The
A look at Starved Rock Lodge, a popular location for group tours in Illinois offering history, lodging, dining and numerous activities
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Van Hool, an independent manufacturer of buses, coaches and industrial vehicles, presented the outlines of its Van Hool Recover y Plan to employee representatives at a s p e c i a l w o r k s c o u n c i l T h e c o m p a n y expressed its intention to strategically refocus its activities towards market segments where customers consciously choose the high quality of Van Hool products
T h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e Va n H o o l Recovery Plan is designed to enable a sustainable future under its own steam for the company Unfortunately, the intention to refoc u s a l s o e n t a i l s d i f fi c u l t i n t e r v e n t i o n s To suppor t this strategic change of direction, organization, working methods and number of employees will have to be brought in line The company therefore deeply regrets that, in the period 2024-2027, it would implement a n e c e s s a r y re s t r u c t u r i n g a t t h e K o n i n gs h o o i k t s i t e T h i s p l a n w o u l d re s u l t i n t h e departure of about 1,100 valued colleagues during that period
C o m m e n t i n g o n t h i s , C o - C E O M a r c Z w a a n e v e l d s a i d , “ W e u n d e r s t a n d t h e impact this plan will have on employees and their families, and it is hard for us to take this step However, given the highly pressing situation the company finds itself in, it is truly necessary to take these measures to secure a sustainable future for Van Hool With this Recover y Plan, Van Hool remains a meaningful employer in Flanders ”
T h e l a r g e s t n u m b e r o f d e p a r t u r e s , around 830, would take place this year This includes various for ms of depar ture such as redundancies, retirement schemes and natural attrition In the years 2025 and 2026, b a s e d o n p a s t e x p e r i e n c e , m o re t h a n 5 0 more natural departures would be planned, allowing the recover y plan targets for that period to be met In 2027, around another 220 employees would leave the company t h r o u g h r e d u n d a n c i e s a n d p e n s i o n schemes Over time, the Van Hool Recovery Plan envisages direct employment of about 1,400 employees and almost 3,000 if you include indirect employment, the vast majority of which is in the region
Employee representatives are invited to participate in the upcoming information and consultation rounds
T h e Va n H o o l R e c o v e r y P l a n a n d t h e associated refocusing of operations are the answer to turn around the challenging finan-
On March 11, Van Hool released its Recovery Plan Coach production will continue in Macedonia while the tanker trucks will still be built in Koningshooikt in Belgium and the knowledge center, research and development, prototype building and after-sales will also remain there Transit bus building will be discontinued with the resulting loss of about 1,000 jobs
cial conditions in which Van Hool finds itself These conditions were caused by several factors, including the impact of the coronavirus, high energy costs, high inflation and g l o b a l c o m p o n e n t s u p p l y p ro b l e m s Va n H o o l ’s m a n a g e m e n t i s d e t e r m i n e d t o address these challenges and, through the implementation of the Van Hool Recover y Plan, get the company back on track
Van Hool will engage with customers from various markets, including public transport, to discuss the implications of this potential re a l i g n m e n t I n d e e d , t h i s c h a n g e m e a n s that the company will be more selective in accepting new orders from public transport
Production of buses and coaches would m a i n l y t a k e p l a c e a t t h e p l a n t i n S k o p j e , nor ther n Macedonia In Koningshooikt, the IV (industrial vehicles) division would focus on semi-trailers requiring a higher degree of expertise and offering higher added value for the customer as well as for Van Hool The B&C (bus and coach) division would keep its knowledge center, research and development, prototype building and after-sales in Koningshooikt
Van Hool is a Belgian independent manufacturer of buses, coaches and industrial vehicles, based in Koningshooikt The com-
pany was founded in 1947 The vast majority of its production is destined for Europe and Nor th America Van Hool has around 4,100 employees worldwide, most of them at the production sites in Koningshooikt (Belgium) and in Skopje (nor ther n Macedonia )
Large New York Order for New Flyer
New Flyer of America Inc (New Flyer), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc (NFI) and North America’s leading manufacturer of heavyduty transit buses, on March 11 announced that it has been awarded two new contracts f r o m t h e N e w Yo r k C i t y Tr a n s i t A u t h o r i t y
t s o r EUs) with options to purchase up to 1,661 additional buses (2,379 EUs) over the next five years
CHARGE NG™ 40-foot buses (187 EUs), with 943 additional options available (943 EUs)
X
• A fi r m o
A R
- e l e c t r i c
7 0 - f o o t b u s e s ( 3 6 EUs), with 272 additional options available (544 EUs)
• A fi r m o rd e r f o r 2 2 4 X c e l s i o r 6 0 - f o o t clean diesel buses (448 EUs), with 446 additional options available (892 EUs)
NYCT is par t of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the largest transit authority in Nor th America with an annual ridership of more than 425 million In 2023, t h e M TA p l a c e d a n e m p h a s i s o n e n v i ro nm e n t a l g o a l s , i n c l u d i n g a c o m m i t m e n t t o re d u c e g re e n h o u s e g a s e m i s s i o n s b y 8 5 percent between their 2015 baseline and the year 2040 The battery-electric vehicles m a n u f a c t u re d u n d e r t h e s e c o n t r a c t s w i l l s u p p o r t M TA’s g o a l o f t r a n s i t i o n i n g t h e agency’s entire bus fleet to zero-emission alternatives by 2040 NYCT’s battery-electric vehicle purchase was suppor ted through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission (Low-No) grant program
“ S i n c e 1 9 9 6 , N e w F l y e r h a s d e l i v e re d more than 4,500 buses to NYCT in a partnership that brings together the largest transit agency in Nor th America and Nor th America’s leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit vehicles,” said Chris Stoddart, president, Nor th American Bus and Coach, NFI “The Xcelsior CHARGE NG integrates our latest battery-electric technology to deliver longer range and easier serviceability in addition to its environmental benefits Our continued innovation and advancement, especially in the field of batter y-electric buses, enables New Flyer to play a leading and integral role in helping NYCT as they update their fleet to ensure they maintain a high level of service w h i l e a l s o m
n g p ro g re s s t o w a rd s t h e i r future electrification goals ”
z e ro - e m i s s i o n m o b i li t y, w i t h e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s o p e r a t i n g ( o r o n o rd e r ) i n m o re t h a n 1 5 0 c i t i e s i n s i x c o u nt r i e s N F I o ff e r s t h e w i d e s t r a n g e o f z e roe m i s s i o n b a t t e r y a n d f u e l c e l l - e l e c t r i c buses and coaches, and its vehicles have c o m p l e t e d m o re t h a n 1 4 0 m i l l i o n E V s e rv i c e m i l e s
To d a y, N F I s u p p o r t s g r o w i n g N o r t h A m e r i c a n c i t i e s w i t h s c a l a b l e , c l e a n a n d s u s t a i n a b l e m o b i l i t y s o l u t i o n s t h ro u g h i t s m o b i l i t y s o l u t i o n e c o s y s t e m , w h i c h i n c l u d e s b u s e s a n d c o a c h e s , i n f r a s t r u cture; par ts and service; technology; workf o rc e d e v e l o p m e n t a n d t r a i n i n g a n d v e h ic l e f i n a n c i n g N F I a l s o o p e r a t e s t h e Ve h i c l e I n n o v a t i o n C e n t e r ( V I C ) , t h e f i r s t a n d o n l y i n n o v a t i o n l a b o f i t s k i n d d e d ic a t e d t o a d v a n c i n g b u s a n d c o a c h t e c hn o l o g y a n d p ro v i d i n g w o r k f o rc e d e v e l o pm e n t S i n c e o p e n i n g i n 2 0 1 7 , t h e V I C h a s h o s t e d m o re t h a n 3 5 0 i n t e r a c t i v e e v e n t s , w e l c o m i n g 7 , 0 0 0 i n d u s t r y p ro f e s s i o n a l s f o r E V a n d i n f r a s t r u c t u re t r a i n i n g
Leveraging 450 years of combined experience, NFI is leading the electrification of mass mobility around the world With zeroemission buses and coaches, infrastructure a n d t e c h n o l o g y, N F I m e e t s t o d a y ’s u r b a n demands for scalable smar t mobility solutions Together, NFI is enabling more livable c i t i e s t h ro u g h c o n n e c t e d , c l e a n a n d s u stainable transpor tation
With more than 8,500 team members in 1 0 c o u n t r i e s , N F I i s a l e a d i n g g l o b a l b u s m a n u f a c t u r e r o f m a s s m o b i l i t y s o l u t i o n s
New Flyer was recently awarded two new contracts from the New York City Transit Authority Included are 429 Xcelsior buses with options to purchase up to 1,661 additional buses over the next five years
The breakdown is 187 40-foot battery-electric buses, 18 60-foot articulated battery-electric buses and 224 60-foot clean diesel articulated buses
under the brands New Flyer® (heavy-duty t r a n s i t b u s e s ) , M C I ® ( m o t o r c o a c h e s ) , A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s L i m i t e d ( s i n g l e - a n d d o u b l e - d e c k b u s e s ) , P l a x t o n ( m o t o rcoaches), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses) and NFI Par ts™ NFI currently offers the widest range of sustainable drive systems available, including zeroemission electric (trolley, batter y and fuel cell), natural gas, electric hybrid and clean d i e s e l I n t o t a l , N F I s u p p o r t s i t s i n s t a l l e d b a s e o f m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 b u s e s a n d coaches around the world
New Flyer is North America’s heavy-duty t r a n s i t b u s l e a d e r a n d o f f e r s t h e m o s t advanced product line under the Xcelsior and Xcelsior CHARGE brands It also offers i n f r a s t r u c t u r e d e v e l o p m e n t t h r o u g h N F I Infrastructure Solutions™, a service dedicated to providing safe, sustainable and reliable charging and mobility solutions New F l y e r a c t i v e l y s u p p o r t s m o re t h a n 3 5 , 0 0 0 heavy-duty transit buses (New Flyer, NABI a n d O r i o n ) c u r re n t l y i n s e r v i c e , o f w h i c h 8,600 are powered by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,900 are zero-emiss i o n F u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n i s a v a i l a b l e a t www newflyer com
Albuquerque Gets Gillig CNG Buses
G i l l i g , A m e r i c a ’s l e a d i n g h e a v y - d u t y t r a n s i t b u s m a n f u a c t u re r, h a s a n n o u n c e d t h e d e l i v e r y o f t h e f i r s t 3 5 c o m p r e s s e d natural gas (CNG) buses to Albuquerque’s
A B Q R i d e , w i t h a n a d d i t i o n a l 1 8 s c h e du l e d f o r m i d - 2 0 2 4 T h i s i n a u g u r a l p u rc h a s e m a r k s a m a j o r t r a n s i t i o n f o r t h e a g e n c y a s t h e y re p l a c e o l d d i e s e l - h y b r i d b u s e s w i t h n e w, e c o - f r i e n d l y a n d c o s te f f e c t i v e G i l l i g b u s e s A d o r n e d w i t h “ m o b i l e m u r a l ” p a i n t w r a p s s h o w c a s i n g t h e b e a u t i f u l , e n c h a n t i n g l a n d s c a p e s o f N e w M e x i c o , t h e s e n e a r- z e r o e m i s s i o n b u s e s c e l e b r a t e t h e s t a t e ’s s t u n n i n g s c e n e r y a n d re f l e c t A B Q R i d e ’s d e c i s i o n to combine local ar tistr y with environment a l c o n s c i o u s n e s s
A B Q R i d e ’s re c e n t a c q u i s i t i o n o f G i l l i g CNG buses is a game-changing development for the agency and the greater Albuq u e r q u e c o m m u n i t y T h e s e b u s e s a r e designed to provide ultra-low-emission and ultra-high-performance transit solutions with the lowest total cost of ownership The vehicles are built on Gillig’s signature low-floor platform, known for its rugged reliability and easy maintenance Achieving the highest r e l i a b i l i t y s c o r e s a n d t h e b e s t C N G f u e l e c o n o m y i n F e d e r a l A l t o o n a t e s t i n g , t h e Gillig CNG, like the rest of Gillig’s product line-up, is a transit solution that is durable, dependable, economically smart and environmentally advantageous
The environmental benefits of transitioning from older vechiles to these new CNG
National Bus Trader / April, 2024 • 5
b u s e s a re re m a r k a b l e , w i t h a n e s t i m a t e d reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions by 356 53 tons and NOx emissions by 3014 55 pounds per bus over its lifespan, the equiva l e n t o f p l a n t i n g m o re t h a n 5 2 , 0 0 0 t re e s W i t h t h e a c q u s i t i o n o f t h e s e b u s e s , A B Q Ride is taking a bold step forward in reducing its environmetanl footprint while providing safe, reliable and cost-effective transit solutions to the community
e ‘mobile murals’ are celebrating ”
ABQ Ride’s decision to partner with Gillig stems from a thorough evaluation of the benefits that Gillig’s buses offer “The decision t o t r a n s i t i o n t o G i l l i g ’s C N G b u s e s w a s
“We’re excited to announce this new partnership with ABQ Ride and for these beautifully wrapped Gillig CNG buses to begin service We know that ever y transit agency and community has distinct needs, and havi n g t h e fl e x i b i l i t y t o fi t e v e r y fl e e t i s a t t h e core of what we offer at Gillig,” stated Javier Hernandez, Gillig’s director of national sales “ABQ Ride’s investment in the new buses reinforces how Gillig’s versatility and reliability help agencies achieve our shared commitment to keep communities connected We look forward to seeing these buses roll o u t
ABQ
An
based on a comprehensive assessment of our needs and the goals we have for public transpor tation in Albuquerque,” said Leslie Keener, director of ABQ Ride “Their reliability, cost-saving fuel efficiency and impressive environmental benefits made Gillig the b e s t c h o i c e a s w e w o r k t o m o d e r n i z e o u r aging fleet while ensuring our riders are prov i d e d w i t h s a f e , r e l i a b l e a n d a c c e s s i b l e transpor tation service throughout the City of Albuquerque ”
MCI recently participated in the 30th California Bus Association’s (CBA) Maintenance S e m i n a r a n d Ve n d o r S h o w c a s e i n M i r a L o m a , C a l i f o r n i a , f o c u s e d o n p n e u m a t i c braking systems
D u r i n g t h e t h r e e - d a y e v e n t , t h e M C I expert team showcased Pacific Coachways’ J4500 coach, sharing their expertise in MCI’s c o a c h re l i a b i l i t y b u i l t s y s t e m s , w h i l e p e rforming important inspection procedures of the air system
MCI’s technical solutions managers, Frank Ormonde and Davis Bugenig, delivered an insightful presentation, education Californiabased maintenance technicians from tour and charter companies on best maintenance practices for MCI’s most recent J4500 chassis
T h e U n i t e d M o t o r c o a c h A s s o c i a t i o n weighed in on March 11 on the proposed New York congestion tolls for intercity and charter buses, asserting the implementation contradicts the primary objective of reducing traffic congestion
“ S u c h m e a s u re s a re d e e m e d u n f a i r t o p a s s e n g e r s , a s t h e y m a y p r o m p t a s h i f t
towards alternative modes of transportation, i n c l u d i n g p r i v a t e v e h i c l e s , ” c o m m e n t e d UMA’s Ken Presley “Gover nments tax cigarettes and liquor to compel people to use less It is counterintuitive to think you can tax commuter and char ter bus tourism and not get fewer ”
Following the pandemic, New York City’s offices and businesses face challenges as they anticipate the full retur n of employees to the Central Business District
“The UMA believes that introducing the c o n g e s t i o n f e e a s a n a d d i t i o n a l e x p e n s e could fur ther discourage work-from-home employees from resuming their traditional office routines, potentially leading to a limited retur n or even a per manent shift to remote work,” noted the comments
The UMA also pointed out the need for p a r i t y “ T h e c u r re n t p ro p o s a l f a v o r s c o mm u t e r b u s e s a f fi l i a t e d w i t h p u b l i c t r a n s i t , d i s re g a rd i n g t h e f a c t t h a t t h e s e v e h i c l e s also provide charter services outside of regular commuting hours,” pointing to the competitive edge these companies would enjoy
T h e c o m m e n t s c o n c l u d e d b y s t a t i n g , “ T h e U M A a d v o c a t e s f o r e q u i t a b l e t re a tm e n t , s u g g e s t i n g t h a t t h e s a m e e x e m p -
t i o n s g r a n t e d t o p r i v a t e b u s e s u n d e r c o nt r a c t w i t h g o v e r n m e n t - s u b s i d i z e d t r a n s i t s h o u l d e x t e n d t o a l l b u s a n d m o t o rc o a c h p a s s e n g e r s
Air Canada Expands Regional Ser vices with Luxur y Motorcoach
Connections
On Februar y 21 Air Canada announced t h a t i t h a s p a r t n e r e d w i t h T h e L a n d l i n e
C o m p a n y t o c o n n e c t a i r p o r t s i n H a m i l t o n a n d W a t e r l o o R e g i o n w i t h t h e a i r l i n e ’s To r o n t o P e a r s o n g l o b a l h u b C u s t o m e r s will be able to book a single itinerar y comb i n i n g a l u x u r y m o t o rc o a c h s e r v i c e w i t h
A i r C a n a d a fl i g h t s f o r a s e a m l e s s , c o n v en i e n t a n d m o re s u s t a i n a b l e j o u r n e y N o w a v a i l a b l e f o r b o o k i n g t h e m u t l i m o d a l s e rv i c e w i l l b e g i n o p e r a t i o n a s a p i l o t p ro j e c t from John C Munro Hamilton Inter national A i r p o r t a n d t h e R e g i o n o f Wa t e r l o o I n t e rn a t i o n a l A i r p o r t i n M a y 2 0 2 4 , w i t h t h e potential to make it available elsewhere in C a n a d a i n t h e f u t u re
“ A i r C a n a d a i s f o c u s e d o n i m p ro v i n g re g i o n a l s e r v i c e s a n d t h ro u g h t h i s i n n o va t i v e p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h T h e L a n d l i n e C o mpany, we are connecting communities and e x t e n d i n g o u r n e t w o r k b y o f f e r i n g c u st o m e r s a c o n v e n i e n t , s t r e s s f r e e m u l t im o d a l o p t i o n , ” s a i d A l e x a n d r e L e f e v r e ,
v i c e p r e s i d e n t n e t w o r k p l a n n i n g , N o r t h A m e r i c a , a n d s c h e d u l i n g , a t A i r C a n a d a
“Customers traveling between airpor ts on L a n d l i n e ’s p r e m i u m m o t o r c o a c h e s w i l l e n j o y t h e s a m e b e n e f i t s a s t h o s e m a k i n g a i r- o n l y c o n n e c t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g t h e c o nv e n i e n c e o f a s i n g l e i t i n e r a r y, t h r o u g hchecked baggage when depar ting Hamilt o n o r R e g i o n o f W a t e r l o o , d i s r u p t i o n p ro t e c t i o n a n d A e ro p l a n e a r n i n g o p p o rtunities We will look to fur ther expand our re g i o n a l n e t w o r k i n C a n a d a t h ro u g h o u r L a n d l i n e p a r t n e r s h i p , a s i t a l s o a d v a n c e s o u r s u s t a i n a b i l i t y p ro g r a m s b y p o t e n t i a l l y r e m o v i n g t e n s o f t h o u s a n d s o f v e h i c l e s f ro m t h e ro a d e a c h y e a r ”
