GO Double Decker Buses

[wyliepoon]

The Star

Link to article

GO plans double-deckers for highway travel
14 buses likely to run on Hwy. 407/403
Safe, even at high speeds, B.C. Transit says
Jun. 10, 2006. 01:00 AM
CHRISTOPHER MAUGHAN
STAFF REPORTER

Transit riders in the GTA may soon enjoy a touch of British class.

There may not be a Piccadilly Circus popping up in Brampton, but GO Transit is working on a plan to bring double-deckers to one stretch of highway.

"It's really cool, you'll get such a better view," said Tran Sung as he waited for his ride at the Union Station bus terminal. When he was told about the reclining seats on the upper floor, Sung grinned and said, "That's even cooler."

GO Transit hopes to introduce 14 of the buses along the Hwy. 407/403 bus rapid transit corridor between Unionville and Oakville by 2008.

Daily ridership on these routes is expected to grow by 2,000 per year and getting more people on fewer buses cuts costs. Double-deckers can carry 80 people versus 57 on regular buses. Yesterday the GO board told staff to begin talking with the bus builder, Alexander Dennis of the United Kingdom.

"When we tested it on Yonge St., people really liked it, so it'll be interesting to see how it does on roadways," said Bill Fisch, a member of the GO Transit board of directors.

But trundling around the streets of London is a far cry from whizzing along a highway.

At least one GO Transit rider agreed and wondered if they wouldn't be better suited to city streets, just like the double-decker sightseeing buses that tote tourists around Toronto.

"In the city, maybe it's a good idea, but not on the 407," said Jenny Cohen. "I'll have a great view of the traffic."

In B.C., the provincial transit system has been using double-decker buses since 2001.

Wendal Milne, a B.C. Transit spokesman, said the buses were perfectly safe, even at high speeds. "They actually sit better on curves than the conventional buses," he said.

To accommodate the vehicle's height, B.C. Transit had to adjust lampposts and trim trees. And eventually they had to order buses that were 5 centimetres shorter.

In Ontario, they will only be run on roadways with high overpasses.

But Milne warned the buses could run into problems on winter ice. "They would take a while to get going, so we had to make some adjustments," he said.

Allan Robinson, director of Equipment Development with GO Transit, said the buses will undergo rigorous testing in the United States over the next three months.

GO Transit CEO Gary McNeil wouldn't say how much the buses will cost. But 14 double-decker buses can carry 1,120 people, which is the equivalent of using 20 standard GO buses. A regular GO bus costs about $500,000.

The buses seem to have found favour with drivers. "I'd rather have 40 or 50 people above me sitting than 8 or 10 angry ones standing," said Maureen Dankn. "And I have a feeling that the really rowdy passengers will all be upstairs and the calm ones will be downstairs, so I won't even know."

Of course, Dankn would be able to keep tabs on those rowdy passengers with a TV screen connected to a camera that will show her what's going on above. Built-in GPS systems will ensure that the buses don't stray from their routes.

Those same systems will also warn drivers about nearby obstacles, which is important if you're driving a bus that's more than four metres high.

 

[thenay]

cool, strange tho

 

[spmarshall]

Now this is one way to solve the lousy capacity low-floor bus situation - add the second deck with lots of seats. I've rode double-deck buses in London and Victoria - they are great.

They should also put those buses on some of the "train-meet" runs and the Hamilton Express, and not just have them on the 407.

Too bad the TTC keeps buying those crummy Orion shitboxes without thinking of more creative ways to move people. Victoria has some low-clearance railway bridges (E&N) that the buses are able to fit under, so I wonder if clearances are an issue - might be for some routes that would come to mind, like 29 Dufferin (CPR and CNR viaducts and streetcar overhead), but the busiest east-west routes in the near-suburbs and the suburbs - such as 32, 34, 36, 39, 53, 96, where buses come every 2-4 minutes in the peak - would be ideal for these.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

^ Yes, yes, yes! More seats would be amazing since the Steeles bus during rush hour is standing room only even as far as McCowan.

 

[wyliepoon]

The double-deckers might be the best vehicles to use for miketoronto's Scarborough-Downtown express route proposals.

