New, gray Metro Buses

[JLWM8609]

I saw a Metro bus going down the SW Fwy today, one of the new hybrids. Thing is, this bus was painted gray, not red white and blue like the others. It had slightly different font on it, the bus number was slightly italicized. Is this a special bus they're using for some special line?

Edited June 18, 2007 by JLWM8609

[Captain Impossible]

special bus

Maybe it's the short bus.

[TJones]

Perhaps they are treating it like the space shuttle's fuel tank. They are leaving it in Primer with a clear coat on it, instead of painting it white over the primer, then a clear coat ? A little less weight for the bus to carry, effectively getting a couple of extra miles out of a tank of gas. OR, it hasn't been to paint yet, because they are still in the "test phase" portion.

[musicman]

OR, it hasn't been to paint yet, because they are still in the "test phase" portion.

I don't think a public transportation company would be using vehicles that haven't been tested.

[TJones]

I don't think a public transportation company would be using vehicles that haven't been tested.

Quite possible, if there are no people on it. I do agree that they wouldn't be haulin people around as Guinea Pigs in this town, as many times as Metro has been sued.

Edited June 18, 2007 by TJones

[MidtownCoog]

I saw a "GE Hybrid test bus" downtown a few weeks ago. It was blue.

No people on it.

[The Great Hizzy!]

METRO will be introducing a Signature Service line in the coming weeks, similar to the METRO Rapid service in Los Angeles. The buses will be silver (or gray if you want).

The buses will travel down Bellaire but in limited stops. Think of it as a new type of express service.

[editor]

METRO will be introducing a Signature Service line in the coming weeks

Cool! Will the stewardesses pass out those hot wet towels after the meal service?

[Mr. Chenevert]

There was an artical in the chronical about metro bringing several buses in for trials, including a london style double decker.

This was probably one of the test mules

[Talbot]

A double decker would be sweet.

[editor]

I've never understood why double-deckers aren't so popular anymore. Even London has stopped putting new ones on the road.

I think they're a great way to significantly increase capacity without taking up more space. Instead of double-deckers, London is going with more articulated (bendy) buses.

The only cities left that still love their double-deckers are in southeast Asia. And maybe Jamaica. Or maybe that was just in a movie.

[Subdude]

Wouldn't double-decker busses require some sort of elevator to allow handicapped access to the top deck? It seems that would be expensive. I hate the articulated busses, but I can see where they might make more economic sense.

[musicman]

Wouldn't double-decker busses require some sort of elevator to allow handicapped access to the top deck? It seems that would be expensive. I hate the articulated busses, but I can see where they might make more economic sense.

the ones i've seen have spaces on the lower level for the access challenged.

[ssullivan]

I think double decker buses would be a problem in many US cities, because of things like traffic signals hung above the streets being too low. They're probably also more expensive to obtain than articulated buses as well.

[Justin]

I remember reading on Sit & Spin... er... the METRO blog... that the double-deckers they were looking at weren't much taller than your average 18-wheeler trailer at 14 feet. I wouldn't think wires would be a problem at that height.

http://blogs.ridemetro.org/blogs/write_on/...in-Houston.aspx

[editor]

I think double decker buses would be a problem in many US cities, because of things like traffic signals hung above the streets being too low. They're probably also more expensive to obtain than articulated buses as well.

I can see how clearance can be a problem in cities that haven't prepared for these buses, but I'm not sure how they'd be more expensive to maintain than articulated buses. The articulated buses have more wheels/tires/motors, plus that big joint in the middle. Seems like a lot more moving parts and a lot more to go wrong than a double-decker.

I think one reason doube-deckers haven't caught on in the U.S. is simply because people won't treat them well. Can you imagine going up there and there's a bunch of thugs not happy to have their private party crashed? I know a lot of city buses have video cameras on them these days, but I think in a society like ours, people would worry about what's might go on or happen to them up there.

[CDeb]

I remember reading on Sit & Spin... er... the METRO blog... that the double-deckers they were looking at weren't much taller than your average 18-wheeler trailer at 14 feet. I wouldn't think wires would be a problem at that height.

http://blogs.ridemetro.org/blogs/write_on/...in-Houston.aspx

The bottoms of the signal housings are allowed to be a minimum of 15 feet above the pavement, which is cutting it close. And that doesn't necessarily mean that all signal heads in the city are meeting this requirement.

[editor]

The bottoms of the signal housings are allowed to be a minimum of 15 feet above the pavement, which is cutting it close. And that doesn't necessarily mean that all signal heads in the city are meeting this requirement.

If you only needed to raise the signals along certain high-traffic routes where the buses run it might not cost that much.

Except in the Galleria area. There if it doesn't fit, you're pretty much screwed.

[mojeaux131]

I've never understood why double-deckers aren't so popular anymore. Even London has stopped putting new ones on the road.

I think they're a great way to significantly increase capacity without taking up more space. Instead of double-deckers, London is going with more articulated (bendy) buses.

The only cities left that still love their double-deckers are in southeast Asia. And maybe Jamaica. Or maybe that was just in a movie.

I've seen a double-decker bus and a double-decker subway train. They were both in Kyoto, and they were both scrumptrilescent.