“We are proud to partner with Air Canada t o p ro v i d e s e a m l e s s c o n n e c t i o n s t o t h e i r w o r l d - c l a s s To ro n t o g a t e w a y E v e r y d a y, t h o u s a n d s o f c u s t o m e r s f a c e a s t re s s f u l , time-consuming journey from Hamilton and Waterloo Region to Toronto Pearson airport,” said Nick Johnson, vice president, commercial for Landline, which is based in Colorado “Customers will love letting Landline and Air Canada do the driving for them, enjoying a connected experience while relaxing on one of our luxur y motorcoaches ”
Landline will operate six, non-stop round trips daily to Toronto Pearson from each of
the Hamilton and Region of Waterloo airports in souther n Ontario Air Canada customers b e g i n n i n g t h e i r j o u r n e y a t H a m i l t o n o r Region of Waterloo airpor ts will check in as nor mal for their flight and obtain boarding p a s s e s f o r a l l s e g m e n t s o f t h e i r t r i p A t a designated depar ture point at the local airpor t, they will board a luxur y, Air Canadab r a n d e d m o t o rc o a c h a n d t h e i r c h e c k e d b a g g a g e w i l l b e l o a d e d U p o n a r r i v a l a t To ro n t o P e a r s o n , c u s t o m e r s w i l l p ro c e e d directly through securing screening, while checked bags will be automatically transferred to the onward connecting flight
In the event of coach or flight delays, customers traveling on Landline will be automatically offered the same protections as customers traveling on air-only itineraries Members of Air Canada’s Aeroplan program will earn points for both ground and air segments, as on any nor mal connecting flight i t i n e r a r y F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n s e e w w w aircanada com/landline
T h e m o t o r c o a c h e s u s e d b y L a n d l i n e for Air Canada are made in Canada by Prev o s t , a m a n u f a c t u re r o f t o u r i n g c o a c h e s b a s e d i n S a i n t e - C l a i r e , Q u e b e c E a c h Landline motorcoach provides a premium experience, with 35 spacious, leather seats i n a t w o - b y - o n e c o n fi g u r a t i o n T h e c o a c h e s a r e e q u i p p e d w i t h f r e e W i - F i , p o w e r a n d a t a b l e t r a y a v a i l a b l e a t e a c h seat, generous overhead storage for carryo n b a g g a g e a n d a n o n b o a r d l a v a t o r y A n n o u n c e m e n t s w i l l b e m a d e i n b o t h o f fic i a l l a n g u a g e s a n d t h e c o a c h e s a re f u l l y a c c e s s i b l e , i n c l u d i n g a p o w e r l i f t f o r c u st o m e r s re q u i r i n g m o b i l i t y a i d s
“We’re ver y excited about this par tners h i p b e t w e e n A i r C a n a d a a n d o u r c u st o m e r L a n d l i n e , a n d p ro u d t o b e a b l e t o offer them the comfor t and quality that Prevost is known for These new coach routes will enable them to serve their passengers b y p ro v i d i n g s a f e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n a d a p t e d to their needs For us, this new par tnership e n s u re s a s o l u t i o n t h a t m e e t s t h e c u r re n t and future needs of the airline industr y by g i v i n g t h e m t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o c o n n e c t m o re o f t h e i r re g i o n a l c u s t o m e r s t o t h e i r major hubs,” said François Tremblay, president of Prevost and Volvo Group Canada
Air Canada operates to 40 communities a c ro s s C a n a d a , i n c l u d i n g i n p a r t n e r s h i p with regional carriers Jazz Aviation LP and PAL Airlines Through its innovative new partnership with Landline, Air Canada is extending its regional network to conveniently conn e c t l o c a l a i r p o r t s d i r e c t l y t o i t s g l o b a l network There is potential to further expand t h e p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h L a n d l i n e t o c o n n e c t with other regional airpor ts in Canada at a future date
On February 21, Air Canada announced offering connecting “flights” from Toronto’s airport using luxury motorcoaches. Effective May, 2024, service will be provided between Toronto and airports in Hamilton and Waterloo The service will be operating by the Landline Company using Prevost coaches equipped with 36 spacious leather seats in a two and one configuration
“ W e a r e e x c i t e d t o p a r t n e r w i t h A i r C a n a d a a n d T h e L a n d l i n e C o m p a n y t o d e l i v e r t h i s i n n o v a t i v e , c o n v e n i e n t , h a ss l e - f re e t r a v e l o p t i o n t o p a s s e n g e r s t r a veling from Hamilton Inter national Airpor t,” said Cole Hor ncastle, executive managing d i re c t o r o f J o h n C M u n ro H a m i l t o n I n t e rn a t i o n a l A i r p o r t “ B e i n g a b l e t o c o n n e c t into Air Canada’s global network via a luxur y motorcoach service opens up access t o d o z e n s o f e x c i t i n g n e w d e s t i n a t i o n s w h i l e p ro v i d i n g t h e c o n s i s t e n t c u s t o m e r e x p e r i e n c e o u r p a s s e n g e r s k n o w a n d t r u s t
“This innovative service by Air Canada and Landline opens up a world of oppor tunities, allowing our Waterloo Region community to easily access a wider array of destinations and meaningful experiences both within Canada and inter nationally We look forward to welcoming both new and retur ni n g t r a v e l e r s t o Y K F t h ro u g h t h i s e x c i t i n g par tnership,” said Karen Redman, chair of the Region of Waterloo
Spring Fling Scheduled T h e M u s e u m o f B u s Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n / AACA Museum’s annual Spring Fling will be held at the Antique Car and Bus museum in H e r s h e y, P e n n s y l v a n i a o n F r i d a y, M a y 3 1 and Saturday, June 1 – with some big additions to the traditional program
Dating back to the mid-1990s, this gathering evolved into Spring Fling in 2004, and on its 20th anniversar y is now the nation’s
longest ongoing annual event for bus enthusiasts This year’s Fling celebrates Prevost’s 1 0 0 - y e a r a n n i v e r s a r y o f b u i l d i n g q u a l i t y coaches for the motorcoach industr y
I n re s p o n s e t o re q u e s t s f ro m p re v i o u s attendees, some major additions are being made to the traditional program
The event kicks off Friday, May 31, with a bus tour beginning with a stop at Rabbit Transit in York, Pennsylvania, visiting their o f f i c e s a n d s h o p a r e a R a b b i t t i s t h e r e g i o n ’s l a r g e s t m a s s t r a n s i t p r o v i d e r i n s o u t h c e n t r a l P e n n s y l v a n i a s e r v i n g 1 1 P e n n s y l v a n i a c o u n t i e s a n d t r a n s p o r t i n g m o re t h a n 9 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e e a c h d a y M o re i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e t r i p a l o n g w i t h a re s e rv a t i o n l i n k w i l l b e re l e a s e d l a t e r T h e t o u r w i l l t h e n d r o p o f f a t t h e Yo r k F a i r g ro u n d t o v i s i t t h e 5 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y –
https://www yorkstatefair com/events/2023
/ s t r e e t - r o d s - 2 0 2 3 N a t i o n a l S t r e e t R o d s A s s o c i a t i o n s h o w t o e n j o y t h e v e h i c l e s a n d v e n d o r s
Completing the day, there will be a group dinner for all attending at Troges Brewery in Hershey, Pennsylvania The group tour will h a v e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n p r o v i d e d b y B a i l e y
Saturday, as in years past, will showcase many antique coaches at the museum with shuttle service provided by Wolf Bus Lines to the maintenance facility from 10:30 a m
until 3 p m In previous years between the museum fleet and visiting coaches, there has been as many as 100 buses on display r a n g i n g f r o m a 1 9 1 2 W h i t e t o m o d e r n Demonstrator coaches
The Web site will provide infor mation on registering visiting buses This is free, and h e l p s w i t h p l a n n i n g p a r k i n g –https://www aacamuseum org/mobt/
As in past Spring Flings, many vendors w i l l h a v e b u s m e m o r a b i l i a f o r s a l e a t t h e Fling Marketplace during the day The highl i g h t o f t h e d a y w i l l b e C l a r i s s e , P re v o s t ’s fi r s t c o a c h A n a c c u r a t e r e p l i c a b o d y mounted on an authentic chassis, this 100year-old beauty still runs
R E V G r o u p I n c , a m a n u f a c t u r e r o f industr y-leading specialty vehicle brands, a n n o u n c e d re c e n t l y a s e r i e s o f s t r a t e g i c actions aimed at optimizing its product portfolio and balance sheet Effective Januar y 26, the company has completed the sale of its school bus business, Collins Bus Corporation (Collins), to Forest River Bus LLC for a p u rc h a s e p r i c e o f $ 3 0 3 m i l l i o n i n c a s h , subject to cer tain customar y adjustments
“We have a long and successful histor y with Collins that dates back to the initial acquisition that started REV Group We are pleased that the Collins team has a strategic new home w i t h F o re s t R i v e r I w o u l d l i k e t o t h a n k t h e Collins team members for their contributions
REV Group recently announced that it will no longer be building school buses and will be ending bus production Their Collins Bus Corporation school bus business has been sold to Forest River Bus REV will also wind down transit bus manufacturing at its ElDorado-National California facility because of competition.
to REV Group and wish them continued success,” stated Mark Skonieczny, president and CEO of REV Group
I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e s a l e o f C o l l i n s , R E V G ro u p a n n o u n c e d i t w i l l b e e x i t i n g t r a n s i t bus manufacturing by winding down opera t i o n s a t i t s E l D o r a d o N a t i o n a l - C a l i f o r n i a ( E N C ) b u s i n e s s , w h i c h i s e x p e c t e d t o b e substantially completed by the end of fiscal year 2024, once existing customer orders are completed and delivered
“Delays in the supply of critical components and the build out of infrastructure to support EV adoption, as well as the financial health of key suppliers, has created a competitive bidding environment for diesel and CNG buses that has made it difficult for ENC t o c o m p e t e p r o fi t a b l y v e r s u s p e e r s o f greater scale,” said Skonieczny “The decision to wind down operations was not made lightly; however, based on the options available to us, we believe this is the best path forward for our business I would like to thank our ENC employees, dealers and customers for their commitment to ENC over the years ”
REV Group expects to generate at least $250 million in net cash proceeds from these strategic actions The net proceeds will be used to retur n approximately $180 million of cash to shareholders in the form of a special cash dividend in the amount of $3 per share of common stock, payable on Februar y 16, to shareholders of record on Februar y 9, with the remainder used to pay down debt under its ABL credit facility
REV Group will be reorganized into two repor ting segments beginning with its first quar ter fiscal 2024 results The remaining Commercial segment business will be com-
b i n e d w i t h t h e F i re a n d E m e r g e n c y b u s inesses in a new segment named Specialty Vehicles, led by Mike Vir nig, the current fire group president The Recreation segment will be renamed Recreational Vehicles and will continue to be led by its current president, Mike Lanciotti The company expects to provide updated fiscal 2024 guidance, i n c l u d i n g t h e i m p a c t s o f t h e s e s t r a t e g i c actions, with its first quarter fiscal 2024 earnings release
“Today’s announcement creates a more focused operating structure that provides o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r g ro w t h , c o n s i s t e n t c a s h g e n e r a t i o n a n d i m p ro v e d m a r g i n p e r f o rmance,” stated Skonieczny “The net cash proceeds generated from these actions and s t re n g t h o f o u r b a l a n c e s h e e t a l l o w u s t o retur n cash to shareholders in the for m of a special cash dividend while retaining ample liquidity and flexibility to continue to pursue our strategic agenda ”
Sound Transit Orders 33 Alexander D e n n i s E n v i r o 5 0 0 E V E l e c t r i c
Double-Deckers
A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s , a s u b s i d i a r y o f N F I G r o u p I n c , o n e o f t h e w o r l d ’s l e a d i n g i n d e p e n d e n t g l o b a l b u s m a n u f a c t u re r s , on Februar y 12 announced that it will introduce its next-generation electric bus technology to Nor th America following its succ e s s f u l l a u n c h i n t h e U K a n d t h e A s i a - P a c i f i c re g i o n
T h e e l e c t r i c b u s e s w i l l s e r v e t h e n e w Stride bus rapid transit (BRT) which Sound Transit is developing along Interstate 405 to l i n k c o m m u n i t i e s n o r t h , e a s t a n d s o u t h o f Lake Washington to one another and to light rail connections
S o u n d Tr a n s i t w a s a n e a r l y a d o p t e r o f the unique benefits of double-deck buses and today uses a fleet of 50 Enviro500 on e x p r e s s r o u t e s o p e r a t i n g o u t o f E v e r e t t D o u b l e - d e c k e r s a r e a fi r m f a v o r i t e w i t h Sound Transit passengers This made them the bus of choice for Stride to give passengers a comfortable ride over the 19-mile S1 and 20-mile S2 routes, where new bus lanes and transit priority improvements will help riders avoid traffic
The Stride Enviro500EV will be the first Alexander Dennis in Nor th America using t h e m a n u f a c t u re r ’s n e x t - g e n e r a t i o n z e roemission technology platfor m They combine the efficient Voith Electrical Drive System with increased energy storage capacity and the Nor th American industr y-first use of wireless, inductive on-route charging on double-deck buses, via Pennsylvania-based IndustEV, to enhance range and operational per for mance
Sound Transit, which provides regional transit in the Seattle metropolitan area, has p l a c e d a fi r m o rd e r f o r 3 3 z e ro - e m i s s i o n E n v i ro 5 0 0 E V b u s e s T h e d o u b l e - d e c k e r s a r e s c h e d u l e d f o r d e l i v e r y i n 2 0 2 6 b y Alexander Dennis Inc , the U S subsidiar y of Alexander Dennis, and will be built in the United States by Alexander Dennis’s partner Big Rig Manufacturing
Sound Transit, which operates regional transti in the Seattle metropolitan area, has placed an order with Alexander Dennis for 33 Enviro500EV buses These battery-electric double-deck buses will be built in the United States by Big Rig Manufacturing They are scheduled for delivery in 2026 and will be used in the new Stride bus rapid transit service along Interstate 405
“ T h i s a w a r d h i g h l i g h t s t h e r e s u r g i n g demand for our double-deck buses in North America ”
S t e p h e n W a l s h , v i c e p r e s i d e n t f o r Alexander Dennis in Nor th America, said: “We are excited to once again be working w i t h o u r l o n g - s t a n d i n g c u s t o m e r S o u n d Transit in the Puget Sound region who have s e l e c t e d o u r E n v i r o 5 0 0 E V w i t h n e x tgeneration technology for their new Stride bus rapid transit service
“ T h i s a w a r d h i g h l i g h t s t h e r e s u r g i n g demand for our double-deck buses in North A m e r i c a f o l l o w i n g t h e r e l a u n c h o f B u y America-compliant production with Big Rig Manufacturing
“ T h e o r d e r w a s p l a c e d a f t e r w e c o mpleted extensive route mapping exercises i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h S o u n d Tr a n s i t , u s i n g automotive-grade modelling to fully unders t a n d t h e o p e r a t i o n a l re q u i re m e n t s T h i s ensures that the Enviro500EV will take Stride i n t h e i r s t r i d e a n d g i v e re a d e r s a s m o o t h jour ney experience ”
ABC Companies and Windstar Lines are thrilled to celebrate a significant achievem e n t i n t h e i r p a r t n e r s h i p , w i t h t h e l a r g e s t number of motorcoaches delivered in a single day An impressive lineup of 18 Van Hool CX45 buses was acquired and put into operation, representing an historic delivery milestone for Windstar and a momentous occasion for ABC Companies
This deliver y brings the total to 186 new a n d u s e d c o a c h e s a c q u i re d b y W i n d s t a r from ABC Companies since 1995, underlining a shared commitment to excellence in transpor tation This event not only marks a notable achievement, but also celebrates the deep-rooted relationship between the Cor nell family of ABC Companies and the Greteman family of Windstar Lines
“Reflecting on our 29-year jour ney with t h e G r e t e m a n f a m i l y a n d W i n d s t a r, t h e f o u n d a t i o n o f o u r p a r t n e r s h i p h a s c l e a r l y been built on shared values and a commitment to excellence,” remarked Roman Corn e l l , c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o f fi c e r o f A B C C o mp a n i e s “ O u r h e r i t a g e a s a f a m i l y - o w n e d business has allowed us to establish a relat i o n s h i p b a s e d o n t r u s t a n d c o o p e r a t i v e effort, ensuring that we consistently provide W i n d s t a r w i t h w h a t w e c o n s i d e r t o b e industry leading vehicles and services Witn e s s i n g t h e G re t e m a n f a m i l y ’s i n c re d i b l e transfor mation from modest beginnings to evolving into a premier motorcoach transp o r t a t i o n p ro v i d e r, s p a n n i n g a t o t a l o f 1 2 locations, is truly inspiring Their steadfast d e d i c a t i o n t o c o re v a l u e s o f d e d i c a t i o n , r e l i a b i l i t y, i n t e g r i t y a n d m o r e h a s d r i v e n
W i n d s t a r L i n e s ’ s u s t a i n e d s u c c e s s a n d growth through the years ”
Windstar emphasized the pivotal role of t h e i r p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h A B C C o m p a n i e s i n e l e v a t i n g t h e i r t r a v e l s e r v i c e s t a n d a r d s , attributing to the longstanding bond with the C o r n e l l f a m i l y “ O u r a b i l i t y t o c o n t i n u a l l y improve our offerings and ensure a modern, safe and comfor table travel experience for our passengers stems from our deep-rooted r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h A B C C o m p a n i e s , s u ppor ted by the trust and understanding we share with the Cornell family,” explained Jeff Greteman, president of Windstar Lines He highlighted the decision to partner with ABC was based on a shared vision for customer service “ABC Companies’ exceptional parts availability, outstanding service and unwavering commitment to after-sales suppor t have played a significant role in maintaining the high level of service and product quality t h a t W i n d s t a r L i n e s p r i d e s i t s e l f o n T h e i r dedication to excellence not only suppor ts our operation needs but also aligns perfectly with our mission which is to lead the way, by providing unrivaled safety and service, while maintaining operational simplicity We are grateful for our par tnership, which ensures our fleet is always in top condition, allowing us to focus on what we do best – serving our customers ”