The buses seem to have found favour with drivers. "I'd rather have 40 or 50 people above me sitting than 8 or 10 angry ones standing," said Maureen Dankn. "And I have a feeling that the really rowdy passengers will all be upstairs and the calm ones will be downstairs, so I won't even know."

Great "observation", in light of the popular Bus Uncle video, which was made on the upper deck of a Hong Kong bus. If the shouting match in the video happened on a regular bus, the driver would have intervened, and YouTube might not have gotten all the free publicity from the video!

 

[drum118]

SUBJECT: Contract No. NC-2006-ED-006 - Negotiated Contract for the Supply & Delivery of Double-Deck Buses

RECOMMENDATION:
That the Board authorize the Chairman and the Managing Director to complete negotiations and execute this contract for the purchase of up to fourteen (14) accessible double-deck buses, with an option for another ten (10), from Alexander Dennis ("Dennis") of the United Kingdom, provided that the final contract price does not exceed the estimated contract value by more than 15%, that the approved overall project budget will not be exceeded and that agreement can be reached on the contract terms and conditions. Delivery is expected to be in early 2008.

BACKGROUND:
For several years, GO Transit staff has been working on the development of a high capacity accessible highway bus that will operate safely at highway speeds and address ridership growth with reduced operating costs.

GO Transit took a major step forward when the 45' Motor Coach Industries (MCI) accessible highway bus was introduced to the GO Transit bus fleet in 2001. The addition of an extra eight (8) seats per bus had a negligible impact on the operating budget and infrastructure. The MCI bus resulted in an estimated 15% increase in productivity. By the summer of 2006, the GO bus fleet will have 218 of these larger buses.

In 2002, Dennis offered GO an opportunity to test an urban double deck bus on GO's Yonge Street "c" and "B" services. The vehicle was well received by the public and drivers. As a result, GO decided to explore the selective use of double deck buses in our fleet.

A business case was presented to the Board in 2003, which compared the MCI 45' bus, an articulated bus, and a double-deck bus. It was demonstrated that the optimum vehicle to meet both the capacity requirements and the performance characteristics was a double-deck bus suitable for highway operation. The Hwy. 407 corridor with its high structures and passenger boarding/dedeboarding characteristics are ideal for double deck application.

In November 2004, the Board approved the Request for Proposal (RFP) process for double-deck buses. In May 2005, the Board was updated on the results on the RFP process, where one of the two proposals was rejected for non-compliance regarding bonding, and the other was rejected due to a low evaluation on the performance aspects. The Board authorized staff to initiate discussions/negotiations with the two firms to determine if a suitable product could be acquired.

For several months, staff from GO and both companies exchanged technical specifications and information to review the buses, the facilities, the manufacturing techniques and to discuss contract and technical issues, delivery, options and potential component changes.
The final evaluation narrowed the selection down to the bus supplied by Alexander Dennis of the United Kingdom, as the vehicle best suited to GO's needs on the 407 BRT Corridor. The primary criteria for selection were customer service factors, such as accessibility (low floor), wider aisles and better access to the upper level.

The Dennis double-deck bus has the capacity to carry 80 seated passengers at highway speeds and will be modified to have the same power train as used in GO's current MCI fleet with improved emission standards capable of meeting the EP A07 emission requirements, wide entrance, wide aisles, substantial interior headroom, and passenger/driver amenities.

The vehicle is essentially a low-floor bus with excellent accessibility and customer service features that make this bus the best choice for GO operation. Most low-floor buses suffer in the wheelwell areas, but Dennis has designed the stairwell over the front portion and the rear of the bus slopes upward to minimize impacts. The vehicle will be designed with a wide front door fitted with a powered loading ramp for quick ingress and egress of wheelchairs, while allowing the driver to remain in the operator's seat. There will be two designated forward facing wheelchair locations fitted with flip down seats. Wheelchairs can be efficiently accommodated and schedules maintained, resulting in improved reliability.

