urbandreamer
recession proof
I agree with Jeremy Clarkson: bendy buses are useless!
That's true, and hopefully it will be enforced better than POP on the 501.29 Dufferin could use them.
Until a POP system is used for them, loading time will be an issue.
At least with GO they don't seem to take the no standing on the upper deck rule as strictly as Las Vegas did. Most people I've seen while taking the GO double deckers do give themselves enough time to get off the bus at their stop. Some just sit on the lower deck if they are going short distances.MT and OC don't have great success using artic's on snowy or icy days on hills, let alone major roads.
Double Deck only can run on certain roads at MTO approval. It will be a hug learning curve for riders as they will not be able to sit in their seat on the top level and get off when the bus stops.
In 2008, Alexander Dennis reached an assembly agreement with ElDorado National of the US, so that the Enviro500 double deck model meets Buy America.I'm sure GO can get an exemption for buying them since there is no company in NA that makes a DD in the first place. The US does this.
Unfortunately people tend to exit the same door they entered. I believe there have been studies on this relating to evacuation of buildings.Before we put articulated buses on our routes, we have to do something about the bad habit of people exiting through the front doors. I can understand the elderly or handicapped, but everyone else? I always used the rear doors, even when my kids were in strollers.
The drivers are inconsistent in their requests. Frequently your standing at the back door and the driver asks passengers to exit at the front door, because of snow banks, parked cars, etc. At other times the driver asks you to exit the front door when he is behind schedule, as the back doors take forever to open and close; and he can see the front door, so can he can depart much more quickly when the passenger uses the front.Before we put articulated buses on our routes, we have to do something about the bad habit of people exiting through the front doors. I can understand the elderly or handicapped, but everyone else?
MT and OC don't have great success using artic's on snowy or icy days on hills, let alone major roads.
Before we put articulated buses on our routes, we have to do something about the bad habit of people exiting through the front doors. I can understand the elderly or handicapped, but everyone else? I always used the rear doors, even when my kids were in strollers.
Hamilton just started running artics on their A-Line Express route which features a trip up and down the escarpment on a windy two lane road. It will interesting to see what happens on the first below freezing day with precipitation.
As I mentioned before, articulated buses can make tighter turns 40 foot buses, so that is nto a problem. The real issue is with the sizes of the bus pads and the bus bays, and other problems that others have mentioned such as snow and maintenence and loading times.
I am aware that you have said this before, but I fail to see how articulated buses can have smaller turning circles than 40 foot buses, since they have the same wheelbase, but also have a trailer that will cut the corners (unless there's rear wheel steering), requiring drivers to take wider turns.