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t A B C Companies, Windstar and their partnership, v i s i t w w w a b c - c o m p a n i e s c o m a n d www gowindstar com
Gillig Launches New Engineering Center in Colorado
Gillig, a leading manufacturer of heavyduty transit buses in the U S , announced on Februar y 26 that Gerco LLC, a whollyo w n e d s u b s i d i a r y o f t h e c o m p a n y, h a s a c q u i r e d s e l e c t a s s e t s f r o m L i g h t n i n g eMotors and Lightning Systems (collectively, Lightning) through a receivership sale, and has hired a number of for mer engineering e m p l o y e e s o f L i g h t n i n g I n l i n e w i t h t h i s expansion of Gillig’s existing exper tise and e n g i n e e r i n g c a p a c i t y, t h e a c q u i s i t i o n w i l l also mark the launch of Gillig’s new Colorado Technology Center, which will serve as an engineering hub for the company
Based in Loveland, Colorado, Lightning specialized in repowering commercial vehic l e s a n d d e v e l o p i n g e l e c t r i c p o w e r t r a i n s a n d a n a l y t i c s c a p a b i l i t i e s G e r c o w a s s e l e c t e d a s t h e p u r c h a s e f r o m a c o u r t appointed receiver, and the acquisition of assets was approved by the court Lightning discontinued its business operations prior to Gerco’s purchase, including the sale and servicing of commercial vehicles Lightning’s business operations were not acquired and will not be resumed by Gerco or Gillig With this acquisition, Gillig, the market leader in
ABC Companies set a new record by delivering 18 new Van Hool CX45 buses in one day on March
5. The buses went to Windstar Lines, headquartered in Iowa but with 12 operating locations. Windstar has taken delivery of 186 new or used coaches from ABC Companies since 1995
z e ro - e m i s s i o n b u s e s i n A m e r i c a , a i m s t o expand its electric power train engineering capacity as the demand for zero-emission transit solutions continues to increase
“ T h i s e x c i t i n g a c q u i s i t i o n f o c u s e s o n a talented team of for mer Lightning employe e s a n d t h e t o o l s t h e y n e e d t o s u p p o r t
G i l l i g ’s ro a d m a p , ” s t a t e d D e re k M a u n u s , Gillig’s president and CEO “Gillig’s mission t o d e s i g n , b u i l d a n d s u p p o r t A m e r i c a ’s s a f e s t , m o s t r e l i a b l e h e a v y - d u t y t r a n s i t b u s e s h a s n o t c h a n g e d T h i s a c q u i s i t i o n a l l o w s u s g re a t e r e n g i n e e r i n g c a p a c i t y t o i n t e g r a t e q u i c k l y e v o l v i n g z e ro - e m i s s i o n technologies As we look to the future gen-
Gillig will soon be opening a new Colorado Technology Center that will serve as an engineering hub for the company. A Gillig subsidiary recently acquired certain assets from Lighting eMotors and Lightning Systems through a receivership sale that will evolve into the center located in Loveland, Colorado Lightning recently discontinued its business operations that specialized in repowering commercial vehicles and developing electric powertrains and analytics capabilities
erations of Gillig’s celebrated batter y-electric bus, these additional engineering and t e c h n o l o g i c a l r e s o u r c e s w i l l a c c e l e r a t e Gillig’s leadership in zero-emission buses b y i n c r e a s i n g o u r p o w e r t r a i n e x p e r t i s e , f o r g i n g e v e n g re a t e r c a p a c i t y t o i n n o v a t e a n d e x e c u t e w i t h e x c e l l e n c e ”
Trans-Bridge Lines Reacts to No Exemptions on NYC Congestion Toll
The motorcoach industr y has spent the last four years rebuilding business after the i n d u s t r y e f f e c t s o f t h e p a n d e m i c N o w, Trans-Bridge Lines, the premier motorcoach c o m p a n y o f t h e L e h i g h Va l l e y, a n d t h e i r industry colleagues have been dealt another b l o w B u s e s w i l l n o t b e e x e m p t f r o m t h e planned congestion toll to enter New York City’s midtown Trans-Bridge Lines will be required to pay an extra $24 for its commuter buses and $36 for its char ter buses
“We simply don’t understand this decis i o n , ” s a y s Tr a n s - B r i d g e L i n e s P re s i d e n t To m J e B r a n “ I t d o e s n ’t m a k e s e n s e a n d p u n i s h e s b u s o p e r a t o r s w h o a r e p a r t o f t h e s o l u t i o n t o t h e c o n g e s t i o n p r o b l e m T h e p o i n t o f t h e c o n g e s t i o n p r i c i n g l a w i s t h a t c a r s w i l l b e d e t e r r e d f r o m e n t e r i n g midtown, which will reduce traffic and poll u t a n t s i n t h e a i r B u s e s o f f e r a s o l u t i o n N o t o n l y d o m o d e r n c o a c h e s h a v e t e c hnological advances in comfor t and safety, they also have clean diesel engines which a re n o n - p o l l u t i n g ”
Tr a n s - B r i d g e L i n e s p ro v i d e s w o r k a n d recreational transpor tation to thousands of passengers The toll, which may begin as early as mid-June, will impact approximately 2 6 Tr a n s - b r i d g e L i n e s w e e k d a y r u n s a n d 1 0 w e e k e n d r u n s I n a d d i t i o n , c h a r t e r service for schools, church groups, spor ts teams and businesses would be affected Affiliate company Trans-Bridge Tours also provides several one-day tours to the city’s attractions which include museums, restaurants and shopping Increasing the tolls is an action that not only penalizes the transpor tation industries, but could also have a negative impact on established businesses in the city
“We provide daily service for employees w h o w o r k i n a l l s e c t o r s o f b u s i n e s s f r o m teachers and first reponders to healthcare a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n w o r k e r s , ” s a y s J e B r a n “We have always tried to provide our cust o m e r s w i t h f a i r a n d c o m p e t i t i v e p r i c i n g A l t h o u g h w e h a v e n o i m m e d i a t e p l a n s t o raise fares due to this increase, the added expense to our company is another burden we will face ”
Since 1982, Trans-Bridge has operated regular route and commuter service to the P o r t A u t h o r i t y O v e r t h e y e a r s s e r v i c e
Trans-Bridge Lines, operator of commuter coach service into New York City, has taken issue with the lack of private bus exemptions to the new York City Congestion Toll Like many bus companies, TransBridge has been rebuilding from the problems caused by the pandemic They provide daily service to employees going into New York City
e x p a n d e d t o i n c l u d e Wa l l S t re e t , J F K a n d N e w a r k a i r p o r t s , t h e M a n h a t t a n C r u i s e Te r m i n a l a n d C a p e L i b e r t y C r u i s e P o r t i n
B a y o n n e T h e s e r v i c e i s v i t a l f o r P e n n s y lvania and New Jersey residents The comp a n y o p e r a t e s w i t h o u t a n y s u b s i d i e s a n d i s s u p p o r t e d b y t h e f a r e s i t c h a r g e s A l t h o u g h n o t g o v e r n m e n t c o n t r a c t e d transpor tation, Trans-Bridge does operate “ p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n ”
Tr a n s - b r i d g e L i n e s a n d t h e i r i n d u s t r y p a r t n e r s p ro v i d e a n e c o n o m i c a n d c o s teffective method of travel without adding to the issues of congestion by taking up to 56 p a s s e n g e r v e h i c l e s o ff t h e ro a d p e r b u s N o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l l y c o n t r a c t e d b u s e s include private emergency response for militar y, medical and special events Evacuat i o n s a re d o n e b y p r i v a t e c h a r t e r b u s e s Weather-related shutdowns of airports, railroads and schools also rely on private operators for assistance
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has responded to the bus industr y’s pleas for exemption by stating that private buses contribute to downtown congestion, w h i c h i s b a s e d o n fi n d i n g s b y i t s Tr a f fi c Mobility Review Board
T h e b o a rd re p o r t s t a t e s t h a t “ i n t e rc i t y buses do not serve commuters on a daily basis, although they do provide an efficient, quasi-transit option, especially for people of more moderate means They should be c h a r g e d $ 2 4 To u r b u s e s d o n ’ t s e r v e a q u a s i - p u b l i c t r a n s i t r o l e a n d s h o u l d b e charged $36 for the dispropor tionate congestion they cause ”
Buses have always been recognized as being one of the most fuel-efficient modes of transportation, getting approximately 195 passenger miles per gallon versus a pass e n g e r c a r t h a t g e t s a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 5 To d a y ’s b u s e s a re m a n u f a c t u re d w i t h a n engine that requires diesel exhaust fluid that breaks down har mful emissions reducing e m i s s i o n s b y 9 0 p e rc e n t E v e r y b u s a l s o h a s d i e s e l p a r t i c u l a t e fi l t e r s d e s i g n e d t o capture and store exhaust soot, keeping it from being expelled into the air
“ B u s e s t r a v e l i n g i n t o m i d t o w n f o r B ro a d w a y s h o w s a n d o t h e r t o u r i s t a t t r a ct i o n s a re c o n t r i b u t i n g t o t h e e c o n o m y o f N e w Yo r k , ” c o n t i n u e s J e B r a n “ To u r i s m h a s a h u g e i m p a c t , b r i n g i n g i n $ 7 5 b i l l i o n to the city in 2023 Buses are key to keepi n g t h a t m o m e n t u m g o i n g a n d i m p o s i n g t h e s e e x t r a t o l l s i s c u t t i n g o ff t h e i r n o s e t o s p i t e t h e i r f a c e ”
Tr a n s - B r i d g e L i n e s , i n i t s 8 3 rd y e a r o f o p e r a t i o n , b e g a n i n 1 9 4 1 I t o f f e r s d a i l y service to New York City and Newark Airport from the Lehigh Valley area and Clinton, New Jersey, as well as weekday service to Wall Street Daily service to New York is also available from Bucks County, Branchburg and F l e m i n g t o n p o i n t s o f d e p a r t u r e , a n d t h e c o m p a n y o ff e r s d a i l y P i e r Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n Service ot the Manhattan Cruise Ter minal and Cape Liber ty Cruise Por t in Bayonne, New Jersey, from the Lehigh Valley and Clinton, New Jersey areas Additionally, daily service for m New York is provided to Wind Creek Bethlehem Casino Char ter services for business groups, schools and organizat i o n s a r e c u s t o m - d e s i g n e d f o r o n e - d a y, over night, spor ting events and show trips
A f fi l i a t e c o m p a n y, Tr a n s - B r i d g e To u r s Inc , offers multi-day, one-day and casino tours, as well as air and cruise vacations
Tr a n s - B r i d g e L i n e s i s a m e m b e r o f t h e American Bus Association, Bus Association of New Jersey, Bus Association of New York, Greater Northeast Motorcoach Association, Inter national Motorcoach Group and Pennsylvania Bus Association
Foothill Transit to Get 12 Enviro500EV Double-Deck Buses
A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s , a s u b s i d i a r y o f N F I Group Inc , one of the world’s leading indep e n d e n t g l o b a l b u s m a n u f a c t u r e r s , announced on Februar y 20 that it has been awarded a contract to build 12 new batterye l e c t r i c E n v i ro 5 0 0 E V d o u b l e - d e c k b u s e s for United States customer Foothill Transit
Foothill Transit is a leading public transit agency serving 22 cities in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys in eastern Los Angeles County, California Committed to innovation and sustainability, Foothill Transit strives to provide reliable and eco-friendly transportation solutions for the communities it serves
Its flagship Silver Streak route to downtown Los Angeles will be fur ther upgraded i n 2 0 2 6 w i t h t h e 1 2 n e w e l e c t r i c d o u b l ed e c k e r s W i t h t h e i r d o u b l e - d e c k d e s i g n , they will maximize passenger capacity on this impor tant commuter connection while cutting out local emissions They will join two earlier Enviro500EV pilot buses which were delivered in 2021
The new buses will utilize the technology of Alexander Dennis’s next-generation zeroemission bus platfor m recently launched in t h e U K a n d t h e A s i a - P a c i fi c re g i o n T h i s combines the Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS) with a modular batter y system that offers increased energy storage and greater operational range on a single charge “We are proud to partner with Alexander Dennis t o b r i n g t h e s e c u t t i n g - e d g e d o u b l e - d e c k electric buses to our communities ”
F o o t h i l l Tr a n s i t C E O D o r a n B a r n e s expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating, “This investment in zero emissions technology aligns with our vision for a sustainable future We are proud to partner with A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s t o b r i n g t h e s e c u t t i n ge d g e d o u b l e - d e c k e l e c t r i c b u s e s t o o u r communities This marks a significant step forward in our commitment to providing relia b l e , e c o - f r i e n d l y a n d e f fi c i e n t t r a n s i t services ”
S t e p h e n W a l s h , v i c e p r e s i d e n t f o r
A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s i n N o r t h A m e r i c a , s a i d : “We are excited to once again be working with our friends at Foothill Transit After tria l s w i t h t w o e a r l i e r E n v i r o 5 0 0 E V p i l o t buses, Foothill Transit’s selection of Alexander Dennis next-generation technology for its Silver Streak route is a huge vote of confidence for us With increased energy stora g e , re v i s e d d r i v e t r a i n c o n fi g u r a t i o n a n d m o d u l a r b a t t e r y c o n fi g u r a t i o n s , t h e E n v i r o 5 0 0 E V w i t h n e x t - g e n e r a t i o n t e c hnology will improve range and other capab i l i t i e
c i t y ro a d s a n d f re e w a y s t h a t a re f e a t u re s o f t h e S i l v e r S t re a k ro u t e ”
This award is the second in Nor th America for the Enviro500EV with next-generation t e c h n o l o g y a n d h i g h l i g h t s t h e re s u r g i n g demand for Alexander Dennis double-deck b u s e s f o l l o w i n g t h e r e l a u n c h o f B u y America-compliant production with Big Rig Manufacturing
The addition of these 12 double-deck, zero-emission, battery-electric buses is part of Foothill Transit’s broader strategy to modernize its fleet and contribute to the broader g o a l s o f re d u c i n g g re e n h o u s e g a s e m i ssions Recent additions have included 33 f u e l c e l l - e l e c t r i c X c e l s i o r C H A R G E F C ™ single-deckers from NFI Group sister company New Flyer
On February 29, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), in partnership with Opportunity Village (OV), launched the agency’s Mobility Training Center on the GO This specially retrofitted RTC bus serves as a mobility training lab to help vulnerable populations and those with disa b i l i t i e s n a v i g a t e t h e RT C t r a n s i t s y s t e m c o n fi d e n t l y A r t w o r k c re a t e d b y c o m m i ssioned ar tists from the Boyd Gaming Fine & Per for ming Ar ts Program at Oppor tunity V i l l a g e w a s u n v e i l e d d u r i n g t h e e v e n t Caesar G , Sharon G and Kelly G were recognized for their work which is displayed on the vehicle, at bus stops and on buses
The Mobility Training Center on the GO is equipped to teach vulnerable populations h o w t o u s e t h e RT C t r a n s i t w i t h e a s e a n d c o v e r s s u c h s k i l l s a s u s i n g t h e f a re b o x , ticket validator and mobile ticketing system; how to safely enter and exit the bus; how to p ro p e r l y s e c u re m o b i l i t y d e v i c e s ; h o w t o u s e t h e t r a n s i t g u i d e t o p l a n r o u t e s a n d more Training is specially adapted for persons with disabilities, seniors and veterans and is designed to build confidence in using and accessing transit
The RTC received funding for this project f ro m t h e F e d e r a l Tr a n s i t A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’s (FTA) Mobility for All grant The RTC worked c l o s e l y w i t h N e v a d a ’s f e d e r a l d e l e g a t i o n a n d l o c a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s , i n c l u d i n g t h e Nevada Depar tment of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Nevada Depar tment of Employm e n t Tr a i n i n g a n d R e h a b i l i t a t i o n ( D E T R ) , Workforce Connections and Opportunity Village, on the successful grant process
“We are committed to helping our community access needed resources and gain the skills they need to travel safely and independently on the RTC transit system,” said M J Maynard, CEO, RTC “By working with National Bus Trader / April, 2024 • 13
our par tners, key stakeholders and federal agencies, we were able to secure the funds needed to make the Mobility Training Center on the GO a reality for our community We can’t wait to take our mobility training program on the road and into neighborhoods where our training is needed most ”
“ A s a l o n g t i m e t e a c h e r, c o m m u n i t y a c t i v i s t a n d m e n t o r, I h a v e s e e n fi r s t h a n d the need for equitable access to transportation and specifically, transit,” said North Las Vegas City Councilman and RTC Vice Chairman Isaac Barron “I applaud the RTC for expanding transit access to ensure ever yone in our community, regardless of income or disability, can easily get where they need to go Without access to transit, many in our c o m m u n i t y a re c u t o ff a n d d i s c o n n e c t e d , so this is an essential service ”
“Art is a huge part of Opportunity Village’s program services and we’re incredibly proud to have our ar tists’ work commissioned by the RTC for this important project,” said Bob Brown, president and CEO of Oppor tunity Village “The RTC is a wonderful partner for us, and many of the people we serve use the RTC’s services ever y day To have the ar twork commissioned and featured in this way is really special and speaks to the community par tnership between our two organizations ”
T h e R T C o p e n e d i t s a w a r d - w i n n i n g Mobility Training Center in 2016, enabling customers to access full-size transit vehicles, outdoor sights and sounds, all indoors Customers lear n how to plan their trips and navigate the transit system in a contained environment with a team of mobility trainers
More than 4,000 individuals have undergone mobility training and achieved a new level of independence
With more than 20,000 RTC customers eligible for its paratransit service, the RTC provided 1 4 million rides in 2023 to individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities who meet the certification requirements outl i n e d b y t h e F TA Tr a i n i n g p ro v i d e d a t t h e RTC’s Mobility Training Center, and now, via its Mobility Training Center on the GO, help paratransit clients develop skills to navigate t r a d i t i o n a l b u s s e r v i c e , a l l o w i n g t h e m t o travel independently and expand their transpor tation options