A transit version of the Dennis bus was first introduced to North America in Victoria, BC in 1999. Since then, BC Transit has endorsed two additional contracts to expand the fleet. In addition, Dennis has been successful in obtaining contracts in Las Vegas and California. The model GO is negotiating will be modified to become fully compliant with the requirements of Ontario regulation 629, inclusive of an emergency exit door. This model will also have improved passenger seating, a wider front door, three emergency exit push-out windows per side on each level, with improvements to passenger comfort and a highway performance package.

Discussions with Dennis indicate that they can meet all CMVSS and FMVSS regulations. However, the vehicle may require some modifications to fully meet provincial regulations. This vehicle is 4.8 inches (0.12m) above the provincial regulations. GO staff have been working closely with MTO to meet the requirements for an over-height permit. In essence, GO Transit is setting the standards for the use of double-deck buses in Ontario.

GO will introduce specialized training and driver permits for the operation of these vehicles. Doubledeck buses will be restricted to operate only on designated, pre-determined routes on the 407/403 BRT corridors, which pose no height constraints. Further, the new buses will be specially monitored through an electronic "geo-fencing" method by the Bus Automatic Vehicle Location (A VL) system. Should a double deck bus leave the designated route, both the driver and Dispatch will be immediately notified. Another separate electronic device, using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, will be dashmounted to advise the driver should the bus approach a known, low structure. In addition, Bus Safety and Training have been involved, and will develop unique operating procedures, training and emergency protocols to ensure safe operation under all circumstances. GO Transit has assured MTO that appropriate testing of operating procedures, A VL and GPS technology will be undertaken prior to introduction of these vehicles into revenue service.

This bus will be utilized only on the 407/403 BRT corridors between Unionville and Oakville where GO has the highest ridership and requires additional capacity. The new West Bus Maintenance and Storage Facility will be located close to the 407 and be designed to maintain and store the new vehicles.

Based on approval from the Board to proceed, staff will issue a Letter of Intent to Dennis and begin contract and engineering details. Dennis will produce a first-off prototype for testing and evaluation and then begin regular production, with delivery of the first production vehicle scheduled in January 2008. The remaining vehicles will be delivered and commissioned by March 2008.

BUSINESS CASE/CUSTOMER SERVICE:
The basic principle of the business case can easily be summed up by stating this approach is similar to the case for the use of bi-level rail coaches on the rail system, or by lengthening the existing trains by adding coaches to carry more passengers with the existing resources. It is the "smart use" of a capital asset to save on operating costs.
The major point in favour of double-deck buses is that seated passenger capacity can be dramatically increased without increasing the number of drivers required. This results in increased productivity and reduced operating expenses. The Dennis bus is designed with 80 seats compared to our standard 45' highway bus with 57 seats. This allows us to carry more passengers without infrastructure changes required to platforms or terminals.

The purchase of up to 14 Dennis buses using 80 seats per bus, equates to a total of 1120 seats. To acquire 1120 seats in a standard 45' highway bus with 57 seats per bus would require 20 buses, as well as additional drivers and mechanics to maintain them (including the bus wheelchair lift, which is expensive to maintain and time consuming to operate).

While the Dennis bus represents a higher capital cost, when using a cost per seat basis, the double-deck bus is comparable in cost to a standard 45' highway bus. However, when adding in the operating and maintenance costs of the additional buses required to attain similar capacity, the offset in pricing definitely makes the double deck bus attractive.

The 407 BRT service has been GO's fastest growing bus service and is projected to increase by approximately 2,000 rides per day annually. This growth equates to approximately 35 more trips using our standard 57 passenger bus, but would require only 25 trips using double-deck technology, resulting in less driver cost, less fuel usage, fewer emissions, less traffic congestion and less tolls.

Customer benefits include a wider doorway, wider aisles, excellent headroom and improved stanchions and much improved wheelchair access resulting in better schedule adherence. The market "attractiveness" of the new double-deck bus will also generate new interest in transit, improve the branding of GO bus and lead to increased ridership. The large rear panel of the bus also represents a potential revenue source as a future advertising location.

 

[doady]

Once again, GO shows that it is only concerned with saving money, instead of improving service. The routes they are planning to use these buses on don't even have weekend service yet.

