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Bee-Line to buy 33 new articulated buses


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http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2016/08/01/westchester-new-bee-line-buses/87924304/

 

Westchester legislators OK new Bee-Line buses

Matt Coyne, mcoyne@lohud.com                 5:17 p.m. EDT August 1, 2016

 

The $9.98 million bond act pays for approximately 33 new, articulated hybrid buses to serve Central Avenue routes

 

635997798260419984-TJNBrd-03-17-2016-Wkl

(Photo: JOURNAL NEWS FILE PHOTO) 

 

It took two recesses and some squabbling over punctuation, but the Bee-Line's Central Avenue routes are going to be getting new buses. Two measures at the Westchester County Board of Legislators related to a $9.98 million bond act that would see the county spring for approximately 33 new, articulated hybrid buses to serve the system's busiest routes passed unanimously Monday. But they did so only after legislators worked out exactly how to structure a sentence in the bond act that would mandate the new buses to have driver safety shields.

 

Legislator and infrastructure committee Chairwoman Mary Jane Shimsky, a Hastings-on-Hudson Democrat, initially moved to add language to the bond act that would read "including driver safety shields and external bicycle racks, where practicable." But Catherine Parker, D-Rye City, and Ken Jenkins, D-Yonkers, questioned the "where practicable" part, with Parker suggesting the driver safety shields — clear barriers separating drivers from would-be assailants — be mandatory and that the amended language be rewritten to reflect that. After going into two brief recesses, and a discussion on where the "where practicable" clause should be placed, legislators eventually settled on "shall include driver safety shields; and where practicable given existing safety concerns, bicycle racks."

 

The spending includes $2.4 million in federal funding for the new buses, which will replace the 14-year-old diesel buses that currently carry more than two-thirds of all Bee-Line riders. The federal government will also foot the bill for battery replacement. Last year, the county approved an $8.2 million bond to replace between 35 and 40 articulated buses, those with the accordion-like connectors, on non-Central Avenue bus lines.

 

This county had explored the idea of fully electric buses, but driving range was a concern.

“Hybrids certainly are (doable). The technology is good. We’re going to move forward with those," Shimsky said at Monday's meeting. “This is part of a regularized replacement to make sure that our transit system on one of our busiest routes is functioning properly.”

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Connecticut Transit has 26, the first which came in 2011. Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) of Gatineau, Quebec has a 2016 LFS Artic HEV and it's set to receive 7. And Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) just started operating 4 of a 27 bus order. LYNX has 6 that were built in 2014. So Nova isn't out of the equation.

Edited by GojiMet86
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Assuming this is the only order Bee-Line has in mind at this moment, there should be an option, because 33 is not enough to finish the AN460 off.

 

I erred. They had already approved a bond last year to replace 35-40 buses. They have a goal of almost 80 buses.

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2016/07/12/bee-line-bus-replacement/86997080/

 

 

WHITE PLAINS - The county is moving forward with $10 million in bonding to purchase another round of Bee-Line buses, this time to replace the ones running on the busy Central Avenue route. The board of legislators' infrastructure committee on Tuesday morning unanimously approved a $9.98 million bond act to buy about 33 articulated hybrid-electric buses, which Department of Public Works and Transportation officials said would be on the road in the next year. The plan includes $2.4 million in federal funds. It now goes to the full board of legislators for a final vote.

 

"They're nearing the end of their useful life," Naomi Klein, county director of planning, said of the existing buses. "They're from the 2002-2003 time frame." Klein called the county's articulated buses — longer buses with the accordion-like connectors — the "workhorses" of the county's bus fleet, carrying two-thirds of all Bee-Line riders. Last year, the county approved an $8.2 million bond, plus $3.7 million in state grants, to replace between 35 and 40 diesel-powered articulated buses on non-Central Avenue routes. This round will bring them near the goal of 78 new buses total.

 

Last time around, the discussion was on whether or not to include bike racks on the new buses. This time, committee chairwoman Mary Jane Shimsky, a Hastings-on-Hudson Democrat, wanted to know if the Department of Public Works and Transportation had considered electric buses. Department First Deputy Bud Nicoletti said going electric would be too expensive and, due to electric vehicles' limited range, might force Bee-Line operator Liberty Lines to reconfigure bus routes.

 

The new buses will have a useful life of 12 years, with some of the federal grant money going toward replacing the buses' batteries halfway through that time frame. "I'm glad to hear they're hybrids," Shimsky said. "We're definitely taking a step forward."

Edited by GojiMet86
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I erred. They had already approved a bond last year to replace 35-40 buses. They have a goal of almost 80 buses.

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2016/07/12/bee-line-bus-replacement/86997080/

 

 

WHITE PLAINS - The county is moving forward with $10 million in bonding to purchase another round of Bee-Line buses, this time to replace the ones running on the busy Central Avenue route. The board of legislators' infrastructure committee on Tuesday morning unanimously approved a $9.98 million bond act to buy about 33 articulated hybrid-electric buses, which Department of Public Works and Transportation officials said would be on the road in the next year. The plan includes $2.4 million in federal funds. It now goes to the full board of legislators for a final vote.

 

"They're nearing the end of their useful life," Naomi Klein, county director of planning, said of the existing buses. "They're from the 2002-2003 time frame." Klein called the county's articulated buses — longer buses with the accordion-like connectors — the "workhorses" of the county's bus fleet, carrying two-thirds of all Bee-Line riders. Last year, the county approved an $8.2 million bond, plus $3.7 million in state grants, to replace between 35 and 40 diesel-powered articulated buses on non-Central Avenue routes. This round will bring them near the goal of 78 new buses total.

