METRO Brings Back Bigger Buses

[Slick Vik]

After a brief hiatus, the big bus is making a comeback on Houston streets later this month.

 

Metropolitan Transit Authority will soon roll out the first seven of 70 articulated buses, said Andy Skabowski, Metro's vice president of operations. The 62-foot buses can carry 59 passengers, 22 more than the conventional 40-foot model.

 

"It is a good, new bus that is reliable and going to move more people," Skabowski said.

 

Drivers started training Monday on the buses, said Tom Andree, manager of Metro's maintenance and operations facility off Hiram Clarke Drive.

 

Each of the new buses costs $677,000, according to the contract board members approved in August 2012. The 70 larger buses are expected to replace roughly 100 conventional buses.

 

On lines like Route 163 on Fondren in southwest Houston and Route 2 along Bellaire, Metro can handle growing demand without using more buses. During weekday commutes especially, the buses can be very crowded, Metro spokeswoman Margaret O'Brien-Molina said.

 

Riders waiting Monday morning agreed, noting that sometimes buses are so crowded they must wait for another.

 

"I can't be standing there with an armload of groceries," Minh Nguyen said as she waited for the next bus near Bellaire and Hillcroft.

 

The Fondren and Bellaire lines are Metro's most used, according to the most recent ridership report. Nearly 8,000 people hop aboard Route 163 buses each workday, based on figures for the October-to-June 2013 period. Along Route 2, daily weekday ridership averaged 7,766 during the nine-month span.

 

Both are also among the top five routes on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

The articulated buses can travel most of the same places the conventional buses can, Ska-bowski said.

 

"They actually have a better turning radius than a 40-footer, but you've got to know how to handle it," he said.

 

The new buses can't, however, handle every challenge Houston has to offer. Along Westheimer in the Midtown and Montrose areas, for example, it would be too tough to navigate a 60-foot bus.

 

"It's not going to work everywhere," Skabowski said.

 

Metro last used articulated buses in 2011, after it decommissioned the last of its bigger buses and focused on a fleet of 40-foot buses for the sake of efficiency. In the past year, however, the agency has shifted back to running various sizes of buses.

 

Forty smaller 15-passenger buses debuted on 13 routes in March, after Metro officials decided the routes didn't warrant a conventional bus but still needed service. The smaller, gasoline-powered buses reduce fuel costs because they are more efficient than the larger diesel fleet.

 

Over the next three fiscal years, officials plan to buy 360 buses to replace aging coaches as part of a larger plan to phase buses out as they reach the end of their 12 years of use. Metro will also transition gradually to a compressed natural gas fleet. Plans call for the first 40 conventional-size natural gas buses to arrive next year.

 

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Metro-rolls-out-bigger-buses-to-handle-its-4803563.php?cmpid=btfpm

Edited September 11, 2013 by Slick Vik

[SmellyHoustonian]

Bigger buses, or new buses, or transit for the future or whatever doesn't mean anything until METRO can get its inner city bus transit up to an acceptable level.

I commute from near the Heights Wal-Mart to UH everyday, and use the bus. However, it's plagued with time issues (the bus is late, early, or doesn't come at all). Today, I attempted to ride the 34 bus and pick it up at Waugh and Koehler at 1:20 (it's supposed to arrive at 1:30). However, it never came and the T.R.I.P. app said the next 34 wasn't going to come until 2:20.

It's not feasible to live without a car in Houston because METRO is so inconsistent.

Until they fix their bus service, fancy buses are just lipstick on a pig.

[kylejack]

Bigger buses, or new buses, or transit for the future or whatever doesn't mean anything until METRO can get its inner city bus transit up to an acceptable level.

I commute from near the Heights Wal-Mart to UH everyday, and use the bus. However, it's plagued with time issues (the bus is late, early, or doesn't come at all). Today, I attempted to ride the 34 bus and pick it up at Waugh and Koehler at 1:20 (it's supposed to arrive at 1:30). However, it never came and the T.R.I.P. app said the next 34 wasn't going to come until 2:20.

It's not feasible to live without a car in Houston because METRO is so inconsistent.

Until they fix their bus service, fancy buses are just lipstick on a pig.

 

You can submit a complaint for a route here: http://www.ridemetro.org/Customer/PublicCommentSystem/Webform.aspx

 

I've seen some success with this. Sometimes they just need to crack the whip on some driver who is breaking the rules.

[JamesL]

It's true. If you provide a route, time, and bus number, they WILL look into it and follow up with the bus driver. Same goes for compliments, so don't forget to submit a comment when you come across great customer service.

[samagon]

Rather than start a new topic for the new bendy buses...

 

I saw one the other night, then again last night.

 

The headlights on these things are exceedingly distracting. At first I figured it was just poorly adjusted headlights on one bus, then on 59 last night, I was in the right most lane going under Hazard, he was in the right most lane coming the opposite way. Still just as annoying. Hope I don't cross their paths too often, way bright and misaligned headlights are annoying.

[Purpledevil]

Keep in mind that Metro buses are scheduled by Metro to run late. They'd rather be 5-10 minutes behind, as to give the stragglers extra time. Now, if you're seeing one running 10 minutes early, you need to call Metro as soon as you see the bus pass you by. Metro's "eyeball" makes it real easy for the dispatcher to know where that bus is at what time, and an immediate call to Metro alerts Control to put an "eyeball on the eyeball", so to speak.

The result, in a case like this, would result in a 3 day suspension for the scheduled driver of the bus. That's a tough call for me, because I'd hate to take money out of anyone's pocket. However a bus running that early, or an abusive or unsafe bus driver, would certainly warrant the call.

34 Montrose is a hooooooooorible bus, btw. May I suggest the 26/27 crosstown to get you down to the Westheimer area? It'll take you to the 78, 25, 81/82 and 3 with no problems and little wait time.

[Purpledevil]

I'm sorry Smelly, I didn't pay attention. You're commuting from The Heights to UH, not St. Thomas. Don't know why I had that in my head...

[august948]

On lines like Route 163 on Fondren in southwest Houston and Route 2 along Bellaire, Metro can handle growing demand without using more buses. During weekday commutes especially, the buses can be very crowded, Metro spokeswoman Margaret O'Brien-Molina said.

 

Riders waiting Monday morning agreed, noting that sometimes buses are so crowded they must wait for another.

 

"I can't be standing there with an armload of groceries," Minh Nguyen said as she waited for the next bus near Bellaire and Hillcroft.

 

The Fondren and Bellaire lines are Metro's most used, according to the most recent ridership report. Nearly 8,000 people hop aboard Route 163 buses each workday, based on figures for the October-to-June 2013 period. Along Route 2, daily weekday ridership averaged 7,766 during the nine-month span.

 

Both are also among the top five routes on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Does anyone know if Metro ever considered running the University Line down Holcolmb and Bellaire?