than a hard end to the stop and the front of the coach bounces up. When it’s done perfectly, a passenger with his eyes closed cannot tell when the coach stopped moving. That is a smooth stop, and it’s possible with most coaches most of the time. It just takes a little practice and being very conscious of your braking until it becomes the way you always stop.

Dancing

Some drivers have a bad habit of “dancing” on the accelerator; short, little bursts of acceleration punctuated by an occasional tap on the brake pedal. That makes for a very uncomfortable ride. Be conscious of your foot movements and make the drive as smooth as you possibly can. Give yourself more space behind the vehicle in front of you so you can drive more smoothly.

Slow down in turns and tight spots. You don’t want passengers sliding out of their seats, or reaching for something to hold onto as you take a corner. Smooth driving keeps passengers very comfortably in their seats, enjoying the ride, and making your driving “invisible.” If your coach is equipped with a DriveCam or similar device, setting it off with abrupt turns or stops is a sure indication that your driving could use some improvement. Smooth drivers rarely trigger those event cameras.

Smooth driving makes for safer driving, which makes for happy passengers. And happy passengers make drivers happy, as well as the companies they drive for. Smooth driving is a win/win all the way around. Work on it a bit more consciously this week.

Bob Bergey is a motorcoach driver based in Franconia, PA.

By Jennifer Flynn

Without a doubt, image is important to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Sleek looking vehicles, rail-like stations, advanced technologies and a strong brand identity are just a few of the features that help communicate the message: This is not just a regular bus service. With BRT specifically designed to emulate the high quality service of rail-based transit, there is still much the industry must know about its capability to replicate the premium image of rail and how and why it attracts ridership.

NBRTI recently completed a study to examine the tangible and intangible factors that influence public perceptions of different transit modes.

Tangible service attributes – like travel cost, travel time, and service frequency – are concrete and pretty straightforward to measure, while intangible attributes, such as comfort, ride quality, and safety, are a bit fuzzier. They’re based more on opinion and, as such, are more difficult to measure and quantify.

We designed the NBRTI study around two market research exercises; first a series of focus groups followed by an attitudinal survey. We fielded the research in Los Angeles, CA due to the city’s range of different rapid transit modes, including BRT-Lite (Metro Rapid), Full-Service BRT (Orange Line), light rail (Gold Line, Blue Line) and heavy rail (Red Line).

Focus Groups

The focus groups revealed a large number of service attributes that affect user perceptions of different transit modes. Survey participants rated each transit mode from “very poor” to “very good,” both overall and according to the 14 core service attributes. We used the overall rating for each transit mode as a proxy for ridership attraction. These findings show that people do perceive alternative rapid transit modes differently. Furthermore, differences in perception appear to be independent of any particular mode or technology.

The survey data revealed significant differences in the overall ratings of the different modes, which we grouped accordingly into four statistically distinct tiers. Overall, ratings generally followed the relative level of investment required to provide each service.

To dig a little deeper we examined the actual level of investment of each mode, defined as capital cost per mile in 2005 dollars. The figure below compares each mode in terms of overall rating and actual level of investment, and also shows the four tiers.

This analysis showed a large disparity in investment level. Yet, aside from the two obvious extremes of the local bus and the Red Line, the ratings achieved by the remaining transit services didn’t simply follow respective levels of investment. For Tiers 2 and 3, both the Metro Rapid “BRT-Lite” and Orange Line “Full-Service” BRT outperform their investment costs, achieving a slightly higher rating than their more expensive light rail counterparts. Overall, these findings show that, in the perception of the public, BRT (even in its lower-investment forms) can compete with rail-based transit in return for lower capital cost investments.

We then took a look at the influence of the different tangible and intangible attributes on the overall ratings of each mode. It appears that modal perceptions are determined by a combination of tangible and intangible attributes, with reliability being the most important tangible factor and safety the most important intangible factor. Interestingly, ratings for the local bus were found to be more heavily influenced by the tangible attributes of travel time, service span and service frequency, while the rail modes were more heavily influenced by the intangibles of safety and comfort. Focus group transcripts suggest that urban context influences the attractiveness of a transit service by directly impacting perceptions of intangible service attributes such as safety. That urban context may in fact have a larger impact on overall perceptions than whether a service is rail- or bus-based.

Overall, findings show that Full-Service BRT can replicate both the functionality standards and image qualities normally associated with rail, and that even a lower-investment BRT-Lite service performs remarkably well in terms of overall rating achieved per investment dollar. Please follow this link for the full report with all the details: NBRTI Research.

Jennifer Flynn is a Senior Research Associate for National Bus Rapid Transit Institute.

By Victoria Perk

With any public investment people want to know what benefits they will get for the cost, that is their tax dollars, and rightly so. One could certainly argue the benefits from investments in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to a community as being reduced congestion, less stressful and less expensive commute options, improved air quality and better access to education and employment. But another benefit is the subject of ongoing research at the NBRTI: increased property values due to proximity to BRT systems.