 

Last time around, the discussion was on whether or not to include bike racks on the new buses. This time, committee chairwoman Mary Jane Shimsky, a Hastings-on-Hudson Democrat, wanted to know if the Department of Public Works and Transportation had considered electric buses. Department First Deputy Bud Nicoletti said going electric would be too expensive and, due to electric vehicles' limited range, might force Bee-Line operator Liberty Lines to reconfigure bus routes.

 

The new buses will have a useful life of 12 years, with some of the federal grant money going toward replacing the buses' batteries halfway through that time frame. "I'm glad to hear they're hybrids," Shimsky said. "We're definitely taking a step forward."

So XDE60's are out of the equation then. Damn, I would have liked to see some Xcelsior artics in Westchester.

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Connecticut Transit has 26, the first which came in 2011. Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) of Gatineau, Quebec has a 2016 LFS Artic HEV and it's set to receive 7. And Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) just started operating 4 of a 27 bus order. LYNX has 6 that were built in 2014. So Nova isn't out of the equation.

SEPTA has 184 of them.

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So XDE60's are out of the equation then. Damn, I would have liked to see some Xcelsior artics in Westchester.

 

No, they are not.

 

What makes XDE60s different from other hevs?

 

 

It's diesel-electric and Westchester is looking for hybrids specifically.

Diesel-Electric buses(or vehicles in general) are hybrids. The wording is skewed. They did the same thing with the NABI order.

 

They've had two XDE60s on the property already. One Brampton Transit unit with an Allison Hybrid Drive, and a King County Metro unit with the newer, more powerful BAE HybriDrive System.

 

It's a safe bet that they're gonna get XDE60s.

Edited by Cait Sith
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No, they are not.

 

Diesel-Electric buses(or vehicles in general) are hybrids. The wording is skewed. They did the same thing with the NABI order.

 

They've had two XDE60s on the property already. One Brampton Transit unit with an Allison Hybrid Drive, and a King County Metro unit with the new BAE HDS 3000.

 

It's a safe bet that they're gonna get XDE60s.

Oh good I thought that XDE60s were just configured a bit differently than other HEvs the way BM5 put it. But I see its basically the same as other HEVs.
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Oh good I thought that XDE60s were just configured a bit differently than other HEvs the way BM5 put it. But I see its basically the same as other HEVs.

 

Considering that Bee-Line has NABI 40-LFW Hybrids with the Allison H40 EP Hybrid System installed, the XDE60s(if they choose Allison) would come with the Allison H50. An upgraded, more powerful version meant for articulated buses and commuter coaches. The configurations would be different in a sense that they are different models, so the configuration would be different in a sense. But, parts for both models are compatible with one another if I recall, so maintenance would be in their favor.

 

If they choose the BAE option, they'd be getting a little more power than the Allisons for their buses to climb up steep hills, but that would also mean a whole other parts inventory to maintain the BAE system. And seeing how cash-strapped Westchester County tends to be, I see them going to Allison.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...

While I'm really happy to see Westchester finally getting a new rolling stock for the first time in what feels like an eternity, one thing does come to mind. When the XDE60s start getting put into service, will the AN460A's gradually be retired outright? Or will they simply be put to the side, and only really used as backup in case of breakdowns?

Ideally, what I feel they "should" do is assign the XDE60s to routes/trips/runs where the aging & deterioration of the older AN460As has been resulting in delays that can now be lessened with the introduction of these newer artics. Then, with the AN460As now freed up, perhaps the better performing AN460As can be re-assigned to routes that tend to use them, but on trips on said routes that currently don't use them (i.e.; certain trips on the 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, etc; that are regularly SRO because they only ever used O5/O7/NABI buses for those trips in particular).

Then again, I can only imagine the interlining on certain routes/runs/trips could be why routes have trips that have artics when the ridership for those trips can handle shorter buses, meanwhile trips on those same routes that actually need those artics don't ever get artics assigned to them.

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On 7/23/2018 at 9:55 AM, RailBus63 said:

Wonder which hybrid drive system these buses have? 

Either the Allison or the updated BAE Hybridrive system is what I believe they will be equipped with.

11 hours ago, Axis said:

When the XDE60s start getting put into service, will the AN460A's gradually be retired outright? Or will they simply be put to the side, and only really used as backup in case of breakdowns?

I doubt that Westchester Bee Line would outright replace the Neoplan AN460A articulated coaches over time. What I think is going to happen is the latter: that they would be placed to the side and used as backup just in case the new XDE60 articulated coaches start to have hiccups.

11 hours ago, Axis said:

Ideally, what I feel they "should" do is assign the XDE60s to routes/trips/runs where the aging & deterioration of the older AN460As has been resulting in delays that can now be lessened with the introduction of these newer artics. Then, with the AN460As now freed up, perhaps the better performing AN460As can be re-assigned to routes that tend to use them, but on trips on said routes that currently don't use them (i.e.; certain trips on the 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, etc; that are regularly SRO because they only ever used O5/O7/NABI buses for those trips in particular).

That is what they should do to the Neoplan fleet when the XDE60's first begin to come and join the Westchester Bee Line fleet: Have select trips along the Westchester 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and other routes run the older Neoplan fleet.

Edited by 4 via Mosholu
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