JLiu15

4034 and 4037 delivered to Monmouth Junction today. 4033 already got a crack in its windshield LOL

1007 has been reinspected, looks like it'll return to service!

Deliveries have been suspended due to a NHTSA recall of batteries on XE35s. So far 26006 and all units 26010 and above have yet to be delivered.

Here's a short article from the Targum on the new buses: https://dailytargum.com/article/2023/02/two-new-buses-added-to-rutgers-fleet-for-1st-time-in-8-years

26002-26005 and 26008 are active as of 2/27/2023. Looks like 26009 is actually not active yet.

4207 returned to service today!

Looks like the remainder of Year 1 (4034-4041) will be delivered by the end of this month.

Rutgers 4032 and 4033 entered service today! Both on Route B. The fate of 4183 and 4196 are questionable though...they've been stored at First Transit's Monmouth Junction facility since the summer and they haven't moved. Apparently they're waiting for engine replacement but 4196 failed inspection earlier this month. Some other buses currently stored there for several months now are 4186, 4203, and 4207. 4186 apparently needs an engine replacement - it already spent several months out of service last year for a transmission replacement. 1007 swapped windshield wipers with some other ex-LSU buses - not sure if they just put their broken wipers on or if they're gonna attempt to revive it. 1500 is also stored there after retiring this summer, as well as 6171 and 6176.

Edit: 4032 is in service too, also on Route B. Neither bus is tracking on Transloc although they are on Passio. These buses have ACU-RITE digital clocks in the front, bigger than the ones on 4176-4213/4050-4053/4127-4133. They also have automated stop announcements similar to the ex-LSU/NCSU/CSI/Princeton buses, although it sounds a little different. Neither of these were activated on 4032 today though - only 4033. Seating is the same as before - Freedman CitiSeat in red, although there's fewer seats (35 vs 39) as the rear section has longitudinal seats too for faster boarding/disembarking. There are also USB charging ports in the rear.

4033 entered service today on Route B! It's got that new bus smell! These buses don't have the stop request cord tho, probably because Rutgers has no need for them as buses automatically stop at every stop, lol.

All of our Axess BRTs have the number on the mirror. The left side has it on the driver's window.

4032-4033 inspected today.

Thanks, they changed things up a little on imgur and I was confused lol.

Yeah. I feel like the front plate should've been red or they should've made the entire front curve black like the current ones. The black front plate kinda looks like a mustache lol.

Some of them got new engines in 2017 but that wasn't enough to save them from all their issues lol. The first unit to retire was 6169 I think in 2016. By Fall 2019 only 4 units were left (6167, 6171, 6175-6176). They were never used again after Rutgers abruptly shut down campus and went remote on 3/11/2020 due to Covid. As of right now 6171 and 6176 are still on the First Transit Monmouth Junction property, used for parts. There were plans to bring back 6171 for the Fall 2021 semester, but those plans never went through.

Correction: Rutgers did order new ElDorado Axess BRT in 2015, but those are part of the Newark contract (between Rutgers Newark, NJIT, ECC, RBHS, University Hospital, etc).

As of 2/8/2023 RUTGERS FLEET Operator: First Transit -ACTIVE- (BLUE indicates new additions) 2011 ElDorado Axess BRT 40': 4176-4205, 4207-4213 2014 ElDorado Axess BRT 40': 4050, 4051, 4052, 4053 (Ex-CSI same unit #) 2015 ElDorado Axess BRT 40': 4127-4133 (Newark Campus) 2010 ElDorado Axess 40': 1001-1002, 1004, 1006, 1011-1012 (Ex-LSU same unit #) 2010 ElDorado Axess 40': 201-205 (Ex-UAB same unit #, Exx-LSU 1000, 1003, 1005, 1008, 1010 respectively) 2007 New Flyer D40LF: 1496, 1510 (Ex-NCSU same unit #) 2015 ElDorado E-Z Rider BRT 30': 4125-4126 (Ex-Princeton same unit #) 2013 Freightliner M2 106 35': 3367, 3370, 3372, 7366 (Ex-Auburn same unit #) 2014 Freightliner M2 106 35': 3255, 3260, 3265, 3278, 3282, 4907, 4909-4910 (Ex-Auburn same unit #) 2019 Ford E-450: 5584, 5586, 5594, 8385-8386, 8388, 8391, 8401, 8415 (Camden and Newark campuses) 2023 ENC Axess BRT 40': 4032-4033 -RETIRED/OUT OF SERVICE- 2011 ElDorado Axess BRT 40': 4206 2007 ElDorado XHF 32': 4274-4281 (Ex-NCSU same unit #) 2007 ElDorado XHF 40': 701, 706, 708R, 709, 712 (Ex-Texas State University same unit #) 2004 New Flyer D60LF: 6167-6176 (Ex-OC Transpo 6341-6350) 2007 New Flyer D40LF: 1493, 1495, 1500, 1504 (Ex-NCSU same unit #) 2010 ElDorado Axess 40': 1007 (Ex-LSU same unit #) PRINCETON FLEET (BLUE indicates new additions) Operator: WeDriveU (formerly First Transit) -ACTIVE- 1995 New Flyer D40LF: 37001-37004 (Ex-Boeing Renton Employee Shuttle (WA), Exx-OCTA) 1997-1998 New Flyer D40LF: 37005-37014 (Ex-Boeing Renton Employee Shuttle (WA), Exx-OCTA) 2019 Ford E-450: 22004, 22006, 22008, 22013, 22015-22016 (Ex-Boeing Renton Employee Shuttle) 2022 NFI XE35: 26002-26005, 26007-26009 -FIRST TRANSIT FLEET- 2010 ElDorado E-Z Rider 30': 104-113 2015 ElDorado E-Z Rider BRT 30': 4125-4126 2007 ElDorado XHF 32': 4274, 4279 (Transferred from Rutgers) 2015 Ford E-450: 7641-7644 COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND FLEET Operator: First Transit -ACTIVE- 2019 ElDorado Axess BRT 40': 4002-4004 2014 ElDorado Axess BRT 40': 4049 -RETIRED/CONTINGENCY- 2014 ElDorado Axess BRT 40': 4050-4053 (Transferred to Rutgers, 4051-4052 remain shareable)