ABA Submits Comments on New York City’s Congestion Pricing Plan
The ABA voiced its reservations regarding the proposed toll rate schedule for the C e n t r a l B u s i n e s s D i s t r i c t To l l i n g P ro g r a m (CBDTP), as submitted to the Metropolitan Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n A u t h o r i t y ’s ( M TA ) B r i d g e s a n d Tu n n e l s p u b l i c c o m m e n t p e r i o d t h a t e n d e d o n M a rc h 1 1 T h e A B A e x p re s s e d
concerns in its seven-page response about the tolling plan’s departure from congestion mitigation principles, stating that the current proposal does not align with the Value Pricing Pilot Program (VPPP) authority The VPPP is a federal initiative aimed at reducing congestion through tolling strategies, primarily f o c u s i n g o n c o n g e s t i o n re l i e f r a t h e r t h a n revenue generation
“The schedule does not reflect congestion mitigation,” wrote Brandon Buchanan, ABA’s director of regulatory affairs “By definition, congestion mitigation would dictate all mass transit providers be exempted from paying a price There is no credible basis to make a distinction between mass transit operations pursuant to a gover nment contract or privately under taken ”
One of the central issues raised by the A B A i s t h e l a c k o f e x e m p t i o n f o r a l l m a s s transit operations, regardless of public or p r i v a t e s t a t u s , i n t h e p r o p o s e d t o l l r a t e schedule The Association argued that distinguishing between transit providers based on arbitrar y criteria under mines the fundam e n t a l g o a l o f c o n g e s t i o n m i t i g a t i o n Emphasis was placed on both public and private bus operations playing a vital role in alleviating congestion, with the latter often moving larger numbers of passengers more efficiently The ABA also highlighted the positive environmental impact of motorcoaches, which can displace up to 35 to 40 cars from roadways, contributing to congestion reduction
“The TBTA has an opportunity to address this flaw in the schedule, in line with the other w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d v a l u e p r i c i n g p r o j e c t s around the world and in the U S , by ensuring all mass transit operations, regardless of public or private status or type of passenger, are exempted from the tolling scheme d e s c r i b e d i n t h e s c h e d u l e , ” w r o t e Buchanan
The ABA also urged the TBTA to pause the process and better align with the concurrent Por t Authority of New York and New Jersey’s recently released Port Authority Bus Ter minal rehabilitation proposal, currently undergoing an environmental assessment p ro c e s s “ B u s o p e r a t i o n a l d a t a f ro m t h e PABT would have been highly valuable to the development of the CBDTP However, if an oversight, the TBTA clearly still has an o p p o r t u n i t y t o re c t i f y t h i s o v e r s i g h t , g a i n invaluable data on current and future bus operations and strengthen the CBDTP ”
Double-Decker
S t e e r i n g i n t o a g re e n e r t o m o r ro w, i t i s time we say a big hello to hydrogen, the fuel of the future One that promises a sustainable tomorrow and aligns with our vision of an environmentally-friendly community That i s w h y S t re e t D e c k H y d ro l i n e r, t h e w o r l d ’s first hydrogen double-deck bus, has been c r e a t e d I t i s a n e c o n o m i c a l , s a f e a n d environmentally-friendly vehicle that will revolutionize the industr y and usher the world into a new era of transpor tation
StreetDeck Hydroliner is equipped with a Hydrogen Fuel Cell power train and its battery pack can store up to 48KWh that allows t h e b u s t o t r a v e l u p t o 2 8 0 m i l e s I t w a s designed to meet the demands of both bus drivers and passengers The bus has been developed as part of the JIVE project funded by the European Union (Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles across Europe)
Drive into the future leaving water as the o n l y b y - p ro d u c t , h e l p i m p ro v e a i r q u a l i t y with every ride and build a fleet powered by t r u l y re n e w a b l e e n e r g y I t s b e s t - i n - c l a s s noise and vibration cancellation make it an e c o - f r i e n d l y a n d p a s s e n g e r- f r i e n d l y r i d e StreetDeck Hydroliner is currently available in only a double-deck model but not for long b e c a u s e t h e s i n g l e F C E V v a r i a n t f o r t h e world is already being developed, and it will be available soon in the market
W i t h w o r l d - c l a s s f e a t u r e s a n d c o s te ff e c t i v e o p e r a t i o n s , h y d ro g e n b u s e s w i l l soon rule the public transpor t industr y As their popularity grows by the day, a surge will be seen in the manufacturing of these hydrogen buses in the next years because these buses represent the future of this sector A future which will be powered by renewable sources energy People and authorities are actively looking for innovative methods to combat climate change, so this zero-emission solutions is going to be fit right in
Busworld Turkey, organized by Busworld International and HKF Trade Fairs, is thrilled to announce the retur n of Busworld Turkey for its landmark 10th edition This not-to-bemissed event is set to take place from May 2 9 t o M a y 3 1 , 2 0 2 4 , a t t h e I s t a n b u l E x p o Center, marking nearly two decades of innov a t i o n , b u s i n e s s n e t w o r k i n g a n d i n d u s t r y growth
In 2024, Busworld Turkey is proudly celebrating a major milestone with a completely s o l d - o u t e x h i b i t i o n , w e l c o m i n g 1 5 7 exhibitors who are gearing up to showcase the latest in bus and coach technology The 2022 edition saw an impressive turnout, with more than 11,000 visitors from 84 countries, and this year is posed to exceed all expectations
Attendees can anticipate an expansive display of buses, coaches and minibuses featuring a variety of powertrains, including z e ro - e m i s s i o n a n d a u t o n o m o u s v e h i c l e s Esteemed vehicle brands such as Anadolu Isuzu, BMC, Bozankaya, Bur-Can, Erduman, H a b a s , I v e c o B u s , K 2 N ( I n d i a ) , K a r s a n , Mercus-Bus (Poland), Öncü, Otokar, Palmiye D e s i g n a n d U g u r K a r o s e r w i l l g r a c e t h e exhibition floor, offering a glimpse into the future of transpor tation
In keeping with
Acknowledging the critical role of industry suppliers, Busworld Turkey 2024 will host an a r r a y o f c o m p a n i e s s p e c i a l i z i n g i n a x l e s , brakes, charging systems and more, reinforcing the event as a one-stop shop for vehicle manufacturers and operators Visitors can filter on 179 product categories Notable international brands like ABB, Allison Transmission, Ballard, Brist-Axle, Cummins, Firedect, Green Energy Solarbus, Payeplast, Stonkam, Voith, Webasto, ZF, alongside Turkish pow-
erhouses such as Polaris, Doraglass, VKM Plastic, JVS, Farhym, Makersan, Altas Aluminum, Sege Seat, Transtek and many more will be featured, highlighting advancements in sustainability, technological and digital innovation
B u s w o r l d Tu r k e y 2 0 2 4 i s m o re t h a n a n exhibition; it is a vibrant hub for professionals to explore new technologies, engage with industry leaders and forge meaningful part-
The 10th edition of Busworld Turkey celebrates a major milestone with a completely sold-out exhibition
This year the event will host 157 exhibitors It is scheduled from May 29 to 31, 2024 at the Istanbul Expo Center
n e r s h i p s T h i s e d i t i o n p l a c e s a s p e c i a l emphasis on sustainability and digital developments, reflecting the industr y’s commitment to a greener, smar ter future
T h e a n t i c i p a t i o n i s b u i l d i n g a s t h e exhibitors and the Busworld team put the finishing touches on what promises to be an u n f o r g e t t a b l e e v e n t P r o f e s s i o n a l s f r o m Turkey and neighboring countries are invited to be par t of this pivotal industr y gathering
Secure your spot today by booking your tickets online, free of charge, and save time at the entrance Busworld Turkey 2024 is not just an event; it is where the future of the bus and coach industr y unfolds
F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n a n d re g i s t r a t i o n , v i s i t B u s w o r l d Tu r k e y ’s o f fi c i a l W e b s i t e : http://www busworldturkiye com
Irizar
After its launch in October last year at the Busworld Inter national Fair, the new Irizar i 6 S E f fi c i e n t H y d ro g e n h a s w o n t h e 2 0 2 4 Coach of the Year in Spain award
Imanol Rego, CEO of the Irizar Group, and Mikel Perez, the Irizar Commercial Director for Spain and Portugal, received the prize at the awards ceremony that was held January 24 at the Mdarid Novotel Hotel The event brought together businesspeople from the sector, members of the main industry associations and institutional representatives
“At Irizar we want to be a key actor in the mobility of the future To achieve that, we’re focusing all our effor ts on decarbonization and reducing the consumption and emissions of our vehicles We’re cer tain that the future will be multi-technological And the Irizar i6S Efficient Hydrogen, alongside the
While the typical London bus is still a double-decker painted red, it has been keeping up with technology Arriva London has recently ordered 87 Wrightbus battery-electric buses Included are 22 of the singledeck GN Kite Electroliners and 76 StreetDeck double-deck Electroliners
rest of the range of technologies available for our buses and coaches, is proof of that,” notes Rego “It’s a pioneering project that puts Irizar back at the technological forefront on the path to the sustainable mobility of the future,” adds Perez
Arriva London Orders
87
Wrightbus Electric Buses
rd e r w i t
e w b u s e s t o L o n d o n T h e o rd e r c o n s i s t s o f 1 1 s i ng l e - d e c k G B K i t e E l e c t r o l i n e r s a n d 7 6 S t r e e t D e c k E l e c t r o l i n e r s – t h e w o r l d ’s m o s t e f f i c i e n t b a t t e r y - e l e c t r i c , d o u b l ed e c k b u s
The buses, which will be operated on a number of routes around the capital, are due t o b e d e l i v e re d f ro m J u l y a n d w i l l f u r t h e r strengthen Arriva’s current zero-emissions bus fleet It comes on the back of an order t h e b u s o p e r a t o r m a d e l a s t y e a r w i t h t h e Nor ther n Ireland-based fir m for 34 StreetD e c k E l e c t ro l i n e r s a n d re p re s e n t s o n e o f the Arriva UK Bus’ largest investments in a z e ro - e m i s s i o n fl e e t T h e b u s e s a re b e i n g manufactured at Wrightbus’s headquarters in Ballymena, suppor ting hundreds of new high-skilled jobs to help level up and grow the economy
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO at Wrightbus, said: “This is another significant deal for Wrightbus and we are delighted to once again be partnering with Arriva in the drive to zero-emission public transport Arriva, like us, is consistently
on the forefront of new and exciting technology and zero-emission travel
“This latest deal fur ther strengthens the r e p u t a t i o n w e h a v e f o r g e d i n t h e z e r oemission transport sector and will help play an impor tant par t in the UK’s ambitions for decarbonization We can’t wait to see even more of our buses in operation in London, which will help passengers enjoy comfor table and cleaner transpor t ”
Marcos Hart, managing director London at Arriva UK Bus, said: “Ordering these new vehicles represents a fantastic milestone on o u r j o u r n e y t o m a k i n g o u r b u s n e t w o r k across London even greener The zero-emission fleet from Wrightbus will help us to cont i n u e d e l i v e r i n g t h e h i g h - p e r f o r m i n g a n d s u s t a i n a b l e p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t n e t w o r k t h a t our customers deserve ”
The StreetDeck Electroliner is the perfect combination of range and efficiency, maximizing power and offering class-leading recharge times Official assessments under taken at UTAC using the ZEMO-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test showed that the Electroliner achieved a result of 0 69 kWh/km –around half the energy consumed by its closest BEV double-deck UK rival and significantly b e t t e r t h a n a l l o t h e r B E V s i n g l e - d e c k b u s results published on the ZEMO Web site
Not only is it more energy-efficient, but according to ULEB calculations, the StreetDeck Electroliner also produces an impressive 86 percent less CO2 per km than the ZEMO Euro6 Diesel baseline Wrightbus has b e e n a t t h e f o re f ro n t o f t h e m o v e m e n t t o decarbonize public transport across the UK and Ireland with the Electroliner alongside i t s w o r l d - fi r s t h y d ro g e n d o u b l e - d e c k , t h e StreetDeck Hydroliner
Volvo Buses to Deliver 152 Euro 6 Coaches to Brazil
Viação Catedral, one of the largest pass e n g e r t r a n s p o r t o p e r a t o r s i n B r a z i l , i s r e n e w i n g i t s fl e e t a n d h a s o r d e r e d 1 5 2
Volvo B13R Euro 6 double-decker coaches f o r o p e r a t i o n o n l o n g - d i s t a n c e r o u t e s A l m o s t a l l o f t h e c o a c h e s f e a t u r e M a rc o p o l o b o d i e s
“ T h i s i s Vo l v o B u s e s ’ l a r g e s t o r d e r o f coach chassis in Brazil in recent years The B 1 3 R o ff e r s a l e a p i n t e c h n o l o g y t h a t w i l l support Viação Catedral with more efficient operations, reduced fuel consumption and improved safety,” says Paulo Arabian, Volvo Buses commercial director in Brazil
“ Tr u s t i n t h e b r a n d a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n , e f f i c i e n t a f t e r- s a l e s a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l advances were decisive in choosing Volvo Buses for the renewal of our fleet and prov i d i n g e v e n m o r e q u a l i t y, c o m f o r t a n d
Viação Catedral, a major operator in Brazil, has recently ordered 152 Volvo B13R doubledecker buses for use on long distance routes Almost all of the buses will have Marcopolo bodies The Volvo B13R chassis features a new engine offering more power with less fuel consumption, Volvo Engine Braking and an Electronic Stability Program
s a f e t y t o p a s s e n g e r s A t t h e s a m e t i m e , w e h a v e i m p r o v e d o u r o p e r a t i o n w i t h s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t c h a s s i s , m o r e m o d e r n , less polluting coaches with new technolog i e s , ” s a y s C l a y t o n V i d a l , p r e s i d e n t o f G ro u p C a t e d r a l
The Volvo B13R platfor m features a new engine that combines more power with lower fuel consumption It also offers new technologies that contribute to reducing operating costs, including an advanced engine cooling system and electric fans that only operate when required
The coaches are even safer with Volvo E n g i n e B r a k i n g P l u s , d e l i v e r i n g b r a k i n g power of 510hp, making it the most powerful b r a k i n g s y s t e m o n t h e c o a c h m a r k e t Another impor tant feature is Electronic Stability Program (ESP), a technology that dras-
t i c a l l y re d u c e s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f s k i d d i n g and rollovers In addition, the chassis have disc brakes with a fifth generation EBS electronic control system
A new, ergonomic dashboard and steering wheel, with Bluetooth and controls within easy reach, suppor t the driver The use of LNE60 steel also reduces weight and makes the chassis of the Volvo B13R the lightest option on the market
Viação Catedral was founded in Brasilia in 1985 and transpor ts 1 5 million passengers a year Sixty percent of its current fleet a r e Vo l v o b u s e s W i t h t h e a c q u i s i t i o n o f 1 5 2 Vo l v o c o a c h e s , i t o f f e r s o n e o f t h e youngest fleets in Brazil At least a third of t h e n e w V o l v o c h a s s i s w i l l b e r u n b y Flixbus, which is expanding its operations a c ro s s B r a z i l q
by Larry Plachno
Lier is located in northeastern Belgium and has a population of about 35,000 If you leave Lier and drive southeast on the N10 road, you will soon find yourself in a rural area After nearly six kilometers of driving, you will reach a traffic circle on the eastern edge of Koningshooikt If you go a quarter way around the circle and exit to the southwest, you will find yourself driving on t he appropriat ely-named Bernard Van Hool Straat. On your right will be the original home of the Van Hool family, now used f o r h o s p i t a l i t y, f o l l o w e d b y t h e Va n H o o l industrial buildings on both the right and left Visitors can stop to register at the gate
on the left If you continue ahead, you will find yourself in Koningshooikt with a population of about 4,300.
went home Some of the same happened on Tu
essentially idle and expected to be closed for two weeks Co-CEO Marc Zwaaneveld said that Van Hool’s bankruptcy is now unavoidable It is expected to take place about April 1 Keeping up with developments has been very difficult. Van Hool’s March 11 reorganization plan leads off the “News” section
of this issue but is now impossible Further d e v e l o p m e n t s w i l l b e f o u n d i n “ C u r i o u s Coachowner” on page 41. As we go to press in the week before Easter, we have a general idea of where things are going but there still are several unanswered questions
In common with most other bus manufacturers, Van Hool was badly hurt by the pandemic. The order book for coaches virt u a l l y d i s a p p e a re d a n d t h e c o m p a n y w a s forced to operate at a loss One source says that by 2022, Van Hool was in debt to four b a n k s – B N P P a r i b a s F o r t i s , K B C , B e l f i u s a n d I N G – i n t h e a m o u n t o f 2 0 0 m i l l i o n E u r o s T h i s n u m b e r h a s a p p a r e n t l y increased since then; some say doubled In addition, Van Hool would need another 15 million Euros for employee compensation for expected layoffs
The banks and the Flemish government were looking for some white knight with a b i g c h e c k b o o k t o s h o w u p t o b a i l o u t Va n Hool so it could go ahead with the proposed r e o r g a n i z a t i o n . T h i s h a s n o t h a p p e n e d . Although, the problem of compensation for layoffs seems to have eased since numerous other companies in the Koningshooikt area have expressed interest in taking on any Van Hool staff. At this point the banks appear to be unwilling to provide additional financing to Van Hool
Several people, including Zwaaneveld, h a v e s a i d t h a t p a r t o f t h e p r o b l e m i s a n i n a b i l i t y f o r Va n H o o l f a m i l y m e m b e r s t o work together. Company founder Bernard Van Hool had 10 children – eight sons and t w o d a u g h t e r s A l l e i g h t o f t h e s o n s w e re b ro u g h t i n t o t h e c o m p a n y. A f t e r B e r n a rd passed away in 1974, the family began splitting into separate branches Differences were held at bay for many years while the company expanded into the international market and sales grew.