Think of all you look for when deciding on a place to live. Not only are the property characteristics important, but so is its location in relation to employment, schools, shopping and parks. To what extent is location near BRT considered? Is the availability of BRT service a factor in an investment decision such as a home purchase? We set out to answer these questions.

What we found

We found that previous research in the United States on property value impacts of transit focused on rail transit. This previous work generally found results that are statistically significant, positive, and yet relatively small in magnitude.

Some research has been done in this area for BRT systems that operate outside the United States, but this research is among the first to study this issue for BRT systems operating in the U.S. Because many BRT systems in the U.S. may be too new to find evidence of capitalization into property values, we used data from Pittsburgh’s Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway, one of the oldest operating BRT systems in the country.

The marginal value of being near rail transit is really to be expected considering the myriad of factors that comprise the total market value of a given property. This is not an easy subject to tackle but the question of whether BRT can have a positive impact on surrounding property values is very important and requires a scientific, statistical approach. Correlation does not imply causation.

BRT impact

Our hypothesis was that BRT stations have an impact on property value that is commensurate with rail transit projects considering the level and permanence of services and facilities. We want to learn the extent to which proximity to BRT is considered in the home-buying or investment decision.

Do people consider a BRT system to be as “permanent” as a rail transit (i.e., light rail) system?

To test this hypothesis, we used a hedonic regression model to isolate and estimate the impact of distance to a BRT station on the fair market value of single-family homes located near Pittsburgh’s Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway. It was expected that, as the distance to a BRT station decreased, the property value would increase.

It was found that the relationship between the distance to a station and property value is inverse and decreasing as distance from a station increases, which matches our hypothesis. Similar to the research on rail, our results were statistically significant and relatively small in magnitude. Follow this link to read the full report for all the details: NBRTI Research.

Encouraging results

Using the model from Pittsburgh, we have some encouraging results that show BRT can have impact on property values similar to rail transit, including LRT.

Decreasing marginal effects were found. Moving from 101 to 100 feet from a station increases property value approximately $19.00, while moving from 1001 to 1000 feet increases property value approximately $2.75. Another way to interpret this result is to say that a property 1,000 feet away from a station is valued approximately $9,745 less than a property 100 feet away, all else constant (this figure is determined by summing the marginal effects for each foot of distance). The results shown in this report are only valid for the data used in Pittsburgh’s case. As more BRT systems continue operating in the United States for more years, this method should be applied to other cities and other types of properties to gain a better understanding of the general property value and land use impacts in proximity to BRT.

Of course, we can improve our model to provide more conclusive results, and we are working on that right now. We are refining our method, including other types of properties such as multi-family and commercial, and looking at other BRT systems, such as Boston’s Silver Line. I like to share a favorite quote from the statistician George Box with my economics students when we’re discussing the finer points of the Keynesian and Classical macroeconomic models:  “All models are wrong, but some are useful.”

Without a doubt, our model of property value impacts will never be perfect, but it can surely be a very useful tool. We can use it­ along with qualitative studies and other anecdotal evidence in developing overall assessments of a BRT investment’s benefits to the community regarding land use, property values, and economic development.

I still remember the guy, at least his last name — Parrish. I can see him in my mind as the TV reporter stuck the microphone in front of him. Reluctantly, he spoke; but first some background.

North Fulton County in the late 1970s and early 1980s was still at best a bedroom community of Atlanta but not quite a suburb. There were many farms and it was still a place where someone could buy a plot of land and have a house built with maybe a few acres to boot. People were usually trying to get away from either Atlanta or its ever-sprawling suburbs.

Old timers quickly recalled how North Fulton was originally Milton County and had nothing to do with Fulton County or Atlanta. Faced with financial woes in the early 1930s and only one paved road, they merged with Fulton County separated by Roswell, GA, which belonged to nearby Cobb County. Negotiations ensued and Roswell was soon turned over to Fulton County to create a “land bridge.” You can see it on a map today.

A few decades later those in North Fulton who enjoyed the peaceful life regretted the merger. Talk of secession was popular but would never be. A four lane state highway went up and by the early 1980s the developers saw gold and the annexing game started. Two small cities of Roswell and Alpharetta, which were towns only a few years earlier, began annexing and many of those that thought they were out of the reach of city taxes and other encumbrances like zoning laws found their tranquil world was about to change. That brings me to Mr. Parrish.

About to be annexed

Apparently Mr. Parrish enjoyed the country life and discovered he was about to be annexed into the fair city of Alpharetta and decided to attend a town hall meeting to voice his opposition to being annexed. After the town hall meeting the reporter snagged Mr. Parrish for his comment that I remember so clearly: “I don’t want any more or any less, I just want to be left alone.”

Although poignant, one reason I remember Mr. Parrish’s comment was that I knew he was going to lose. Politicians, city planners and developers had worked out their plans long before Mr. Parrish saw the zoning signs go up. There were meetings, official and otherwise. Mr. Parrish was late to a game he likely wanted no part of. Nevertheless, he was in the game and he lost.