[ssullivan]

I can see how clearance can be a problem in cities that haven't prepared for these buses, but I'm not sure how they'd be more expensive to maintain than articulated buses. The articulated buses have more wheels/tires/motors, plus that big joint in the middle. Seems like a lot more moving parts and a lot more to go wrong than a double-decker.

Not more expensive to maintain, but more expensive to initially purchase the buses. I can't say for sure, but my guess would be that the purchase price of a double decker is probably more than an articulated bus of similar passenger capacity, simply because they are produced in much more limited numbers.

I'd still love to see them here. There are some routes, like the 2 Bellaire, 82 Westheimer, 53 Westheimer Limited, and 25 Richmond that could definitely use a larger bus much of the day. Metro would just have to have very specific routings for these buses (not only the revenue routes but routes to/from the garages) due to their vertical clearance requirements.

[ssullivan]

I've seen a double-decker bus and a double-decker subway train. They were both in Kyoto, and they were both scrumptrilescent.

Several US and Canadian transit systems use two-level commuter rail cars. I've seen them in San Francisco (Caltrain), Boston (MBTA commuter lines), and Toronto.

[RedScare]

Depending on the manufacturer and design options, articulated busses can cost from $500,000 to $750,000, about the same as double deckers. Maintance can be a bigger cost over the life of the bus than intial cost. And, given that large trucks use many of the same streets as METRO, most major thoroughfares would need little or no modification to accomodate the double deckers. Seating capacity on each is between 70 and 80 passengers.

BTW, there are also double decker light rail cars, a possible solution to overcrowding on the Red Line, when that becomes an issue.

Edited June 26, 2007 by RedScare

[CDeb]

BTW, there are also double decker light rail cars, a possible solution to overcrowding on the Red Line, when that becomes an issue.

Possible, but there would be a few clearance issues. All the caternary wires would have to be raised. And it might be too tall for the Pierce Elevated or the Fannin underpass at TMC.

[musicman]

Possible, but there would be a few clearance issues. All the caternary wires would have to be raised. And it might be too tall for the Pierce Elevated or the Fannin underpass at TMC.

concur. the south loop is even lower.

[Highway6]

There also could be intial maintenance costs to consider in that Metro may not have the local maintenance facilities needed that could handle the double deckers.

Clearence issues not only in the maintenance bays but also possibly with fuel lanes canopies, wash lanes canopies, and parking canopies. Also, Double deckers are heavier than articulated, so you'd have to install higher capacity lifts... which arent cheap.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I wouldn't be surprised to see METRO weed out more of its articulated buses. For one, the fleet they have is pretty old, from what I understand, and two, parts for these buses aren't as readily available, making repairs fairly expensive relative to their other vehicles.

I'd bet that METRO has a higher percentage of breakdowns with the articulated buses than their other vehicles. I know I see a greater number of broken down articulated buses on the HOV than I do their suburban MCI buses.

[Jax]

Several US and Canadian transit systems use two-level commuter rail cars. I've seen them in San Francisco (Caltrain), Boston (MBTA commuter lines), and Toronto.

The ones in Ontario are called GO (Government of Ontario) Trains. They're actually really nice. It would be awesome to have something like that in Houston.

I used to ride the GO trains downtown from near where my parents live (an hour away by car) and then take the regular rail to Montreal. Toronto to Montreal trip was 4 hours, compared to 6 or 7 by car on the highway. We need something like that between here and Dallas / Austin / San Antonio!

[foxmulder]

Has anyone seen a FULL metro bus? Aside from TMC, Reliant stadium after events? I rode the 50 from broadway to the airport and 73? to the gallery, several times never more than 20 people on the bus. If they are testing the Double Deckers they need to prioriteze where they go before we see them at Hobby.

[musicman]

Has anyone seen a FULL metro bus? Aside from TMC, Reliant stadium after events? I rode the 50 from broadway to the airport and 73? to the gallery, several times never more than 20 people on the bus. If they are testing the Double Deckers they need to prioriteze where they go before we see them at Hobby.

i've been on a three that were full. one was morning commuters from my nabe to downtown and another was several classes of children from southmayd elem on a field trip to Hermann Park. it surprised me that they didn't go on an HISD bus. I was thankful when that ride was over. Unfortunately, being thankful was shortlived as later in the day i had to ride back with them.

[editor]

Several US and Canadian transit systems use two-level commuter rail cars. I've seen them in San Francisco (Caltrain), Boston (MBTA commuter lines), and Toronto.

Chicago has double-decker trains, too.

I took my first trip on one a few weeks ago. The cars are made by a company in Japan. Unlike double-decker trains I've been on in Europe, the second level of these isn't completely separate from the first level. The aisle is two-levels tall, and people on the upper level hand their tickets down to the conductor to be punched.

Also, for some reason there are only seats on one side of the second level, which seems inefficient to me, especially considering how much these trains are used and how rapidly the system is expanding.

Also, you can't always tell if the train is coming or going. Instead of turning them around, they just run them backwards, which is why one side is so stripey -- it could be the front for all you know. The engine is used merely a powerplant for moving the train.

An example that Houston could copy from Metra -- instead of building its own tracks, in many cases Metra leases time on the freight lines. Some of the different routes are even known by which freight line they're on, like "Metra Union Pacific West Line" or "Metra Rock Island District Line" or "Metra Burlington Northern Santa Fe Line."