In 1999, son Alfons suggested a more professional approach. That apparently fell on deaf ears so Alfons and his family left Following that the branches of sons Paul and Leon were bought out, leaving five sons and their families in control Then in 2003, Ingrid and Simone, the two sisters who had been left out originally, managed to get two-thirds of company shares placed in the custody of a notary to protect their interests. This means that major decisions must be approved by this notary
A p p a r e n t l y, t h i s b e c a m e a s t u m b l i n g block for the recent reorganization. An interesting side note is that the family owns the property and buildings, adding difficulty to any outside reorganization.
Some people have accused Van Hool of p o o r m a n a g e m e n t b e c a u s e o f p u t t i n g t o o
much effort into hydrogen fuel cell and not enough effort into battery buses based on c o m p e t i t i o n , i w o u l d d i s a g re e w i t h t h i s . t h e l e a d e r i n b a t t e r y b u s e s i s a c h i n e s e c o m p a n y n a m e d b Y D . t h e y o r i g i n a l l y s t a r t e d a s a b a t t e r y b u i l d e r a n d t h e n t h e chinese government encouraged them to g e t i n t o b u i l d i n g v e h i c l e s – f i r s t e l e c t r i c cars and then electric buses it is virtually impossible to compete with them in battery b u s e s b e c a u s e t h e y n o t o n l y b u i l d t h e i r o w n b a t t e r i e s b u t m a y b e s u b s i d i z e d b y the chinese government.
a c t u a l l y, va n h o o l h a d b e e n m o v i n g a h e a d i n t h e a r e a o f e l e c t r i c b u s e s . t h e y recently introduced their new a series electric transit buses and have already sold 400 –some battery, some hydrogen fuel cell and some trolley the recent Proterra bankruptcy has also not helped van hool since van hool was using their batteries and control systems on some of its buses
What started this concern at van hool was when Lydia Peeters from De Lijn, the l o c a l t r a n s i t o p e r a t o r i n b e l g i u m , b o u g h t b a t t e r y b u s e s f ro m b Y D r a t h e r t h a n va n h o o l b e c a u s e t h e va n h o o l p r i c e w a s 2 0 percent higher she has subsequently been chastised for this decision by several peop l e i n c l u d i n g t h e va n h o o l e m p l o y e e ’ s union
i should mention that both van hool and e u r o p e h a v e b e e n m o v i n g a h e a d w i t h hydrogen fuel cell buses van hool’s fuel cell experience dates back 20 years to when ac transit put three van hool fuel cell buses i n t o r e g u l a r t r a n s i t s e r v i c e . i n a d d i t i o n , h y d ro g e n f u e l c e l l p o w e r i s i n c re a s i n g l y b e i n g l o o k e d u p o n f a v o r a b l y f o r c o a c h e s because of its greater range and ability to be refueled quickly
Local Loyalty
several people have pointed out that a m a j o r d i f f i c u l t y f a c i n g va n h o o l i s t h e p ro b l e m o f h i g h e r w a g e s a n d o p e r a t i n g c o s t s i n b e l g i u m va n h o o l d i d f o l l o w o t h e r e u r o p e a n b u s m a n u f a c t u r e r s b y moving some production east in 2013 they b u i l t a m o d e r n f a c t o r y i n s k o p j e i n w h a t i s n o w o f f i c i a l l y t h e r e p u b l i c o f n o r t h Macedonia however, much of the production remained in Koningskooikt, belgium where wages and costs are higher and the o l d f a c i l i t y l e s s e ff i c i e n t i n r e t r o s p e c t i t a p p e a r s t h a t a t l e a s t p a r t o f t h e re l u c t a n c e t o m o v e m o re p roduction out of belgium was the commendable loyalty of the van hool family to belgium and their local staff. added to this is t h e f a c t t h a t t h e F l e m i s h g o v e r n m e n t h e l p e d w h e r e t h e y c o u l d O n e s o u r c e estimated that staff costs in belgium were nine times higher than in Macedonia this, combined with the older and less efficient facility, put van hool at a competitive disa d v a n t a g e
some of the recent timeline is mentioned on page 41 but here is a brief update.
F o l l o w i n g D e L i j n ’ s p u rc h a s e o f b Y D buses, Zwaaneveld was appointed co-ceO of van hool in mid-January to put the company back on its feet On March 11, van hool presented its recovery Plan that involved moving bus production to Macedonia and e l i m i n a t i n g t r a n s i t b u s p ro d u c t i o n a n d a substantial number of jobs in Koningshooikt
va n h o o l w o u l d h a v e l i k e d t o h a v e s e e n additional support from the banks and Flemish government, but the banks backed off and the Flemish government was reluctant instead, they wanted someone from the outs i d e t o s h o w u p w i t h a b i g c h e c k b o o k t o p a r t n e r w i t h va n h o o l t h i s n e v e r h a ppened
On March 14 Guido Dumarey, who has had some success in revitalizing companies in difficult financial straits, expressed interest
Van Hool did follow the lead of other European bus builders and established a production facility in Eastern Europe. Shown here is the Van Hool plant that is in Skopje in the Republic of Northern Macedonia This modern and efficient facility has been producing Van Hool buses and coaches for 10 years. nbt archives.
i n Va n H o o l W h i l e h e e v e n m e n t i o n e d retaining jobs in Koningshooikt, he said that Van Hool would have to declare bankruptcy and wipe out the old debt before anything could be done. On March 19 Van Hool petitioned the Commercial Court in Mechelen for a judicial reorganization procedure to obtain protection from creditors during a r e o r g a n i z a t i o n I t w a s s u g g e s t e d t h a t attempts to find a solution were thwarted b y t h e Va n H o o l f a m i l y f a i l i n g t o c o m e together in agreement As of March 27, the plan is to move ahead with bankruptcy on or around April 1
Current plans as we go to press are that Van Hool will declare bankruptcy on or about April 1 While this will effectively eliminate the 400 million Euro debt, it will also erase
the family equity in company stock and ownership. While this is seen as a very radical step, it will allow others to step forward who are interested in the company
there may be as many as three different groups interested in continuing Van Hool p ro d u c t i o n G u i d o D u m a re y i s s t i l l v e r y m u c h i n t h e r u n n i n g a n
interest in getting involved. It is noteworthy that he has talked about retaining most of the jobs in Koningshooikt by streamlining and standardization to improve production. A s
& Coach, an established bus builder primarily based in the netherlands with some production in belgium they currently offer both transit buses and coaches and have indicated t h a
those involved point out that there are some hurdles. One is that the Van Hool family retains ownership of the property, buildings and parking lots in both Koningshooikt and Macedonia this would require any new company to work with them if they wished to continue production at the same locations. A second concern is that many companies near Koningshooikt have expressed interest in offering employment to laid off Van Hool employees If they staff goes to work elsewhere, it may be difficult to lure them back to the bus factory
Stay turned for further developments. We undoubtedly will provide an update in the May issue of nAtIOnAL buS trADEr q
A new double-decker i s f r a m e d u p a n d ready for the next prod u c t i o n s t e p s a t t h e K o n i n g s h o o i k t f a ct o r y. T h e s e v e r a l buildings at Konings h o o i k t w e r e a d d e d o v e r t h e y e a r s a n d hence lack some of the e f f i c i e n c y o f a n e w factory However, the Belgian staff does do h i g h q u a l i t y w o r k . nbt
Your editor offers a big thank you to Shandra Martinez of UMA and Bus & Motorc o a c h N e w s a n d t o D a v e M i l l h o u s e r who provided information and photos, thus making this article possible
T h e 2 0 2 4 M o t o r c o a c h E x p o o f t h e United Motorcoach Association took place in Raleigh, North Carolina from February 4-7. As most of our readers are aware, this is the leading annual event for the private bus industry and its suppliers. This year ’s f u n c t i o n w a s s o m e w h a t u p b e a t s i n c e i t was increasingly obvious that the industry i s r e b o u n d i n g f r o m t h e p a n d e m i c . N e w p r i v a t e s e c t o r m o t o r c o a c h s a l e s w e r e e x p e c t e d t o re a c h 1 , 0 0 0 u n i t s i n 2 0 2 3 a n d o p e r a t i o n s w e r e e x p a n d i n g . O n e s o u r c e suggested that at least 900 attendees were a t t h e e v e n t .
One of the major attractions of this event is its many parts Meetings of other organizations, education sessions, a maintenance contest and even an informational gathering wit h enforcement people were scheduled
while a supplier t rade show t ook p lace in the big hall Here is information on some of the sessions and events scheduled during the show.
The affiliated meetings actually started before the Motorcoach Expo got underway. I M G s c h e d u l e d t h e i r M a i n t e n a n c e a n d Safety Forum from February 2-4 UMA registration actually opened on the morning of February 4 Scheduled early that afternoon was the Board Meeting of the Midwest Bus and Motorcoach Association UMA’s State A s s o c i
h
d u l e d l a t e r that afternoon. Discussions covered the mess of Emissions Regulatory Compliance and the general regulatory burden There was a negative feeling about the NYC Congestion Pricing scheme spreading to other cities At this point it appears that their regulations e x e m p t b u s e
agencies but not buses operated by private companies.
Kings Entertainment was the location of t h e e v e n i n g We l c
s transported attendees to this location in the
of activities Randy Angel of Temsa,
g h t . “ We p u t this venue together to make it an event that allowed us as an industry to all be together sharing stories, cocktails, food and maybe even a competitive game or two ” F e b r u a r y 5 s t a r t e d w i t h a c o n t i n e n t a l breakfast outside of the ballroom This was followed by the UMA Expo Opening with UMA’s Active Member Meeting and Legislative and Regulatory Update At 9 a m the UMA Maintenance Interchange opened and remained open all day
The first of the Education Sessions started a t 1 0 a m A t t e n d e e s s a y t h a t t h e s e s s i o n s were well attended. Three concurrent sessions covered: Using your bus company to invest in other businesses, How to deal with AI and managing your insurance program. At this same time a UMA Associate/Travel P a r t n e r M e m b e r s h i p M e e t i n g w a s s c h e duled as well as the National Association of Motorbus Owners board meeting
Following were three concurrent Educat i o n S e ssi o n s a t 11 : 1 5 a m I n c l u d e d w e re : New opportunities for bus operators, New faces and regulations at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Reading and Understanding Financial Statements
The UMA Luncheon was scheduled from 1 2 : 3 0 - 2 : 0 5 p m T h e k e y n o t e s p e a k e r a n d E S P N p e r s o n a l i t y w a s M a r t y S m i t h w h o spoke concerning the lessons he has learned about leadership from interviewing numero u s c o a c h e s i n t h e a t h l e t i c s w o r l d S m i t h s p o k e a b o u t t h e n e e d t o d e a l w i t h u n e xpected changes and find ways to power forw a r d . H e i n i t i a l l y s e r v e d a s a N A S C A R reporter for ESPN but had to pivot when a different network won the broadcast rights to NASCAR races.
Being open to finding a new path when presented with an opportunity is a lesson that has applications for many businesses and not just television reporters. Smith also had a radio show and transitioned to covering other sports including college football H e s h a r e d m a n y q u o t e s f r o m f o r m e r A l a b a m a f o o t b a l l c o a c h N i c k S a b a n , w h o talked about how to motivate people to perform at the top of their game There are leadership lessons not just for the head coach or C E O b u t a l s o f o r p e o p l e a t o t h e r l e v e l s o f leadership The keynote presentation was sponsored by Prevost
UMA’s Membership Committee Meeting was scheduled at 2:15 p m Three more c o n c u r re n t E d u c a t i o n S e s s i o n s s t a r t e d a t 3 : 1 5 p m T h e s e i n c l u d e d m a n a g e m e n t d e a l i n g w i t h s l e e p a p n e a a n d o t h e r s l e e p d i s o r d e r s t h a t a f f e c t d r i v e r s , u p c o m i n g events and the current migrant debate and a panel of experts talking about future bus power sources At this same time there was a h a l l t o u r f o r f i r s t t i m e a t t e n d e e s M o t o r C o a c h I n d u s t r i e s ( M C I ) h o n o re d t h e c o nt r i b u t i o n s o f Wa l t e r S t u r d i v a n t , w h o marked a half-century of service with MCI in April 2024
The ribbon cutting for the sneak preview took place at 4:15 and the tradeshow floor opened Reports are that the show floor was c r o w d e d w i t h a t t e n d e e s . M a j o r c o a c h builders sponsored the following After Party and Dinner.
February 6 saw the UMA International D r i v e r C o m p e t i t i o n s p o n s o re d b y L a n c e r Insurance and Prevost get underway There w a s a c o n t i n e n t a l b re a k f a s t a t 8 a m f o llowed by three concurrent Education Sess i o n s a t 8 : 3 0 I n c l u d e d w a s p a r t t w o o f understanding and reading financial statem e n t s , a s e s s i o n o n n e w t e c h n o l o g y a n d “Magic Boxes” for your fleet and a session o n m a i n t e n a n c e a n d m i n i m i z i n g b r e a kdowns
S c h e d u l e d a t 9 : 4 5 a . m . w a s t h e S e m iAnnual Members Meeting of the National
Association of Motorcoach Operators Three more concurrent Education Sessions were scheduled at the same time. Included was a session on preparing for and evaluating new opportunities, planning your marketing program and a repeat of a previous session concentrating on top driver/vehicle violations and out-of-service orders
A M a r k e t i n g C o m m i t t e e M e e t i n g w a s scheduled at 11 a.m. and was followed by lunch in the Exhibit Hall at noon The Environmental Leadership Award was presented at 3:30 p.m. at the MCI booth. Village Travel received the UMA Environmental Leader-
s h i p Aw a rd p re s e n t e d b y MC I T h e U MA
Aw a rd s G a l a g o t s t a r t e d a t 6 : 3 0 p m a n d was followed by a reception and dinner.
There was only a half-day of activities on February 7. The Risk Management Committee met at 8 a m followed by the L & R Committee Meeting at 9 a m National Interstate Insurance sponsored a brunch in the exhibit h a l l f ro m 9 a m t o n o o n A N e w M e m b e r Appreciation Affair took place at 9:30 a.m. while the CVSA Level 1 Inspection was held at 10 a m
Several different education sessions were scheduled on numerous topics. They were very well attended Here, on the afternoon of February 5, Ken Presley (left) and Randy Wilcox were involved in a discussion on a panel talking about future bus power sources. UMA
Attendees who were not taking advantage of the various education sessions and meetings could visit industry suppliers on the trade show floor Bus manufacturers and dealers had display stands on both sides of t h e s h o w f l o o r a s w e l l a s a l o n g t h e b a c k Here is some information on the buses on display.
Coach
gray with a blue design trim For more than a decade the J4500 has been the most popular coach on the American market With the n e w,
a s become so clean that people are questioning t h
ments by using alternative fuels
It was noted that many recent developments at MCI have centered around product i o n a n d s t a f f . F r o m t h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g standpoint there have been several improvements at their primary facility in Winnipeg. I n a d d i t i o n , t h e M C I f a c i l i t y i n P e m b i n a , North Dakota remains open and continues to finish “D” model coaches that are trucked d o w n f ro m Wi n n i p e g O r i g i n a l p l a n s f o llowing the acquisition by NFI were to close down Pembina and send this finishing work to New Flyer facilities in Minnesota However, keeping this facility open and busy has b e e n w a r m l y re c e i v e d b y t h e c o m m u n i t y w h e r e M C I i s f a r a n d a w a y t h e l a r g e s t employer.
The MCI people mentioned that the supp l y c h a i n s i t u a t i o n i s m u c h b e t t e r. P a r t s a v a i l a b i l i t y h a s i m p ro v e d w i t h a l t e r n a t e sources In addition to more service and support staff, MCI now fields more salespeople
Possible future expansion includes bringing M C I s e r v i c e t o t h e e x i s t i n g N F I f a c i l i t y i n Renton, Washington Anna Ávalo is now the new pre-owned coach manager and will be concentrating in that area.
O n t h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g s i d e , t h e re h a v e b e e n s e v e r a l i m p ro v e m e n t s i n h o s e s a n d similar components that may not be immed i a t e l y o b v i o u s . T h e m o s t r e c e n t n e w m o d e l w a s t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h e “ D ” m o d e l I S T V – I n m a t e S e c u r i t y Tr a n sp o r t a t i o n Ve h i c l e . T h i s i s t h e l a t e s t i n t h e o n g o i n g p l a n t o m o v e t h e “ D ” m o d e l coaches to the newer design that is similar t o t h e “ J ” m o d e l s e r i e s
Prevost
There were two buses in the Prevost area
One was Prevost’s popular H3-45 model that was painted gray and carried a big “100” on t h e s i d e c o m m e m o r a t i n g t h e c o m p a n y ’ s a n n i v e r s a r y T h e s e c o n d b u s w a s t h e recently-completed restoration of the first bus built by Prevost 100 years ago
E x p e c t e d l y, P re v o s t h i g h l i g h t e d t h e i r 100th Anniversary celebration Throughout 2024, Prevost is planning a series of special events to celebrate its 100 years
One of the most exciting elements is the recreation of Prevost’s 1924 wooden coach
Three generations of Eugène Prevost’s family – children, grandchildren, grand in-laws and great-grandchildren – dedicated thousands of hours to research, model, build and outfit the replica
The family located a period REO chassis in Tampa Bay, Florida, and brought it back t o S a i n t e - C l a i re . F ro m t h e re , p a i n s t a k i n g care was taken to craft a historically accurate coach The oak wheels were handmade, window, door and step mechanisms were agonized over, the wooden interior was hand varnished and bench cushions were
sewn.
