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Post by CN2972South on Sept 27, 2005 22:01:42 GMT -8
Apparently the Victoria Regional Transit Sytem will be taking delivery of 9 Nova Bus low-floor buses. The NovaBus LowFloors feature bumper-bumper low floor and are totally different from any low-floor bus that BC Transit uses. West Vancouver Transit owns one of these buses and use it on their routes including route 250 Horseshoe Bay. The Nova Buses are supposed to arrive in Victoria in the next couple weeks. BC Transit in Victoria has also taken delivery of three New Flyer/GM Hybrid Buses, three of these hybrids have also gone to Kelowna. Photo by Michael Chu available at barp.ca |
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Post by Dane on Sept 28, 2005 21:27:03 GMT -8
These are the standard buses now for a lot of orders out of eastern Canada. TL wasn't too fond of it, that's why it's in West Van LOL.
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Post by Balfour on Sept 29, 2005 7:40:05 GMT -8
Translink isn't too fond of North Van. We haven't gotten any new busses since 1992, and we're desperately in need of them too. I know TL is getting new deisels in a few years, and they'd better put some of them at the North Van Depot. More people in NV are using Transit, and the NV depot doesn't have enough busses.
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Post by Dane on Sept 29, 2005 15:26:52 GMT -8
Translink isn't too fond of North Van. We haven't gotten any new busses since 1992, and we're desperately in need of them too. I know TL is getting new deisels in a few years, and they'd better put some of them at the North Van Depot. More people in NV are using Transit, and the NV depot doesn't have enough busses. None of the new busses can operate on a lot of the North Shore routes b/c of ruling gades that are on so many of our roads. The next purchase of buses has actually been suspended, as they are looking at altenrative fuel sources. Currently the Bunraby Transit Centre is providing the North Shore with several buses for use on the 210, 290, and 292 during peak periods. They may also be one of two on the 211/214 but I believe it's fully NVTC served again (b/c Community Shuttles freed up some Coaches). The North Shore has one of the highest customer satisafctions of any region in the Lower Mainland for transit and I'd be suprised to see any major chnages in the next few years, baring frequncy readjustments if a third SeaBus comes on line. |
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Sept 30, 2005 1:25:52 GMT -8
I am surprised that BC Transit is taking delivery of the Nova Bus LFS, considering most orders always seem to go to New Flyer... If the deal goes through, it will be nice to have a few LFS's cruising the streets in Victoria. That would mean that Victoria Regional Transit System will have one of the most diversified fleets in the province with 5 different manufacturers (New Flyer, Dennis (Trans Bus), Orion, MCI and Nova Bus)...
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Post by Scott on Sept 30, 2005 22:16:13 GMT -8
One of my favorite bus rides is on top of the double decker bus from Swartz Bay to Victoria. The front seat is a bonus if you can get it. It takes about an hour, but you see things from a totally different perspective and get a great view! Does anyone know if they run in the low season, or just in the summer months?
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Post by Dane on Sept 30, 2005 23:27:33 GMT -8
One of my favorite bus rides is on top of the double decker bus from Swartz Bay to Victoria. The front seat is a bonus if you can get it. It takes about an hour, but you see things from a totally different perspective and get a great view! Does anyone know if they run in the low season, or just in the summer months? All year, they're Victoria's answers to Articulated buses, soemthing their road systems couldn't handle. Smart move, Translink wasn't involved  |
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Post by Quinsam on Oct 10, 2005 12:55:07 GMT -8
I wonder if Articulated Buses are in Sidney, I heard that 1 or 2 come into Sidney every day.
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Oct 10, 2005 20:05:29 GMT -8
Harry, Victoria does not have any articulated buses in service. The buses that are used that carry almost as much, if not more are the Dennis Trident's (Double Decker). As Dane stated, Victoria's roadways are not the proper place for a 60 foot articulated bus...
Any word on the Nova's..? Are they still planned for service in Victoria soon..?
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Post by CNcndrtyler on Oct 11, 2005 18:45:44 GMT -8
Harry, the articulated 60 foot buses are too long to be used downtown Victoria. Victoria Regional transit does not own any. As an alternative they bought Dennis and Trans-Bus double deck buses which carry almost the same load as the articulated buses. They also have smaller Dennis Darts that are used on the Oak Bay routes, they have had problems with the Darts and I think they'll only pick up more double deckers from them in the future.
Scott, I haven't seen the Novas yet, I was hoping to see them before I move to Kamloops to start my new job as a railway conductor. BTW, I finally got to ride on one of the new Diesel-Electric Hybrid buses that are running around on the urban routes.
Tyler W.
CN Conductor trainee
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Post by CNcndrtyler on Oct 11, 2005 18:51:16 GMT -8
Sorry Scott almost forgot, the Orions are gone(600-610), most have been sent to Nanaimo, with the 610 going to the Cowichan Valley. There are still a few GMC Fishbowls running during peak times, in fact there was a GMC Fishbowl on Rte. 70 the other day. The older MCI's(1988-89) are apparently supposed to be transferred elsewhere in BC when the Novas get here and the last GMC buses will be retired.
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Post by Quinsam on Oct 11, 2005 20:33:59 GMT -8
I wonder why there are no Double Deckers or Articulated Buses used on Route 41 in Vancouver, (UBC-Joyce Station) That route is terribly Crowded, (although 43 is also another route that runs alongside 41, but only on Weekdays!) and 43 is an articulated route, but still very crowded, the worst is Granville(98 B-Line) and that is very popular, the 10 Granville is rarely full, and that runs alongside the 98 B-Line, I am going to be glad when this new skytrain route opens up, Cambie is the first to be done(starting this month!) and then I heard one is going up oak and another one up Granville, and another line to UBC!