In late 2021, a multi-year order of ENC Axess BRT buses were placed to replace some of the current Rutgers-New Brunswick bus fleet. Deliveries began this week after a series of delays, with buses 4032 and 4033 delivered. There will be 10 buses total in Year 1 of the order, with two buses delivered each month. The order breakdown is as follows: Year 1 (2022 - delayed to 2023): 10 buses Year 2 (2023): 5 buses (expected to deliver by the end of this year) Year 3 (2024): 5 buses Year 4 (2025): 5 buses These are the first new original buses in the Rutgers-NB fleet in 12 years. Rutgers has not ordered any new buses since 2011, when the First Transit contract first began. There are some newer buses in the fleet, but those were not original to the Rutgers fleet. The paint scheme has been changed up a little bit, which is inspired by the 200-series ex-LSU and UAB 2010 ElDorado Axess. This thread will be dedicated to updates on this multi-year order as it progresses. Photos: https://imgur.com/UrUZAM8 https://imgur.com/3uzcg0B

26003, 26005, and 26009 are now active! These buses and 26002 are now parked at the new bus yard in Lot 20. 26003 and 26005 feature the default livery without wrap, while 26009 has a Princeton Chapel wrap on the sides. 26004, 26007, and 26008 have also been delivered and inspected, but I did not see those. All 17 buses are built by now. Photos: https://imgur.com/eoRTCiL https://imgur.com/3Iw1MOa https://imgur.com/pN87IS4

26003, 26005, and 26009 have been delivered and were inspected this week. 26009 features a Princeton Chapel livery. It is likely that all buses up to 26014 have been built. The remaining 4 feature the standard Tiger Transit livery. 26002 is back in regular service with the start of the new semester. However, it must return to Stout's in Ewing for charging as the charging infrastructure is still unfortunately far from complete. It will be in Lot 20 (there's an area currently fenced off for constructing the charging infrastructure) and I only saw 2 charging units there today.

As of right now it looks like 26002 has only operated for one day (11/22/2022) and hasn't been used since then. The charging infrastructure at Princeton is not yet complete so it has to go to Stout's in Ewing to get charged. I last visited Princeton and Stout's facility in mid-December, I'm not sure if any other units were delivered. So far their 1995 and 1997-1998 ex-OCTA D40LFs are still going strong.

Lol, why not just send 6043 back to coach and keep 6193 where it is...

It looks like the 45ft ElDorado is most likely cancelled for Rutgers. No official word on it yet, but the manager here isn't too confident on it. It was originally scheduled to be delivered and tested in summer 2023. This does not affect the 25 upcoming 40ft ENC Axess BRTs on order for 2023-2025 though. Honestly a 45ft bus is not the most practical for Rutgers, as there are a number of tight turns that even 40ft buses sometimes struggle to make. I also heard from another person that it's unlikely LACMTA will be going for 45ft buses to replace their NABI 45Cs and instead opting to only go for 40fts and 60fts. Given that LACMTA was theoretically the best recipient for such a bus, I'm not even sure if the 45ft ENC will be produced. Even if it is, I doubt many transit agencies would buy it as very few agencies (with LACMTA being a notable exception) uses 45ft transit buses.