Last but not least a name was chosen In honor of Eugène’s wife who supported him in all his endeavors – even going so far as to sew vehicle cushions – the 1924 coach was christened “Clarisse.” From January to May, Clarisse will travel to seven Prevost Service Centers in the United States and Canada
The 100th anniversary will culminate in September with two weeks of celebrations
For its luxury motorcoach owners, Prevost is hosting a seven-day homecoming rally in Quebec City. Following that, the activities shift to Sainte-Claire where Prevost’s manufacturing facility is located. The company’s employees and their families, customers and suppliers will enjoy an extravaganza that i n c l u d e s f a c t o r y t o u r s , a n a p p e a r a n c e b y Clarisse plus food and entertainment
“For Prevost, 2024 will go down in history but, more significantly, it’s a launching point as we continue our quest to deliver the ultimate experience for the next 100 years,” said Tremblay.
Some of the Prevost staff commented that it was somewhat coincidental that the adjac e n t b o o t h f o r t h e H e r s h e y b u s m u s e u m showed off a H5-60 articulated Prevost This was the model that started the “H” series and made a great addition sitting next to the two Prevost buses on display
TEMSA showcased two motorcoaches at the event One was the sleek 45-foot TS45 model in a stunning dark gray metallic finish, boasting luxurious leather seats and featuring a new addition of an e-fan system Exciting new features are on the horizon for this model
The other standout was the 30-foot TS30 motorcoach, designed with a limo specification interior and presented in sleek black with matching leather seats.
B o t h v e h i c l e s g a r n e r e d c o n s i d e r a b l e attention, receiving numerous compliments a n d p o s i t i v e f e e d b a c k f r o m a t t e n d e e s TEMSA sales have been increasing and the staff expects a good year in 2024
The TEMSA team was highly active and e n g a g e d t h ro u g h o u t t h e e v e n t , re a d i l y addressing inquiries and interacting with visi t o r s N o t a b l e f i g u re s s u c h a s t h e T E M S A North America managing director, parts manager, CSR customer manager, sales managers, a n d m a r k e t i n g m a n a g e r w e re a l l p re s e n t , ensuring a comprehensive and engaging experience for all who visited the TEMSA booth.
ABC Companies had a Van Hool CX45 on the show floor and a Turtle Top Terra Transit MD on display at the 2024 UMA EXPO.
T h e 2 0 2 3 / 2 4 C X 4 5 m o d e l o n d i s p l a y offered several electrical and lighting features including a new REI rear view camera, a n u p g r a d e d e x t e r i o r l i g h t i n g p a c k a g e , r e v i s e d a l t e r n a t o r s a n d a M V P s o f t w a r e update Body features included improved ventilation for the driver ’s window, a new p l a s t i c f u e l t a n k , a n u p d a t e d d u m p t a n k location and a standard rear window
C l i m a t e c o n t ro l u p g r a d e s i n c l u d e d a n updated AC filter/dryer, refrigerant tank, brushless electric radiator fans / LHS cooling and an engine mounted AC Enhancements in the interior involved new seat fabrics, extending the driver ’s area 4 7 inches, a n e w l a v a t o r y o r i e n t a t i o n o p t i m i z e d f o r passenger layout and available color changing ambient lighting New developments in safety consisted of new controls in electronics box and signal on MVP for the Kiddie fire suppression, improved safety standards on National Bus Trader / April, 2024
entrance doors and an electronic leveling c o n t ro l ( E L C ) T h e re w e re a l s o i m p ro v ements with the tires and wheels that incorporated a new generation TPMS (tire press u r e m o n i t o r i n g s y s t e m ) a n d a n e w (Firestone) air bellows
These updates are part of ABC’s comprehensive effort to enhance the driving and passenger experience This includes expanding the driver ’s and passenger area for more space and comfort, incorporating high-quality materials, a standard rear window for
improved visibility, stainless steel accents for durability and style, and the availability
engine compartment has been completely redesigned to make accessing and servicing
treatment systems the best in the industry.
The Turtle Top Terra Transit LD also had several improvements. It was now available on a Chevy or Ford chassis, both a 29-inch or 36-inch front door entry could be ordered,
Transit MD cutaway bus painted black and featuring a rear luggage compartment. On the right is a Van Hool CX45 model that showed several new features including a rear view camera, an upgraded exterior lighting package and an MVP software update DAVE MILLHOUSER
and it was available in either flat and lowered floor The frame structure offered a fivesided steel roll cage with rust inhibitor, the b o d y c o n s i s t e d o f a h i g h g l o s s o n e - p i e c e c o m p o s i t e
t e r i o r, t h e s i d e p a n e l s c o m e with UV protection and both front or rear wheelchair lift locations are optional
Daimler
Daimler Coaches North America presented the Mercedes-Benz Tourrider at the UMA Motorcoach EXPO The company exhibited a Mercedes-Benz Tourrider in the premium version It was a part of the Thrasher Brothers fleet, a longstanding Daimler customer out of Birmingham, Alabama.
Wi t h t h e M e r c e d e s - B e n z To u r r i d e r, Daimler Coaches North America chose to c o n d u c t a d d i t i o n a l v o l u n t a r y t e s t i n g t o demonstrate adherence to the roll over protection regulations set forth in the forthcoming Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard” FMVSS 227, which goes into effect in the second quarter of 2024 A voluntary test of body strength was conducted with the assistance of the German testing organization Dekra. In this way, Daimler Coaches North America is assuming a pioneering role in the North American touring coach industry
The new Mercedes-Benz Tourrider is precisely tailored to North American demands It is available as a three-axle, high-decker in the two model variants, Business and Premium, with a length of 45 feet (13 72 meters)
The Mercedes-Benz Tourrider Business model is built to meet higher standards among motorcoaches The Mercedes-Benz Tourrider Premium model is the luxury motorcoach that fulfills all the expectations of first-class travel
In addition to the high level of comfort, the focus is also on the safety of the vehicles thanks to innovative assistance systems A 360-degree camera system provides perfect all-around visibility when maneuvering and in tight spaces.
The motorcoaches also have Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA5) on board as standard. The world’s first emergency braking assistant for motorcoaches performs automated maximum full-stop braking for stationary and moving obstacles as well as for people A radar-assisted adaptive cruise control system maintains a safe distance even at cruise control speed
Assist with pedestrian detection This system warns the driver if, for example, pedestrians or cyclists are in the monitoring zone on the right-hand side of the touring coach. P
Mercedes-Benz OM 471 in-line six-cylinder engine from the global Daimler Truck engine family The engine has an output of 336 kW (450 hp) with a displacement of 12.8 l and achieves a maximum torque of 2,102 Nm
The Mercedes-Benz Tourrider impresses with a powerful technology package consisting of Common Rail direct injection with flexible X-Pulse high-pressure injection, charge air cooling, exhaust gas recirculation and SCR technology A power transmission is provided by the Allison WTB 500R torque converter automatic transmission, which has been proving its worth in North America for many years
D r. T h o m a s R o h d e , C E O o f D a i m l e r Coaches North America, is delighted with the high level of respect given to the Mercedes-Benz Tourrider models since their pres e n t a t i o n t w o y e a r s a g o : " M a j o r k e y c u stomers across North America have opted to purchase the Mercedes-Benz Tourrider, and the first repeat orders have been submitted We are very optimistic that the ramp-up will continue to develop positively in 2024 "
National Bus Sales, Inc.
The people from National Bus Sales had their Ultra Coachliner DXL large cutaway on the floor at UMA upfitted for motorcoach operators in mind with 54 passenger seats and a flush lavatory. To allow for more luggage capacity, the GVWR has been increased from 36,300 to 37,700
R i d e q u a l i t y i s i m p ro v e d w i t h m o t o rcoach rear airbags, ping tanks and larger air lines along with ride control Attendees were ab le t o see t h e fron t air b ag s over sp r in g s and the Valeo industrial A/C compressor u n d e r t h e h o o d N a t i o n a l B u s S a l e s h a s added trained technicians and sales staff to take care of their customers and are setting up tours around the country to bring a unit to customer locations. The factory is gearing up to increase manufacturing capacity that will speed delivery times in the future The National Bus Sales people said that excite-
ment about this product was growing and they are gearing up to grow with it
Other Buses
There were a few other buses on the show f l oor t h a t sh ou l d b e me n t i on e d. BY D di splayed a battery-electric powered coach The exterior was painted a white or light gray with an unusual pattern. It easily had the most unusual exterior graphics of all the buses on t h e s h o w f l o o r E x e c u t i v e C o a c h B u i l d e r s showed a large cutaway with some coach features As is typical at these shows, one corner was roped off for the Maintenance Competition The two buses in this area used for the c o m p e t i t i o n i n c l u d e d a Va n H o o l c o a c h painted black and lettered “Are you willing
to compete at your highest level?” and an MCI J4500 painted white with red trim
No bus trade show would be complete w i t h o u t a h i s t o r i c a l b u s o n d i s p l a y T h e M u s e u m o f B u s Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n / A A C A Museum was provided with a display area adjacent to Prevost Jimmy Hall of Venture Tours brought his 1991 Prevost H5-60 articulated to display on behalf of the museum This was the first of the Prevost “H” series models Venture continues to operated the 34-year-old, 72-passenger coach as part of its fleet. It was a huge hit with the attendees.
Six members of the museum were available to help in their booth. They were pro-
This large cut-
design Included were 54 seats, a flush lavat o r y a n d i n c r e a s e d luggage capacity DAVE MILLHOUSER
foundly grateful to Prevost who provided lots of support Clarisse, the reconstruction of the original 1924 Prevost bus, was adjacent to the museum display Clarise and some of h e r m o r e m o d e r n s i b l i n g s w i l l b e a t t h e Museum’s Spring Fling in Hershey, Pennsylvania on March 31 and June 1 The Spring F l i n g w i l l a l s o c e l e b r a t e P r e v o s t ’ s 1 0 0 t h anniversary
UMA announced during the event that the 2025 UMA Motorcoach Expo will take place in Oklahoma City, February 20-23, 2025
“We have consciously planned to move UMA Expo, the most equipped and focused motorcoach Expo in the United States, to a v a r i e t y o f c i t i e s t o b e n e f i t o u r m e m b e r s , small fleet and large fleet,” explained Expo Committee Chairman Scott Ricco “Heading west to Oklahoma City after the 2024 EXPO i n R a l e i g h c re a t e s a n o p p o r t u n i t y f o r a l l UMA members to meet in the West.”
"Oklahoma City is a vibrant city with lots to see and do. It is the 20th largest city in the country, yet also retains some of its cowboy c u l t u r e , ” s a i d U M A P a s t C h a i r m a n J e f f Polzien of his hometown “I moved here for college and never expected to spend the rest of my life enjoying this city. I look forward to seeing everyone in Oklahoma City February 20-23, 2025 ”
Located in the center of the country, Oklahoma City opened its new convention center in 2021 adjacent to Scissortail Park and near the vibrant Bricktown neighborhood With
the Omni hotel adjacent to the convention center and several other hotels nearby, attendees should experience a similar feel to the nearby hotels that we appreciated in Raleigh q
It is as inevitable after the first of the year as the approaching Groundhog Day and s t o re s s t o c k i n g s h e l v e s w i t h Va l e n t i n e items. Our long-standing readers approach u s a n d a s k f o r a s t a t u s re p o r t o n t h e b u s industry While we are flattered, we need to admit that our crystal ball may not be the best and our sources of information may not b e t h a t a c c u r a t e o r t h o r o u g h H o w e v e r, given those reservations, we will once again
share what we know and have heard as we move into the new year.
In general, it can be said that most of the coach people are positive about developments in 2023 While the pandemic was a major negative for the industry and we are still a ways away from returning to pre-covid days, at least we can say that new coach sales are up and much of the industry is moving again. On the transit end there appear to be mixed
emotions New transit bus sales seem to be going well, but the FTA recently called a meeting in Washington that mentioned concern because of a reduced number of heavy-duty transit bus builders and problems going into the future Following are comments on several specific topics or industry segments.
Anyone watching industry news is well aware that New York City has been moving
t o w a rd s a c o n g e s t i o n p r i c i n g p ro g r a m i n southern Manhattan that could get started as early as this spring. While there are a few similar programs in Europe, this would be the first in the United States. Theoretically at least, the program is designed to reduce pollution and congestion while generating money for the MTA – the transit agency running buses, rapid transit and trains in the New York City area
T h e i n i t i a l p ro p o s a l g e n e r a t e d a g re a t d e a l o f c o n c e r n b e c a u s e o n l y t r a n s i t a n d commuter buses would be exempted while all other buses, including school buses and tour buses, would have to pay to enter the c o n g e s t i n g p r i c i n g a re a w h i c h e ff e c t i v e l y stretches from the south side of Central Park to the southern tip of Manhattan at the Battery. This has led to some strong opposition from several bus industry leaders and organ i z a t i o n s T h e y s t ro n g l y s u g g e s t t h a t a l l buses should be exempt because they reduce both pollution and congestion
As we write this, we have not yet heard a final decision Some industry people suggest that the $36 charge is not going to make m u c h d i ff e re n c e t o a t o u r b u s H o w e v e r, t h e re a re o t h e r b u s i n d u s t r y p e o p l e c o ncerned that a negative decision could cause two problems in the future One would be t h a t i t cou l d se t a da n g e rou s p re ce de n t t o prompt future congestion pricing schemes in the United States to charge buses rather than exempt them because they help reduce pollution and congestion A second concern is that if buses are charged, then the congestion pricing plan becomes nothing more than a n e w f u n d i n g s o u rc e f o r t h e M TA T h e re are people suggesting that the feds and bus operators need to look at what the people w a n t i n s t e a d o f c o n t i n u i n g t o s u b s i d i z e a system that is out-of-step with reality. More on this in the section on Transit
Starting in 2023, we saw the mad rush to battery-electric buses starting to cool somew h a t I n e a r l y 2 0 2 4 , t h e F e d e r a l Tr a n s i t Administration held a meeting in Washington because of concerns in this area and pointed out that the number of heavy-duty transit bus builders was declining There appears to be no one reason behind this trend but rather several different reasons that have combined to reduce interest in battery-electric buses. Here are the trends we noted
1. Clean Diesel – A number of people in the bus industry are pointing out that the new clean diesel engines are indeed CLEAN Any remaining pollution they cause is in fact m i n i s c u l e T h e re m a i n i n g p o l l u t i o n i s s o small that expending money to clean it up makes no sense in light of other more pressing polluters including ships using bunker oil and Chinese coal mine fires.
What with battery-electric buses priced at twice that of clean diesel, going to batteryelectric buses to replace clean diesel ends up
Numerous people in the industry have noted that the new clean diesel engines are remarkably cleaner than decades ago. What little pollution remains is miniscule and close to being inconsequential compared with other pollution sources. This may be slowing the move to battery-electric because the cost difference is huge compared to the result MCI
paying a very high premium for achieving very little result One transit agency in the Northeast ended up replacing an old hybrid f l e e t w i t h n e w
c a u s e the new clean diesel buses were markedly cleaner than the old hybrids.
2. Going to Hydrogen – We are seeing an increasing number of domestic transit buses being ordered and delivered with hydrogen fuel cell power instead of battery-electric. At the same time, hydrogen power is starting to get popular in the coach market European and South American builders already have h y d ro g e n - p
Hydrogen may be a better solution for coaches because it seems to offer greater range and can be refueled just about as quickly as diesel. S e e t h e a r t i c l e i n t h e D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 3
NATIONAL BUS TRADER for additional details
In late 2023, the U S Government started i n v e s t i n g $ 7 b i l l i o n t o b u i l d s e v e n n e w hydrogen hubs in the United States In addit i o n t o b e i n g u s e d f o r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , t h e h y d r o g e n w i l l b e u s e d f o r o t h e r e n e r g y needs To some extent this represents moving in a new direction by an administration t h a t w a s h e a v i l y p u s h i n g b a t t e r y - e l e c t r i c power in the past
Recent months have seen increased interest in buses using hydrogen fuel cell power They are particularly attractive for coach operations since they offer greater range and are easily refueled. Irizar already has this hydrogen fuel cell coach on the road. IRIZAR.
3 National Power Grid – There have b e e n n u m e ro u s c o m m e n t s a n d w a r n i n g s that the United States has been moving faster t o e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s t h a n o u r o l d a n d f r a i l national power grid can handle. Predictions h a v e b e e n m a d e t h a t C a l i f o r n i a a n d e l s ewhere will run out of power if things continue. Several knowledgeable people have s u g g e s t e d t h a t w e n e e d t o r e b u i l d a n d i m p r o v e o u r p o w e r g r i d i n f r a s t r u c t u r e before taxing it even further. Some military people are warning that moving to much to electric power is effectively putting too many
from terrorists or enemies
4 Domestic Sourcing – There have also been concerns about the materials and manufacturing used to build batteries Mining and transporting these raw materials as well as battery manufacturing causes pollution that offsets the advantages of battery-electric buses There is also a concern that many of t h e s e m a t e r i a l s c o m e f ro m p l a c e s t h a t w e may not want to support One of the reasons why China became a leader in battery man-
The cost of charging infrastructure can be a stumbling block for operations moving to batteryelectric buses. Most of the bus builders, as well as other companies, offer help in this area, but the cost and space required need to be taken into consideration Some operations have put off moving to electric buses because of this. VDL.
The leading positive feature on the private coach side of the industry is the strong return of bus tours. Where places invited bus tours and the planners put them together, they seem to have been successful It has been suggested that part of the reason for their success is that many people were anxious to get out again following the pandemic. SETRA/DAIMLER.
ufacture is that other locations did not want that pollution in their back yard
Some people point out that a recent find o f s u i t a b l e r a w m a t e r i a l s i n t h e We s t e r n states may reduce dependance on foreign nations while others suggest that we may be better off looking for other power sources. Hydrogen offers a major advantage in being domestically sourced and possibly less burden on the power grid.
5 . S a f e t y – T h e r e s e e m s t o b e a n increasing concern over the safety of lithium ion batteries A battery-electric, double-deck bus nearly burned to the ground in London re c e n t l y f o l l o w i n g a f i re F o r t u n a t e l y, t h e p a sse n g e r s g o t o u t i n t i me b u t t h e re w e re r e p o r t s t h a t s i m i l a r b u s e s h a v e b e e n grounded
A major problem is that lithium ion battery fires are difficult to put out and require special equipment and training on the part of fire fighters It has been noted that both airlines and the post office have limitations on lithium ion batteries. Recently, the New York City Fire Department said that lithium i o n e q u i p m e n t i s n o w t h e i r b i g g e s t f i r e cause, replacing smoking cigarettes
6. Infrastructure – The infrastructure needed to support a battery-electric bus fleet is a concern for some operators Replacing a f u e l t a n k a n d f u e l p u m p s a re i n c re a s e d electrical input and charging stations Most of the transit bus builders offer assistance in this area to customers, but the cost to put all of this together is not insignificant There are transit operators who were moving towards battery-electric buses but held off because of the cost or space necessary for the necessary support equipment.