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Post by Alex on Oct 11, 2005 21:17:58 GMT -8
I wonder why there are no Double Deckers or Articulated Buses used on Route 41 in Vancouver, (UBC-Joyce Station) That route is terribly Crowded, (although 43 is also another route that runs alongside 41, but only on Weekdays!) and 43 is an articulated route, but still very crowded, the worst is Granville(98 B-Line) and that is very popular, the 10 Granville is rarely full, and that runs alongside the 98 B-Line, I am going to be glad when this new skytrain route opens up, Cambie is the first to be done(starting this month!) and then I heard one is going up oak and another one up Granville, and another line to UBC! There's talk of creating a new B-Line down 41st. Granville (98 B-Line) can be bad, but the 99 is by far the worst. It's packed all day every day. As for the new automated light rail (the new line isn't skytrain, since it's not being built by bombardier, but a consortium headed by SNC Lavalin, I believe). The plan is for the RAV line to run up Cambie, to be completed by 2009. Your info about granville and oak is mistaken. AS for the Millenium Line extension to UBC, that has not even reached the planning stage. It's expected that the planning stage will not start until at least 2013. |
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Post by Balfour on Oct 12, 2005 15:49:27 GMT -8
Sorry Scott almost forgot, the Orions are gone(600-610), most have been sent to Nanaimo, with the 610 going to the Cowichan Valley. There are still a few GMC Fishbowls running during peak times, in fact there was a GMC Fishbowl on Rte. 70 the other day. The older MCI's(1988-89) are apparently supposed to be transferred elsewhere in BC when the Novas get here and the last GMC buses will be retired. The Fishbowls are completely gone from the Lower Mainland. The last 2 to be retired were from the NV depot too and that musthave been around 2001-2002. The main busses in NV are the 1991-92 NewFlyer's, which are getting run down, while the MCI from the late 80's are used as extra's during peak hours. North Van needs Low-floors once the new depot opens in 2007. |
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Post by CN2972South on Oct 13, 2005 16:54:38 GMT -8
I doubt any lowfloors will be assigned to the North Shore anytime soon. The High Floor New Flyers and some of the MCI Classics(not sure about the GMC Classics) are wheelchair accessible. In fact I wouldn't be suprised if the High Floor New Flyers from Vancouver and Burnaby will end up on the North Shore when the new lowfloors are ordered.
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Post by Balfour on Oct 13, 2005 17:22:35 GMT -8
We also have GMC classics here. We had an ex-CNG 1995 NewFlyer high-floor this past summer but it went to Oakridge I think.
They should at least run the Low-floors on the Grouse Mountain routes (232 and 236). They're easier to get on for those who go skiing on Grouse and are wearing ski boots. It's bad enough trying to get on the high-floors wearing ski-boots, and jugling poles, skis, and the fare while climbing small stairs onto the bus.
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Post by Dane on Oct 14, 2005 1:00:01 GMT -8
The last fishbowls ran out of Surrey (Generally running in New West) and were sent to storage in 2003, where they are today; technically still part of the Translink fleet.
I'm interested to see in the future how low-floors are distributed on the North Vancouver routes. They were used between 2003 into early 2005 before Community Shuttle freed up some NVTC coaches. They were are runs that Burnaby carried for NVTC; 210, 211, 212, and 290 during am/pm peak. I think it was a total of three of four coaches. Translink claims that they struggle with the grades in North Van, but their use on the 210/211/290 would, in my mind void that claim. Between the run up the Valley and the hill into Deep Cove there are some very substantial grades that I believe are at par with Lonsdale.
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Post by Balfour on Oct 14, 2005 8:20:00 GMT -8
Route 232 high floors seems to struggle just as much as a Low Floor on the Keith Road hill, when heading westbound. Usually when I get on a low-floor to Cap College at Phibbs, it's usually very full, so the load would make any bus struggle on the Lillooet Rd., and Purcell Way hills.
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Post by Ian on Oct 14, 2005 11:13:59 GMT -8
Has anyone seen that new trolley bus around vancouver, it is super cool.
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Post by Ian on Oct 14, 2005 11:24:09 GMT -8
Does anyone know what that box on the top of the new low floor new flyer buses is for.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Oct 14, 2005 12:14:47 GMT -8
Does anyone know what that box on the top of the new low floor new flyer buses is for. Might be a battery pack for backup power. I read somewhere these new buses will have them. -- LB |
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Oct 14, 2005 13:52:43 GMT -8
Translink converted the Ballard Fuel Cell buses (except one) to Electric / Diesel Hybrid. Those ones have a larger than normal area on the top of the roof compared to the factory made hybrids. As for the low floor New Flyer trollies, they have a larger area on top for batteries as well.
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Post by Dane on Oct 14, 2005 18:41:58 GMT -8
If you're talking about the 2101 it's simply to keep all the power mechanisms "tidy" to the eye. Simply aesthetgic.
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Post by CN2972South on Oct 17, 2005 21:19:13 GMT -8
Does anyone know what that box on the top of the new low floor new flyer buses is for. On the regular Diesel New Flyer Low Floors it's a Heater and/or Air Conditioner, that is located under the floor on a high floor bus. The larger "hump" on the natural Gas buses houses the CNG tanks, the Diesel-Electric Hybrid buses have batteries stored in that hump, the Fuel Cell version has Hydrogen tanks stored in the hump |
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Post by CN2972South on Feb 9, 2006 23:43:53 GMT -8
Looks like the Nova buses are going to Kamloops and Prince George. Apparently Victoria is getting 8 GM Classics from Translink.
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