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| Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas (80518) | |
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| (80518) | |
Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:48:22 2007 Here are a few photos I took during my recent trip to the Los Angeles and Phoenix areas:Foothills NABI 60-foot BRT on the Silver Streak:  Torrance Gillig Advantage:  LACMTA Orange Line Metro Liner:  Santa Clarita New Flyer C40LF:  OCTA New Flyer C40LFR:  Valley Metro New Flyer D60LF: If you are interesting in seeing all my photos from this trip, you may find my album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/sidkeyles/CaliforniaAndArizonaTripNovDec2007 Enjoy! |
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| (80521) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:51:58 2007, in response to Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:48:22 2007. Here is the Valley Metro New Flyer D60LF photo, which didn't seem to come out in the original post:
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| (80533) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by lbt 9415 on Tue Dec 18 12:33:27 2007, in response to Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:48:22 2007. very nice photos Sid ... especially the phoenix ones. Intresting that the ramps on the D60LFs are at the middle door |
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| (80536) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 12:53:07 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by lbt 9415 on Tue Dec 18 12:33:27 2007. [Intresting that the ramps on the D60LFs are at the middle door]I recollect that one series of Valley Metro buses has ramps at both the front and rear doors, but am not certain which buses. Eddie, I hope you caught a glimpse of 5418 in my photo album! |
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| (80539) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by lbt 9415 on Tue Dec 18 13:45:01 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 12:53:07 2007. lol. saw the other pics and 5418. |
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| (80542) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Tue Dec 18 14:53:18 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:51:58 2007. Great photo!I see this photo was at Lolama Station in Scottsdale. |
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| (80543) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Tue Dec 18 14:58:27 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 12:53:07 2007. All 40' and 35' low floor buses in the fleet (D40LF, 40LFW, 35LFW, C40LFR, D40LFR) have the ramps at the rear door.The NovaBus RTS-WFDs have the lifts at the front door (as there is only one door). Some 30' ElDorado EZ Riders have ramps at both the front and rear doors. As far as the 60' buses all 50 D60LFs as well as the 10 60BRTs all have ramps at the middle door. |
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| (80545) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 15:43:47 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by phxtusbusfan on Tue Dec 18 14:58:27 2007. [All 40' and 35' low floor buses in the fleet (D40LF, 40LFW, 35LFW, C40LFR, D40LFR) have the ramps at the rear door.]Unfortunately, I am operating with some very foggy memory here, but have a vague recollection it was a New Flyer D40LF in the 3700 or 4000 series that I thought had ramps at both the front and rear doors. Can't say for sure! |
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| (80554) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Dec 18 17:06:19 2007, in response to Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:48:22 2007. The unidentified UCLA bus is an El Dorado EZ-Rider II. |
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| (80560) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 18:46:15 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Dec 18 17:06:19 2007. [The unidentified UCLA bus is an El Dorado EZ-Rider II.]Thank you. I've modified the caption, although I still call it "unidentified" because I did not get the fleet number. |
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| (80567) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Tue Dec 18 19:25:24 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 15:43:47 2007. As far as I know all of the 1994 (4000 series) and 1996 (3700 series) D40LFs have rear ramps.Here is a photo of 4007: 
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| (80580) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Tue Dec 18 21:33:05 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 15:43:47 2007. Are you sure it was not a 4100 series 1999 ElDorado E-Z Rider? Those buses (4121-4145) have rear door ramps. |
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| (80609) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Sid from NJ on Wed Dec 19 07:32:03 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by roscoman1986 on Tue Dec 18 21:33:05 2007. [Are you sure it was not a 4100 series 1999 ElDorado E-Z Rider?]That is probably the one thing I am sure of - it was not an Eldorado! In trying to remember, I am pretty sure whatever bus it was was on either the 44 or the old Yellow line, and I noticed it along University Avenue in Tempe heading westbound near College Street(?). Like I said before, I can't swear to it, but recollect thinking it was funny that there was a ramp in two places. Of course, it's possible that I was just surprised to see a ramp at the rear door and not at the front. Anything's possible! |