Coaches
T h e m a j o r i t y o f p e o p l e w e s p o k e w i t h said that 2023 was a positive year for private c o a c h o p e r a t i o n s . O p e r a t i o n s c o n t i n u e t o improve and expand and the outlook for the future is good According to our information here at NATIONAL BUS TRADER, 2023 was the f i r s t y e a r s i n c e t h e p a n d e m i c w h e re n e w coach sales reached 1,000 units While this is far from past record numbers, it does show that the industry is leaning in the right direction. Here are some comments on individual industry segments
B u s To u r s – T h e o n e s e g m e n t t h a t h a s h e l p e d t h e m o s t i n l i f t i n g t h e p r i v a t e b u s i n d u s t r y b a c k f r o m t h e p a n d e m i c i s b u s tours. There are reports that a few bus tours continued to run during the pandemic using m a s k s a n d p a r t i t i o n s . B y 2 0 2 2 , b u s t o u r s were leading a positive trend back up where places invited them to come and tour planners put together and ran tours. It probably helped a great deal that many bus tour pass e n g e r s w e re i s o l a t e d a t h o m e d u r i n g t h e pandemic and were anxious to get out and get on the buses again
M o v i n g i n t o 2 0 2 4 w e s e e m o r e o f t h e same Bus tours are doing well where they a r e i n v i t e d a n d w h e r e t h e t o u r s a r e planned and operated The only negativity w e s e e i s a l i t t l e re l u c t a n c e t o b r i n g t o u r s i n t o l o c a t i o n s t h a t h a v e b e e n k n o w n f o r violence The bus people will be unhappy i f t h e y h a v e t o p a y t h e c o n g e s t i o n p r i c i n g toll in new york city, but the general feeli n g i s t h a t t h e $ 3 6 f e e w i l l n o t k e e p b u s e s f ro m c o m i n g .
Scheduled Routes – Things seem to vary somewhat from place to place commuter routes are facing the same problems as transit operators. Some passengers retired during the pandemic and others began working from home hence, while most commuter routes are back running again, most have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels
prior to deregulation in 1982, most interc i t y b u s m i l e s w e re i n s c h e d u l e d s e r v i c e Since then, the majority of miles are in charters and tours The scheduled service portion of the industry has changed considerably in recent decades. Many routes have shifted to point-to-point operation rather than stops along the way We also note that the tradit i o n a l r o u t e o p e r a t o r s – g r e y h o u n d F l e x b u s a n d Tr a i l w a y s – a r e w o r k i n g c l o s e r t o g e t h e r f o r m u t u a l b e n e f i t . M o s t s c h e d u l e d r o u t e o p e r a t i o n s h a v e b e e n helped by the fact that they can offer immediate boarding without the airline type delay for security and free on-board Wi-Fi
What is interesting is that we are seeing different types of new routes start up lately There are some new routes providing service to rural areas, many of which receive a s u b s i d y r e c e n t l y, t h e re a re n e w ro u t e s t h a t f e e d i n t o s c h e d u l e d a v i a t i o n f r o m cities that have little or no air service We
A recent Federal Transit Administration meeting in Washington expressed concern over the declining number of U.S. heavy-duty transit bus builders. Novabus decided to leave the U.S. market and reportedly will close down their facility in Plattsburgh, New York when U.S. orders are complete. Proterra entered bankruptcy and its operations have been split into three segments and sold to new owners. nancy plachno.
also notice more coordination between various route operators
Charters – depending on who you talk to, charters may be the slowest segment of the intercity coach industry to return. Some people suggest that a leftover feeling from t h e p a n d e m i c t o a v o i d c l o s e c o n t a c t a n d maintain social distancing has not helped charters others say that the economy is to blame.
We have noted an increase in less typical charters for special reasons. contract charters for employment seem to be expanding
Up until Deregulation in 1982, scheduled service was the dominant private bus operation Since then, operations have changed in many places including moving away from long routes with more emphasis on point-to-point service. There were new routes starting up in 2023. greyhound
The Bay area is a hotbed of this type of activity although we have heard of contract charters to industrial locations or government facilities
Transit
Several different things seem to be going on in the transit industry as with the rest of the bus industry, there has been a trend away from battery-electric buses recently Some transit agencies have ordered and are operating hydrogen fuel cell buses a company in Italy is already offering a small bus that has both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell capabilities
There are also concerns about a declini n g n u m b e r o f h e a v y - d u t y t r a n s i t b u s builders in the united States. a recent FTa m e e t i n g i n Wa s h i n g t o n i n c l u d e d s e v e r a l operators and suppliers and covered this t o p i c . c a n a d i a n - b a s e d n o v a b u s re c e n t l y announced their intention to exit the american market Their transit buses were completed at their facility in plattsburgh, new yo r k t o c o m p l y w i t h B u y a m e r i c a p ro v isions. Statements indicate that the plattsb u rg h f a c i l i t y w i l l b e c l o s e d a f t e r t h e l a s t u S order is completed
Several people in the industry were also concerned about the recent bankruptcy of p ro t e r r a , a c o m p a n y t h a t w a s o n l y a b a ttery-electric bus builder Several bus opera t o r s w e r e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t p e n d i n g o rd e r s o r s u p p o r t a n d p a r t s f o r p ro t e r r a buses in their fleet Whether the sale of this division to phoenix will solve these probl e m s re m a i n s t o b e s e e n M u c h o f t h e b u s industry noted that proterra did not build a l a r g e n u m b e r o f b u s e s a n d t h e y w e r e m o re c o n c e r n e d a b o u t p ro t e r r a ’ s s u p p l y
o f b a t t e r i e s a n d c o n t r o l e q u i p m e n t O u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g i s t h a t t h e s e f e a r s h a v e b e e n s o m e w h a t s e t a s i d e .
A s s o m e w h a t o f a s i d e n o t e , w e d o s e e o t h e r n a m e s c o m i n g i n t o t h e t r a n s i t b u s b u s i n e s s A l e x a n d e r D e n n i s h a s a p a r t n e r b u i l d i n g t h e i r b u s e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e i r p o pu l a r d o u b l e - d e c k E n v i ro 5 0 0 i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s Va n H o o l ’ s w o r k o n a n e w f a c i l i t y i n e a s t e r n Te n n e s s e e w a s p a u s e d b y t h e p a n d e m i c b u t m a y w e l l re s t a r t a n d b r i n g t h e m i n t o t h e U S t r a n s i t b u s m a r k e t
Although ABC Companies is their distribu t o r f o r c o a c h e s , Va n H o o l m a y h a n d l e t r a n s i t s d i re c t l y.
One of the ongoing concerns of several o b s e r v e r s i s t h a t b o t h t h e f e d e r a l g o v e r nment and many transit agencies have been ignoring passenger trends for the past cent u r y I n 1 9 0 0 , s o m e t h i n g l i k e 9 0 p e rc e n t o f transit trips were on electric streetcars The r e m a i n d e r i n c l u d e d w a l k i n g , b i c y c l e s , m o t o rc y c l e s a n d c a b l e c a r s B y 1 9 2 0 , p a ss e n g e r s h a d s t a r t e d t o m o v e a w a y f r o m f i x e d ro u t e t r a n s i t a n d t o a o n e - s e a t r i d e that primarily involved personal automob i l e s
This trend has continued for a century By World War II some smaller communities could no longer afford a fixed route transit system and either quit or got some governm e n t h e l p . A s t i m e h a s m o v e d o n , o n l y larger cities have had the number of passengers needed to support fixed route transit but even they are having problems Today, only a very small percentage of Americans still ride fixed route transit.
Uber saw the trend to a one-seat ride and s t e p p e d i n . I t w o u l d b e d i ff i c u l t t o a rg u e with their success in providing what the people want Some smaller communities have gone to microtransit with varying degrees
One of the major problems facing the transit side of the bus industry has been the century-old trend away from scheduled routes and to a one-seat ride In recent years, Uber and its followers jumped into the market to take advantage of this trend and have been successful One questions whether the industry itself will morph in new directions to provide commuters with more of what they want
of success Kansas City continues their fixed route system but has eliminated fares When Washington, D.C. began talking about going with free transit fares, it was noted that the f i x e d ro u t e t r a n s i t b u s e s d o n o t g o w h e re some people want to go. The possibility of buying cars for these people came up
This is one of the concerns with the New York City Congestion Pricing System Since almost everyone has decided that they want a one-seat ride, why should the federal government and the transit operators keep looking for money to subsidize fixed route trans i t ? W
service for everyone instead of just a small percentage?
If you are looking for interesting ideas, I would suggest you look at Masdar City, a new zero-carbon city being built near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates The city plan is to eliminate personal cars and use a PRT people mover system for all transportation needs The system runs throughout the city with parts of it located under sidewalks. I n a d
d c a r s c a n b e loaded with cargo and deliveries going to businesses, restaurants and other places. I think there are videos on You Tube if you are interested q
St a r v e d R o c k L o d g e , l o c a t e d i n Oglesby, Illinois, is nestled in the middle of scenic Starved Rock State Park. In 2023, Starved Rock had as many visitors as Wrigley Field The main reason people c o m e t o s e e t h i s N a t i o n a l H i s t o r i c L a n dmark is because of its stunning sandstone canyons and seasonal waterfalls There are f o u r b l u ff s t h a t r i s e u p o u t o f t h e I l l i n o i s River to compose this unique destination Starved Rock Lodge is located on the west side of the park, high atop a bluff overlooki n g S t a r v e d R o c k I t i s t h e o n l y l o d g i n g facility located within the park. The Lodge, boardwalks, bridges and shelters were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1 9 3 0 s . S t a r v e d R o c k L o d g e i s a u n i q u e , a rc h i t e c t u r a l m a s t e r p i e c e w h i c h f e a t u re s t h e G re a t H a l l a n d t h e l a rg e s t t w o - s i d e d limestone fireplace in the Midwest
Group tours are most impressed with the Lodge’s Tribute to the Stars series of musical performances which includes more than 50 s h o w s f o r 2 0 2 4 . T h e t a l e n t e d s i n g e r s a n d p e r f o r m e r s t a k e g u e s t s o n a w a l k d o w n
m e m o r y l a n e w i t h t h e i r t r i b u t e s t o A l a n Jackson, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, The Statler Brothers and many more. The backdrop for performances is the historic Great H a l l S e v e r a l p e r f o r m a n c e s s h o w c a s e t h e t a l e n t o f t h e g r o u p . F o r e x a m p l e , o p e r a l o v e r s w
shiners is four-piece musical ensemble that specializes in audience participation A hot, buffet lunch is included in the ticket price and is served in the adjoining Starved Rock R oom Th e re i s
cock
l s Guests can also order delicious fudge, made a t t h e L o d g e ;
before the show concludes
Each year, Starved Rock Lodge has a varie t y o f s p e c i a
p o p u l a r i s Oktoberfest, which takes place in October, when fall colors are at their peak A German Band plays in the Great Hall where a stein hoisting contest brings laughs and tests of endurance from the contestants The buffet is filled with traditional German fare. Wine and beer tastings are also part of the fun
S t a r v e d R o c k L o d g e o f f e r s a m o n t h l y newsletter to keep everyone up-to-date on what is on the calendar. It is a great way to brief your group before you arrive To sign up, simply go to StarvedRockLodge com
Tro l l e y s p l a y a n i m p o r t a n t ro l e i n t h e tours offered by Starved Rock Lodge, prov i d i n g a c o m f o r t a b l e w a y t o g o o n B a l d E a g l e Tr o l l e y To u r s d u r i n g t h e w i n t e r m o n t h s a n d Wa t e r f a l l & C a n y o n To u r s i n the spring Summer months bring Land & Wa t e r c r u i s e s a b o a rd t h e E a g l e I p o n t o o n boat. This is a slow-paced cruise on the east side of St arved Rock St at e Park offering a view of the forests and wildlife from the Illin o i s R i v e r. N e w t h i s s e a s o n a r e L o c k & L u n c h o n t h e S a i n t e G e n e v i e v e R i v e r b o a t Guests get to experience a trip through the l o c k a t S t a r v e d R o c k a n d l e a r n a b o u t t h e importance of the Illinois Waterway Trolley t r a n s p o r t a t i o n t o a n d f r o m t h e d o c k i s i n c l u d e d i n t h e t i c k e t p r i c e f o r a l l w a t e r adventures Fall Colors Trolley Tours give v i s i t o r s a n u p - c l o s e l o o k a t t h e a u t u m n palette created by Mother Nature
Historic Trolley Tours give first-time visitors the perfect way to learn the rich history o f t h e S t a r v e d R o c k a re a T h e re i s a w i d e variety of unique destinations within LaSalle County which can complement the itinerary o f a n y g ro u p t o u r. T h e L o d g e a l s o o ff e r s y e a r- ro u n d g u i d e d h i k e s , c u s t o m i z e d f o r adventure seekers (lunch can be included) Customized side-trips might include a trip to see the two bison in residence at Buffalo Rock State Park or the LaSalle County Historical Museum If your group is interested i n l o c a l h i s t o r y, a g u e s t s p e a k e r c a n b e arranged to share his knowledge about how Starved Rock got its name and many more interesting facts about LaSalle County
T h e s e re n i t y o f a w a l k i n t h e p a r k i s a re a l i t y a t t h i s re l a x i n g d e s t i n a t i o n S o m e -
t i m e s , t h e b e s t g e t a w a y i s o n e w h e re y o u c a n e x p l o re t h e f o re s t a n d re c o n n e c t w i t h nature Hundreds of wildflowers blossom i n t o b l o o m b e t w e e n A p r i l a n d O c t o b e r A wide variety of birds migrates through this p a r t o f t h e “ M i s s i s s i p p i F l y w a y ” a n d American White Pelicans are among those w h o s t a y t h e l o n g e s t T h e g e o l o g y o f t h e St. Peter Sandstone found here is noteworthy Hiking and River Guides explain how t h i s i s a u n i q u e c o m p o n e n t o f t h e l a n ds c a p e a n d w h y i t i s a n i m p o r t a n t n a t u r a l re s o u rc e
S t a r v e d R o c k L o d g e h a s c o m f o r t a b l e g u e s t ro o m s i n t h e L o d g e , a n i n d o o r p o o l c o m p l e x w i t h a h o t t u b a n d s a u n a s , p l u s c a b i n s i n t h e w o o d s T h e G i f t S h o p i s a favorite destination to find apparel, books,
j e w e l r y, c o ff e e m u g s a n d m o re . T h e re i s a bar called the Back Door Lounge, a restaur a n t a n d C a f é o n t h e p ro p e r t y Tr a i l h e a d s C o n c e s s i o n s i s l o c a t e d w i t h i n t h e S t a r v e d R o c k S t a t e P a r k Vi s i t o r C e n t e r A s t e e l s t a i rc a s e l e a d s f ro m t h e L o d g e t o t h e Vi si t o r C e n t e r a s w e l l a s t o t r a i l s l e a d i n g t o S t a r v e d R o c k , Wi l d c a t C a n y o n , L o v e r ’ s L e a p a n d E a g l e C l i ff . Vi s i t o r s c a n w a t c h t w o s h o r t d o c u m e n t a r y f i l m s o n t h e h i st o r y o f S t a r v e d R o c k S t a t e P a r k a n d t h e C i v i l i a n C o n s e r v a t i o n C o r p s O u t d o o r dining on the Veranda in summer months o f f e r s a s t u n n i n g v i e w o f o n e o f s c e n i c L a S a l l e C o u n t y a n d t h e I l l i n o i s R i v e r Va ll e y A m u l t i - n i g h t s t a y e n h a n c e s t h e experience of a visit to Starved Rock, maki n g i t m o re t h a n a d a y t r i p – i t i s a l a s t i n g m e m o r y q
If your motorcoach is involved in a serious accident, the title of this articles is not what you want to hear the plaintiff ’s counsel i n c l u d e i n h i s o r h e r c l o s i n g a r g u m e n t U n f o r t u n a t e l y i t i s n o t o f t e n e m p l o y e d –except when I am on the plaintiff ’s side of such a case and I am given permission to dig d e e p l y i n t o t h e c a s e W h e re b i g m o n e y i s involved, experts are usually permitted to actually do some work.