 

[rbtaylor]

Once again, GO shows that it is only concerned with saving money, instead of improving service.

That's the way Canada seems to work these days.

We take improvements in efficiency and keep the expenses low rather than using them to improve or expand service.

 

[Ontarian1976]

You have to remember that they have a budget. If they spend more money one place, that would mean less somewhere else.

 

[hkskyline]

Megabus runs double-decker buses along British highways for intercity travel. They are perfectly safe.

 

[FutureMayor]

GO higher Mississauga

GO higher

Gerry Timbers
Nov 19, 2006

GO Transit riders will soon be riding high as they zip through Mississauga along the Hwy. 403 rapid transit bus lanes.
GO has agreed to buy 12 double-decker highway coaches in a a $10.8-million deal with Scotland's Alexander Dennis Ltd. The new buses cost about $900,000 each and will go into service by early 2008, The Toronto Sun reports.

Double-decker coaches have 80 seats, compared to 57 on a regular bus, GO boss Ed Shea told The Sun.

Louroz

 

[EnviroTO]

It is the same model used in Victoria BC, the Enviro 500. Good to hear the seating level... it suggests they aren't packing people in like sardines because the bus can handle up to 100 seated. It is an interesting idea to have a fleet of busses and trains which are all double decked.

 

[Degnaw]

along the Hwy. 403 rapid transit bus lanes.

bus lanes? where/since when?

Are the normal buses usually crowded? because they currently have frequencies of up to 2.5 or 5 (two buses are scheduled to come every five minutes).

 

[spmarshall]

Re: Re: GO higher Mississauga

It makes it sound like only Mississauga will see the new buses. The buses would likely go on the core 407 West service which is York U-Bramalea-Square One-Trafalagar Carpool and either Sheridan Oakville-Oakville GO or Bronte Carpool-Burlington Carpool-McMaster-Hamilton GO. These buses can be very busy, but are subject to extreme ebb and flow passenger counts, based upon class dismissals at York and Mac. The buses would pass through at a minimum 4 municipalities on the Square One express runs, and a maximum 7 on the Mac runs.

On the 403, there are bus shoulders, buses are allowed to use them when traffic is congested, and only at something like 50 or 60 km/h.

 

[doady]

Re: Re: GO higher Mississauga

On top of the world
GO Transit bus riders may soon be riding high on double-decker coaches

By IAN ROBERTSON, TORONTO SUN&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp

GO Transit bus riders will be moving up in the world early in 2008.

Its board has okayed buying 12 double-decker highway coaches -- a $10.835-million deal -- GO spokesman Ed Shea told the Sun.

He said a similar two-storey Alexander Dennis Ltd. bus built in Scotland for B.C. Transit was "a huge hit" during a stopover in 2002 along Yonge St. in York Region.

B.C. Transit introduced them in Victoria in 1999. Before going into receivership two years ago, Dennis approached other North American communities and lent several for tests.

On Nov. 7, The Scotsman of Edinburgh called the firm, under new ownership since May, 2004, "the poster child of resurgent Scottish manufacturing." It has made "phenomenally successful efforts to convert North America to the concept of double-decker buses which now run in Las Vegas, Washington, New York, California and Toronto."

Toronto used New York- and British-built open-top double-deckers in the 1920s, but passengers were too cold in winter. Today, several old ones from England are used for sightseeing in the GTA.

The key advantage over single-deck buses is the 80 seats, compared to 57 on a standard bus, Shea said. The 12 big new buses, at $900,000 each, are to arrive in 13 months and go into service by early 2008. More costly than city street double-deckers, they must meet Ontario highway standards and be wheelchair-accessible.

The TTC and Mississauga Transit use long, articulated buses, but GO Transit decided to get double-deckers for the "BRT" corridors on Hwys. 403 and 407, between Unionville and Oakville, he said. "Students are our big market on those routes."

One barrier to such a high bus is bridges, Shea said, but GO's 4.3-metre tall, 12-metre long Dennis fleet will be on routes "where height restrictions are not a concern."

GO Transit has an option to buy 10 more double-deckers by April 1, 2009, he said

Notice they say the TTC uses articulated buses, which isn't true.