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| (80613) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 09:26:16 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:51:58 2007. The biggest surprise is the condition that the 2007 D60LFs (the ones with the new colors on them and numbered 8021-8050) are in considering that they are only three months old. Outside a lot of them are filthy and inside it is the same. |
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| (80617) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Houston METRO Fan on Wed Dec 19 10:46:24 2007, in response to Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:48:22 2007. Nice pics you took of all those buses. One slight problem that I saw (model name).Santa Monica 4085 (New Flyer C40LF) Santa Monica 4089 (New Flyer C40LF) Actually, these buses are called the New Flyer L40LF model. Not the wording on the tank of the bus---or at least visible on bus 4089. Again, nice photos. |
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| (80618) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Houston METRO Fan on Wed Dec 19 10:49:22 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Houston METRO Fan on Wed Dec 19 10:46:24 2007. ...same goes for bus 4063. |
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| (80622) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Wed Dec 19 10:56:41 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Wed Dec 19 07:32:03 2007. Hmm, if you said it was a 4000 series or 3700 series then it would have to have been an RPTA 4000 series as the First Transit 4000 series and 3700 series buses don't serve Tempe and Veolia-Phoenix only has 6500 series D40LFs. If that was the case the bus could have been on the 81 or 72 (if headed W/B on University but East of College Ave) or the 30 (on either side of College Ave).Here are some photos of 3700 series buses taken by Ian Britton and posted at FreeFoto.com (note they were taken in 2003 when Veolia-Phoenix did operate the 3700 series on the 44) |
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| (80623) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by Houston METRO Fan on Wed Dec 19 11:00:11 2007, in response to Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Sid from NJ on Tue Dec 18 09:48:22 2007. Bus FleetNew Flyer L40LF 40' 2004-2005 4038-4089 61 LNG New Flyer L40LF 40' 2007 4090-4099 10 LNG Notes: 4078,4080-4089 have a special livery and signal priority transceivers for use on the Rapid 3 line. If you took any photos of any buses with that fleet range, it's an L40LF bus. 4041 is another. ;o) |
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| (80636) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 12:28:01 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by phxtusbusfan on Wed Dec 19 10:56:41 2007. The 1994 4000 series D40LFs operated with Veolia-Phoenix until 2002, when the remaining ones were transferred to Veolia-RPTA and First Transit. Some of them were transferred over in 1999 with the arrival of NABI buses 6211-6245. However, I remember riding a 1994 D40LF on the Blue Line as late as 2001. I remember these buses because my non-busfan friends got thrown off the bus for touching the tape way too much during the summer of 2001.The 1996 3700 series D40LFs operated with Veolia-Phoenix until 2004. At this time, the arrival of the RAPID buses caused Phoenix local buses to almost exclusively be used on local service. They could have replaced the RTS buses but instead Veolia-Phoenix transferred 28 of the 3700 series D40LFs to Laidlaw (First Transit) where they replaced 1990 Gillig 35-footers 961-967 (which I never rode on). Bus 3727 was an L40LF that was transferred to Veolia-RPTA because Laidlaw did not have LNG at the time. This bus was a real lemon and broke down constantly and I believe it may have been retired already. I remember riding the 3700s on the Blue Line because until I started driving to school in the 2004-2005 school year, I got either a D40LF or an RTS on the ride home almost every day. Ironically, now I miss the 1994 and 1996 D40LF buses considering there are so few of them left. |
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| (80643) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by The Port of Authority on Wed Dec 19 12:57:10 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Houston METRO Fan on Wed Dec 19 10:49:22 2007. Santa Monica doesn't have any C40LFs, anyway. |
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| (80661) | |
Re: Santa Monica Rapid 3 PHOTO |
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Posted by Sid from NJ on Wed Dec 19 14:45:31 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by Houston METRO Fan on Wed Dec 19 11:00:11 2007. [4078,4080-4089 have a special livery and signal priority transceivers for use on the Rapid 3 line.]Thanks for the info that Santa Monica has L40LF's and not C40LF's. Below is a photo of one of the Santa Monica Rapid 3 line buses in the special livery: 