Bus and motorcoach operators are generally a great bunch of folks. The best part of my job is working with them, often admiring the businesses they have built, many of them multigenerational. Even in tough economies, like today, they find ways to not only survive but also thrive. Over time, many if not most bus and motorcoach operators I have met along the way remind me of Mr. Parrish. Good folks, minding their own business and just want to be left alone. This is not only improbable; it is costing them opportunities and ultimately money.

Like it or not, the transportation of passengers is a political business and one that local, state and Federal governments have great interest. Although no longer economically regulated, politicians, regulators, planners and others are weaving plans — plans that can and will ultimately affect every bus and motorcoach company in the nation.

Don’t wait until there is an issue

If you have not attended a local transportation planning meeting lately, spoken with a state legislator, or written your U.S. Senator, you may find yourself behind the proverbial eight ball. Waiting until there is an issue is often just too late, especially in a business that we already “share” with the government. Operators who begin to engage the political system are often surprised to discover new business flowing their way and opportunities they otherwise would have likely missed.

So what’s an operator to do? Here’s my beginner’s list:

• Attend your local transit meetings.

• Attend a Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting.

• Join your state association and take an active role.

• You have great story to tell. Write your State Representative and Senator. Tell them how you have invested financially in your community and about the services you provide and generally who use them. Tell them about the jobs you have created. If you have a state lobbyist, copy them on the letter and advise them of any contacts or responses you may have.

• Financially support the elections of those that support you. A $50 or a $100 campaign contribution from a constituent goes a long way.

• Join your national association (I’m partial to the United Motorcoach Association).

• Write your U.S. House Representative and Senator. Again, tell them how you have invested financially in your community and about the services you provide and generally who use them.

• Tell them about the jobs you have created. Copy your national association on the letter and advise them of any contacts or responses you may have. Contribute to their PAC.

If ever there was a time to be engaged, this is it. The stakes are high: your business.

Ken Presley is Vice President of Industry Relations for the United Motorcoach Association, Alexandria, VA. [ www.uma.org ]

By Bob Bergey

We all have certain items we take on our bus trips, especially those of us who do charter trips around the country. A couple of snacks, bottle of water, travel pillow for a nap and my camera are a few of my favorite things I almost always bring along.

But I have three electronic tools — some would call them gadgets — that I’ll never again leave home without.

One is my cell phone. Ever leave home without it? You feel half dressed, don’t you? About a month ago I managed to walk out of the house without mine, not discovering it until it was too late to return for it. I could hardly wait to get home again.  What did I miss? Fortunately it was just a short day trip, and as it turned out I didn’t miss anything at all.

Second is my GPS receiver. I honestly believe that any driver, no matter the level of experience, benefits enough from having GPS. It is worth using on every trip. The biggest benefit for me is knowing my ETA — estimated time of arrival — and knowing whether I am ahead of schedule or running late.

You drive differently when you know you are on time. You can relax and drive more safely when you know where you stand. If you are running late, GPS gives you plenty of notice so that group leaders or others can adjust plans accordingly.

The third tool I’ll never again leave home without is my new Apple iPad. I’ve been using it just over a month now, and it has radically changed my outlook on driving. It brings the huge world of information online right into your hands, no matter where you are. Maps, websites, communications, entertainment and more are literally in the palms of your hands.

I’ll talk more about the iPad in future posts. But let me just mention for now a couple of the apps I use most and am coming to rely on daily.

Number one is the Maps app. Based on Google Maps, my favorite online mapping site, it instantly gives you detailed maps for any part of the U.S. or Canada you might be in (and, I’m sure, other parts of the world, too, but that’s out of my range of experience).

Push the little Compass button, and the GPS chip built into the iPad centers the map over the exact spot you’re in right now. As you drive along, the blue dot marking your location stays centered on the display as the map moves along behind it, so you can always see what’s around you in all directions. Now, you don’t want to take your eyes off the road, but a glance when you’re sitting at a light can be invaluable. And for doing your homework, there’s nothing quite like it; I prefer it over my laptop or desktop Macs. Directions to your destination are available too.

Second is the Inrix Traffic app. All you need to do is start up the app, and it centers a Google map over your exact location, similar to the Maps app, except this time it overlays traffic info on top of all the major routes around you. Wow. I used it a couple of days ago when I was returning to the Philadelphia area from Washington, D.C. on a Monday afternoon rush hour. I could see exactly where the worst traffic tie-ups were located, and also a good escape route!

We went a few miles out of our way but never sat in traffic anywhere for more than a couple of minutes. Really cool.

Third is an app I’ve just started using — Wikipanion. It simply and beautifully provides an interface to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia of everything. I use it to look up info on destinations and things we might see along the way. With just a few minutes of research, you become the “expert” on your trip. You may not use it every day but when you need it, it’s invaluable.

Last but not least, for now, is the AccuWeather app. You can get a gorgeous 10-day forecast for wherever you’re at or wherever you’re going (well, the weather may not be gorgeous, but the app is). Nice to have that info to pass along to passengers too.

I’m out of time and space here … see my website, eightwheels.com, for another article on the iPad. And stay tuned for more here, too!

Bob Bergey is a motorcoach driver based in Franconia, PA.