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| (80675) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Wed Dec 19 17:08:46 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 12:28:01 2007. During the summer of 2002 I worked in downtown Phoenix in the mornings (carpooled with my dad) and then would take Valley Metro to go home from Central Station to 90th St./Shea. For the first few weeks I would take the Blue Line to Paradise Valley Mall and connect to the 106 to take me from Paradise Valley Mall to 90th St./Shea. Occasionally if a 0 line bus came before a Blue Line bus I would take the 0 to Sunnyslope and then connect to the 106 at Sunnyslope. I did both the 0 and Blue Line combinations for about a week or two until I looked for alternatives as by the time the 0 or Blue Line got to Brophy/Xavier/Central High the bus would fill with students and would become almost unbearable. I remember that the buses on the blue line tended to be either 1999 NABI 40LFWs or 1996 D40LFs whereas the buses on the 0 were almost always 1998 NABI 40LFWs or the occasional 1988/1989/1990 TMC RTS. The 106 buses at the time were almost always 1994 D40LFs (except for one time where I got on a 1989 35' RTS). However, to avoid the Brophy/Xavier/Central High mess I started taking the 12 from Central Station to Sunnyslope (and then would catch the 106 there). This allowed me to ride the 70XX 1985 MAN artics on a daily basis (as the run on the 12 I took ALWAYS used MAN artics). I know the MAN artics would do 12 and than the 541 Chandler express as there was always a 541 sign sitting near the windshield.In 2002 I do recall a bus operator getting upset when people leaned up against the touch tape on the D40LFs (sometimes the guilty party fell asleep and their head hit the tape). I recall riding on 1996 D40LFs in 2003 when I would commute downtown in the mornings and carpool with my dad in the afternoons, as many Blue Line trips were on the D40LFs but in the summer of 2004 they were either all NABI 40LFWs (1998/1999/2002) or TMC RTSs (1988/1989/1990) wheras the 106 started running 1996 D40LFs in 2004 (although the majority of my trips were still on 1994 D40LFs). When the 1996 D40LFs were operated by Veolia-Phoenix (at that time ATC-Phoenix) I thought that they were in better shape than the Laidlaw 1994 D40LFs. However when both were operating at Laidlaw I thought that the 1996 D40LFs were just as bad, if not worse. The one advantage of the 1996s vs. the 1994s was that they had pull cords as opposed to push tape. I also recall that 4072 was one of the worst looking 1994 D40LFs with large sections of paint missing from the area around the engine as well as the side. There was also a Laidlaw operated 40XX that had what appeared to have it's rear A/C vent replaced by something that looked like a fence/cage (i know it's not the best description). It looks like something was put there just to prevent there from being a large opening in the rear of the bus. In the summer of 2006 I recall seeing 3727 operating on Route 30-University. I listened intently to its engine and it appeared to sound almost identical to the Detroit Diesel Series 50G engines that Sun Tran has on the 1996/1997 C40HFs as well as the 2001 Novas. I haven't seen it since early summer 2006. |
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| (80678) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 17:24:37 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by phxtusbusfan on Wed Dec 19 17:08:46 2007. [[I did both the 0 and Blue Line combinations for about a week or two until I looked for alternatives as by the time the 0 or Blue Line got to Brophy/Xavier/Central High the bus would fill with students and would become almost unbearable]].Hey, one of those students who made the bus "unbearable" was probably me (lol). Did you take the bus during the summer of 2002 during midday (around 12:00-12:30)? That's when I got out when I was taken my summer school classes (not remedial classes but stuff so I could get some space during the rest of the semester to take other things). In summer 2002 I used to take the bus in the morning and during the afternoon as well. And yes, I remember that I used to ride D40LFs home during the summer because I never really rode on the RTS except on the weekends until Fall 2002. BTW, my friend used to also ride the Blue Line and transfer to the 106. Sounds like if you were around in the evening you could have taken the 512 as well. |
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| (80679) | |
Re: Santa Monica Rapid 3 PHOTO |
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Posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 17:26:03 2007, in response to Re: Santa Monica Rapid 3 PHOTO, posted by Sid from NJ on Wed Dec 19 14:45:31 2007. I rode on a 2004 L40LF (non-Rapid) but I remember that the Rapid buses had readinglights and vents as well. I believe that Phoenix, Houston, and Santa Monica were/are the only TAs to order the L40LF (at least in the US). |
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| (80684) | |
Re: Santa Monica Rapid 3 PHOTO |
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Posted by Houston METRO Fan on Wed Dec 19 18:10:16 2007, in response to Re: Santa Monica Rapid 3 PHOTO, posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 17:26:03 2007. Houston did and all but one were converted to hybrid. We still have one---according to the latest fleet listing---out of service pending sale. Bus numbers were 4102-4106. 4103-4106 are now hybrid buses. |
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| (80696) | |
Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Wed Dec 19 21:40:12 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 17:24:37 2007. I got off of work in Downtown Phoenix around 12:00 or 12:10 and was to Central Station by 12:15 (and would board the first 0 or Blue Line NB bus that would arrive). I really shouldn't have been complaining about high schoolers (as that was the summer between 11th and 12th grades for me) but the bus would go from full (or close to full) to jam packed as soon as it approached Brophy/Xavier/Central. In addition to the 12 I also occasionally would take the 8 from Central Station to Sunnyslope (as I avoided the 0 and Blue Line like the plague). I preferred the 12 because I loved the MAN artics (although on the 12 they were almost completely empty so the air circulated well even with the poor a/c, I could definitely tell how they would be uncomfortable if they got full. I never worked late enough for the 512 to be a real option.One last thing I remember about the summer of 2002 was it was the last summer that the City of Phoenix did it's 4th of July fireworks downtown. What is significant about this is that the fact that ATC-Phoenix ran a shuttle (similar to the routing of DASH) to connect different parking locations around downtown (with a drop off/pick up location around 15th Ave and Washington St. and then with stops all around downtown). This service was being done with NABI 40LFWs. After the fireworks the NABIs could not handle the demand at all (the lines barely moved) so all of a sudden there was a parade of MAN Artics (7-8) that they packed to the gills (people were standing in the stairwells). |
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| (80826) | |
Valley Metro Rumors around town |
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Posted by transitbusfan on Thu Dec 20 22:58:26 2007, in response to Re: Photos from Recent Trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix Areas, posted by roscoman1986 on Wed Dec 19 17:24:37 2007. There is rumors around town that Veolia-Phoenix might take over Route 45- Broadway and Route 77- Baseline in South Phoenix operating from the South Facility.Veolia Tempe might take over Route 72- Scottsdale/Rural and Route 81- Hayden/McClintock from Veolia-RPTA. |
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| (80827) | |
Re: Valley Metro Rumors around town |
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Posted by transitbusfan on Thu Dec 20 23:00:12 2007, in response to Valley Metro Rumors around town, posted by transitbusfan on Thu Dec 20 22:58:26 2007. I forget The Red Line on Weekend from Veolia-Tempe to Veolia-Phoenix next months |
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| (80843) | |
Re: Valley Metro Rumors around town |
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Posted by phxtusbusfan on Fri Dec 21 01:39:40 2007, in response to Valley Metro Rumors around town, posted by transitbusfan on Thu Dec 20 22:58:26 2007. The Route 45-Broadway and Route 77-Baseline make a decent amount of sense to me as these routes probably have the ridership to justify having 40' or even 60' buses (which Veolia-Phoenix has) versus the current mix of 35' and 40' buses currently operated. I could see the Route 81- Hayden/McClintock moving from Veolia-Tempe as well (especially if those buses wouldn't be needed for Route 45 and Route 77 anymore). I don't see route 72-Scottsdale/Rural going to Veolia-Tempe. The 72 is 28 miles long (I believe it beats out the 61 as the longest local route that the RPTA operates but they could be tied). Not only is the 72 the longest RPTA route it also is the RPTA route with the best headways (15 minute daytime and 30 minute evening and weekends). What this means is that the 72 takes up a great deal of resources. The current route 72 schedule wasn't even possible until after the 52 New Flyer C40LFRs were purchased in 2006 (I understand that several buses were retired around that time but there was a noticeable increase in the RPTA fleet). Also, for whatever reason (possibly range) LNG buses generally haven't operated on the 72 (which is the only type of bus that Veolia-Tempe has). Unless there is going to be a transfer of C40LFRs and/or D40LFRs to the Tempe Division I see the 72 staying put. |
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| (80867) | |
Re: Valley Metro Rumors around town |
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Posted by transitbusfan on Fri Dec 21 12:16:19 2007, in response to Re: Valley Metro Rumors around town, posted by phxtusbusfan on Fri Dec 21 01:39:40 2007. I agree with you about bus operations in Phoenix about 45, 61, 72 and the 81. |
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| (80881) | |
Re: Valley Metro Rumors around town |
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Posted by T8H5307N on Fri Dec 21 14:04:44 2007, in response to Re: Valley Metro Rumors around town, posted by phxtusbusfan on Fri Dec 21 01:39:40 2007. I'm not convinced that this would happen. Both 45 and 77 are Tempe routes, even though Mesa and Phoenix buy into part of them. I have not seen Tempe contract with other agencies for many years. I'm not sure what it would take for Phoenix Transit to assume this contract; certainly would have to pass the City Council.Similarly, 72 and 81 are RPTA routes; when equipment was tight, it did indeed contract to other transit agencies (I think 84 is the only one left). With many newer buses available, I don't think we'll see a change. |
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