U n l e s s o n e l i v e s i n a m a j o r c i t y, t h e s e t h i n g s rarely happen in the town practically next door
One anomaly about catastrophic motorc o a c h a c c i d e n t s i s t h a t , u n l e s s o n e l i v e s i n a m a j o r c i t y, t h e s e t h i n g s r a re l y h a p p e n i n t h e t o w n p r a c t i c a l l y n e x t d o o r A f e w m o n t h s a g o t h e l o c a l n e w s e x p l o d e d w i t h guesses and (mostly) questions about one t h a t o c c u r re d o n l y a f e w m i l e s a w a y f ro m my home – about 90 minutes northwest of N e w Yo r k C i t y – re f e r re d t o a s t h e F a r mi n g d a l e B u s A c c i d e n t ( w h i c h o c c u r re d o n I n t e r s t a t e 8 7 w e s t b o u n d , n e a r M i d d l etown (Farmingdale is the city of the trip’s o r i g i n . ) I n u n d a t e d w i t h l i m i t e d i n f o r m at i o n a n d l o t s o f s p e c u l a t i o n , I d e c i d e d t o i n v e s t i g a t e a b i t f u r t h e r – a n d a m s t i l l a w a i t i n g a f i n a l re p o r t a b o u t i t w h e n t h e N a t i o n a l Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n S a f e t y B o a r d e v e n t u a l l y re l e a s e s i t
Fortresses and Breeches
There are a handful of simple and important reasons why motorcoaches are so safe and major accidents are so rare A major one is their mass: Impact forces between colliding vehicles are crudely proportional to the i n v e r s e o f t h e s q u a r e o f t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e masses In plain language, if a 5,000-pound S U V c o l l i d e s w i t h a 5 0 , 0 0 0 - p o u n d , f u l l y loaded motorcoach, the impact forces on the SUV are not ten times those exerted on the c o a c h T h e y a r e a h u n d r e d t i m e s t h o s e e x e r t e d o n t h e c o a c h C o n v e r s e l y, t h o s e e x e r t e d o n t h e c o a c h a r e a h u n d r e d t h o f those exerted on the SUV
T h e n t h e re i s t h e s t r u c t u re . To a c c o mm o d a t e t h o s e w h o d o n o t l i k e f o u l l a ng u a g e , m o t o rc o a c h e s a re b r i c k o u t h o u s e s [ s i c ] o n w h e e l s T h e i r t h i c k f r a m e m e mb e r s , i n c l u d i n g m a n y o b l i q u e / d i a g o n a l m e m b e r s a b s o r b i m p a c t f o rc e s O f e q u a l m a s s t h r o u g h o u t t h e v e h i c l e ( k n o w n a s “ i n t e g r a l c o n s t r u c t i o n ” ) , a m o t o r c o a c h c a n n o t c o m e a p a r t i n a c o l l i s i o n l i k e a n a u t o m o b i l e o r b o d y - o n - c h a s s i s b u s o r m i n i b u s c a n ; t h e s t r u c t u r e c a n o n l y d e f o r m T h e g l a s s ( c e r t a i n l y t h e w i n ds h i e l d ) i s o f t e n s h a t t e r p r o o f ( i t c a n o n l y s p i d e r w e b ) E i g h t o v e r s i z e d r u b b e r t i re s support it in normal operating conditions A r e i n f o r c e d r o o f w i t h c r o s s m e m b e r s s p a n n i n g i t t y p i c a l l y a t t w o - f o o t i n t e r v a l s supplements the sheet metal, Thus the roof g e n e r a l l y d e f o r m s d u r i n g e v e n a 1 8 0degree rollover, although the deformation i s o f t e n m i n i m a l . F i n a l l y, t h e f o r w a rd - f a ci n g - o n l y s e a t s a re g e n e r a l l y p a d d e d , a n d p a s s e n g e r s a r e n o t p e r m i t t e d t o r i d e a s standees (a few transit agencies deploying t h e m m a k e e x c e p t i o n s ) .
Every incident does not involve a collision There are other vulnerabilities These re l a t e m o s t l y t o f a i l u re s i n m a i n t e n a n c e –sometimes reflecting a lack of resources, a lack of effort or what attorneys term “reckless disregard ”
Then, of course, there are drivers, whose fatigue is marginally regulated in this country and whose wages lie far below the level necessary to consistently engage those who might prefer a reasonably comfortable life
A c c o r d i n g t o a l o c a l H u d s o n Va l l e y newspaper, The Times Union, the “Farmingdale Bus Accident” of September 21, 2023, w h i c h k i l l e d t w o t e a c h e r s , a n d c r i t i c a l l y injured five students on a field trip to a band camp, was transporting 40 students and four adults ABC TV news quickly suggested that a blown front tire was a factor in the incident, but considered it “premature” to attribute i t a s a c a u s e . ( F o r a g o o d p h o t o , s e e https://www timesunion com/hudsonvalley/news/article/farmingdale-bus-crashaccident-report-ntsb-18423860 php) NTSB Investigator John Humm suggested that the vehicle’s operating company and constraints to timeliness of emergency response were a l s o f a c t o r s – a l t h o u g h t h e l a t t e r o f t h e s e seems curious given only two fatalities (both passengers were seated in the same frontal area) and the fact that all the other injured
passengers recovered (most fully) – the first of curiosity is that the coach did not collide with anything, but rolled over laterally But the median strip into which it rolled was a deep ravine.
A c c o rd i n g t h e fi n d i n g s t h a t t h e N T S B i n s i s t e d w e re o n l y p re l i m i n a r y, t h e c o a c h crossed over from the right lane of a divided h i g h w a y a n d c r a s h e d t h ro u g h a ro a d s i d e c a b l e b a r r i e r, t u m b l e d d o w n t h e s l o p e d m e d i a n a n d c a m e t o re s t o n i t s c u r b s i d e , roughly about 50 feet from the left-hand border of the left, westbound lane Frankly, this scenario – crossing from the right lane to roll over beyond the left lane, and especially the e x i s t e n c e o f a r o a d s i d e c a b l e b a r r i e r –seemed farfetched
I n i t i a l b l a m e w a s a l s o p l a c e d o n t h e a b s e n c e o f a c r a s h g a t e o n t o t h e f re e w a y, whose presence would have allegedly sped u p t h e re s p o n s e t i m e o f re s c u e v e h i c l e s –a l t h o u g h t h e s u p e r fi c i a l e v i d e n c e d i d n o t explain how their arrival five to 10 minutes earlier would have mattered (Of course, a bill to install a means of more quickly circumventing a nearby crash gate or two was quickly introduced.) Frankly, I do not recall e v e n k n o w i n g a b o u t s u c h a f e a t u re N o w that I do, I fail to understand why it would take rescue personnel five to 10 minutes to u n l o c k o n e . S o m u c h f o r i n i t i a l i n v e s t i g ations, disclaimers notwithstanding
The coach was inspected
b a r e l y a m o n t h e a rl i e r a n d p a s s e d t h a t inspection
The preliminary investigation found that the operator was on the state’s list of “unacc e p t a b l e o p e r a t o r s ” f o r f a i l i n g fi v e o f 1 5 semi-annual department inspections over the past year Yet apparently purchased used b y t h e o p e r a t o r, t h e c o a c h w a s i n s p e c t e d b a r e l y a m o n t h e a r l i e r a n d p a s s e d t h a t inspection – illustrating either how insufficient or superficial inspections are or how quickly and irregularly some safety-related features of large vehicles can deteriorate. In a number of random roadside inspections since 2021, the coach passed each time
While the news media quickly blamed the rollover on a blown front tire, there was no evidence of any obstacle on the freeway that could have immediately punctured the tire, much less to practically blow it apart F u r t h e r, i n i t i a l T V i m a g e s o f t h e c o a c h showed both front tires to be round Even if u n d e r i n fl a t e d , t h e y w e r e c l e a r l y n o t “blown ” In fact, the best shot showed that the front tires were not even turned Otherwise, if the tire (or an outside rear tire) were simply defective or under- or over-deflated, this should have been observed during the driver ’s pre-trip inspection
Even for rear dual bus, truck and coach tires, stem extensions (there are other names f o r t h i s d e v i c e ) p e r m i t d r i v e r s t o m o n i t o r the pressure of inboard tires Many coaches c o n t a i n o n b o a r d t i r e p r e s s u r e m o n i t o r s , mounted to the dashboard I do not know if this coach had such equipment – but if it did, it does not sound as though such equipment would have been helpful in predicting a tire blow-out, particularly given the pristine condition of the roadway surface
N o t y e t k n o w i n g t h e d e t a i l s , a s n o t e d , i t h a s a l w a y s b e e n t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f NHTSA that far more incidents are caused b y d r i v e r f a i l u r e o r n e g l i g e n c e t h a n b y v e h i c l e f a i l u r e s . M y e x p e r i e n c e a s a n e x p e r t w i t n e s s i n r o u g h l y 7 0 0 l a w s u i t s i n v o l v i n g e v e r y g r o u n d t r a n s p o r t a t i o n m o d e h a s b o r n e t h i s o u t – w i t h t h e s i n g l e e x c e p t i o n o f w h e e l c h a i r a n d p a s s e n g e r securement equipment, often deliberately s a b o t a g e d o r re c k l e s s l y u n m a i n t a i n e d i n modes like NEMT service because the hapl e s s b ro k e r s w h o c o n t ro l t h e s e r v i c e o n l y pay the service providers when the vehicle i s m o v i n g T h i s p a r t i c u l a r f a i l u r e i s a n exception restricted to only a single mode O t h e r w i s e , a p a r t f r o m p r o b l e m s w i t h b r a k e s , s t e e r i n g s y s t e m s o r s u s p e n s i o n s y s t e m s ( o f w h i c h t i r e s a r e a n i n t e g r a l p a r t ) , t h e r e a r e f e w v e h i c l e f e a t u r e s o r components capable of causing an incident a s s e v e r e a s a r o l l o v e r o n a d r y, l e v e l s t r a i g h t a w a y o n a c l e a r d a y
One curious observation is evident from a p h o t o o f t h e v e h i c l e p l a c e d b a c k o n t h e roadway on its tires Not only, again, did this image reveal no tire damage (from this view – s e e n o t e b e l o w ) , b u t t h e e n t i re f ro n t c a p was completely shredded (accident reconstructionists foolishly removed the components from the ravine and piled it up on the roadway directly in front of the coach). More curiously, the windshield and upper part of the front plane looked more damaged than the bumper – which appeared spliced near i t s m i d s e c t i o n . T h i s d a m a g e c o u l d e a s i l y have occurred if the front of the coach was the first part of it that struck the bottom of
the ravine (despite the coach having rolled over onto its street-side) When removed, the front door looked intact – with no deformat i o n O t h e r d a m a g e – t o rq u e d b o d y, s h a ttered passenger windows, deflated left-front t i r e , e t c – a p p e a r e d t o b e n a t u r a l c o n s eq u e n c e s o f t h e v e h i c l e ’ s r o l l i n t o a s t e e p ravine
T h e re w a s l i t t l e i n f o r m at i o n a b o u t t h e c o n d i t i o n of the driver.
A t t h i s p o i n t i n t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n , n o t s u r p r i s i n g l y, t h e re w a s l i t t l e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e c o n d i t i o n o f t h e d r i v e r w h o , while seriously injured, survived the incid e n t I n s u c h c o n d i t i o n , o f c o u r s e , a re as o n a b l e d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f f a t i g u e w o u l d h a v e b e e n d i ff i c u l t t o a s c e r t a i n ( t h e i n c id e n t o c c u r r e d a t r o u g h l y 1 p m , a n u n u s u a l t i m e f o r a f a t i g u e - r e l a t e d c o mm e r c i a l v e h i c l e i n c i d e n t ) – a l t h o u g h n o information about the results of any blood or urine tests were revealed, nor were any i m p a i r m e n t s f r o m a m e d i c i n a l s o u r c e , l e g i t i m a t e o r i l l e g a l , d i s c l o s e d
According to CNN, the first TV station on the scene, a lawsuit was quickly filed –a s o n e w o u l d e x p e c t – b y t h e p a re n t s o f a student severely injured, naming both the m o t o r c o a c h c o m p a n y a n d t h e d r i v e r D e s p i t e f e w e y e w i t n e s s a c c o u n t s , o n e motorist claimed that the vehicle was traveling at a speed that would induce it to veer off the road – a straightaway at the point of departure, which makes such a departure unlikely (other than if its left tire had suddenly blown out).
As one might suspect, at the early stages o f a n e x a
t –again, I was drawn to it largely because of its proximality to my home and office – poor speculation greatly outweighed meaningful clues. Also, given the interests of the media and press audiences along with the absence of meaningful clues, far more of the coverage dealt with the victims – again, two of whom were killed and five of whom were critically injured – than the mechanics of the crash
The lack of clues is not by itself meaningl e s s . T
straight, level, dry and with perfect visibility. This lack of clues actually does suggest an i m p o r t a n t c o n c l u s i o n : I t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t s o m e t h i n g e x t r e m e l y m i n o r o r h i g h l y unusual caused the incident. It is possible t h a t n o g e n u i n e c a u s e o f i t m a y e v e r b e found – although the NTSB will almost certainly find someone or something to blame it on.
If nothing else, the entire appendices of many NTSB reports contain hundreds upon h u n d re d s o f re c o m m e n d a t i o n s t h e B o a rd h a d m a d e t o N H T S A i n t h e p a s t w h i c h NHTSA failed to implement – recognizing, o f c o u r s e , t h a t C o n g re s s m u s t a p p ro v e o f anything NHTSA recommends for implementation It is possible that what the future reveals about this horrific and now-puzzling incident may lie along a long spectrum of things meaningful, trivial or non-detectible – the latter of which would effectively term the incident an “accident ”
Often, evidence is subject to interpretation
problems (other than speculation about the tire, no witnesses among either passengers or fellow-motorists of erratic driving, and
While our litigious society always seeks fault – and, as noted, lawsuits have already b e e n fi l e d i n t h i s c a s e – i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o the principle of fault that there may simply not be any. The cliché “accidents happen” i s a s l o p p y c l i c h é t h a t i s f a r m o r e o f t e n overused than it deserves to be It is not necessarily always wrong The rarity of motorcoach incidents (and occasionally genuine accidents) always begs for an explanation I t i s i m p o r t a n t t o re m e m b e r t h a t i n a f a i r s o c i e t y t h a t c a r e s a b o u t a c c u r a c y r a t h e r than blame placing (which is not exactly a valid description of America), it is better to fi n d n o e x p l a n a t i o n t h a n t h e w ro n g o n e For decades now, DNA testing has proven that law enforcement agencies often prefer to blame a party, or parties, not remotely at fault than to blame no one The civil branch of our justice system – a greatly flawed system of which I am regularly critical – does not exactly have great tools, at the moment, for determining accuracy The zealousness of fault finding and blame placing is often skewed by the whims and randomness of c h e a p , l a z y a n d o f t e n c r o o k e d a t t o r n e y s and their all-too-common parrots and shills engaged as “expert witnesses ” In this environment, the liars often enjoy a good chance of “ruling the day ” Often, evidence is subj e c t t o i n t e r p re t a t i o n O f t e n t h e re i s l i t t l e evidence
I n t h e F a r m i n g d a l e B u s A c c i d e n t – a n accident or incident where not a single fra-
grant of a clue emerged from its initial examination (including the participation of seven NTSB officials – unless they felt it prudent t o n o t r e v e a l e v i d e n c e o r h u n c h e s t o t h e press and media), it is the hope that some meaningful and honest information emerges from the detailed examination that taxpayers h o p e f o r, a n d w h i c h , a s a re s u l t , p re v e n t s anything similar from happening again. If such information does not emerge, we will be better served if the powers that be refrain from a round of pin-the-tale-on-the-donkey that will benefit no one and harm those not responsible
The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of National Bus Trader, Inc or its staff and management q
Ned Einstein
president of Transportation Alternatives (www transalt com [1]), a p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n w i t n e s s fi r m . Einstein (einstein@transit com) specializes in catastrophic motorcoach accidents
Number 304 of a Series
“ T h e C u r i o u s C o a c h o w n e r ” i s a q u e s t i o n a n d a n s w e r c o l u m n t h a t p ro v i d e s s i m p l e a n s w e r s t o s i m p l e q u e s t i o n s t h a t a re t o o shor t to warrant a full ar ticle or inclusion in one of our regular columns We will accept re a s o n a b l y s i m p l e t e c h n i c a l o r h i s t o r i c a l questions on coaches, buses or even conver ted coach shells by letter, fax, e-mail or phone If our staff is unable to answer them, w e w i l l c a l l u p o n o u r p a n e l o f e x p e r t s Names and addresses should be submitted w i t h y o u r q u e s t i o n s , b u t w e w i l l w i t h h o l d n a m e s f r o m p u b l i c a t i o n o n r e q u e s t W e reserve the right to modify questions to make them more useful to our readers
Q What is going on with Van Hool?
A Van Hool became the major industry topic by March following several news releases a n d a n n o u n c e m e n t s T h e b a c k g r o u n d behind this has been going on for years, but i t d i d n o t b e c o m e o b v i o u s u n t i l re c e n t l y Things are still developing as of our deadline, but here is some of the story on what is happening
Several people would say that the situation came to light recently when De Lijn, the local t r a n s i t o p e r a t o r i n B e l g i u m , o r d e r e d 9 2 batter y-electric buses from BYD, the Chinese company, rather than local bus builder Van Hool The reason given for the decision i s t h a t Va n H o o l ’s p r i c e w a s 2 0 p e r c e n t higher than BYD’s price
Van Hool’s four bank creditors and the local government became concerned As a result, Marc Zwaaneveld was appointed Co-Chief Executive Officer alongside existing CEO Filip Van Hool in Januar y Zwaaneveld has s u b s t a n t i a l p a s t e x p e r i e n c e w o r k i n g w i t h companies to get them back on a profitable track Among other things it was noted that Van Hool’s order book has declined since the pandemic
There were several newspaper articles talking about family squabbles and poor management, but what eventually developed is that it became obvious that it was difficult to compete in Belgium because of the high cost of wages, utilities and other things
As many of our readers know, this is nothing new and several bus manufacturers have b e e n m o v i n g t o E a s t e r n E u r o p e t o t a k e
advantage of lower wages and operating costs Temsa was already in Turkey and was j o i n e d b y M A N a n d N e o p l a n a s w e l l a s Daimler Solaris was located in Poland and Volvo began building there decades ago
Van Hool had already made a move in this direction in 2013 by opening up a new and moder n facility in Macedonia While some coach production moved to the new plant, other bus and the tanker truck production remained in Koningshooikt, Belgium
One report suggested that hourly labor rates in Macedonia were only $5 60 while those in Belgium were $45 The staff in Belgium would have to be nine times as productive in order to be competitive This was not happening and hence Van Hool was having diffi c u l t y c o m p e t i n g w i t h p r o d u c t i o n i n Belgium
B y m i d - M a r c h , a b a s i c p l a n h a d b e e n offered Coach production would continue i n M a c e d o n i a K o n i n g s h o o i k t w o u l d c o ntinue to build the tanker trucks, which were less prone to competition, and would continue with research, development and management Transit bus manufacturing would be eliminated, leading to an immediate loss o f a b o u t 8 3 0 j o b s i n B e l g i u m t h a t w o u l d eventually grow to a total reduction of 1,100 staff members
What the creditors are looking for is some company to step forward and provide about $ 4 9 m i l l i o n t o p a r t n e r w i t h Va n H o o l a n d c o v e r t h e c o s t o f t h i s
payments to the employees laid off It has been suggested that the obvious alternative to this is liquidation
This is where things stood as our deadline a
mentioned
One is that Van Hool owns more than onethird of ABC Companies, their distributor in America Coach sales in the United States are a major share of Van Hool business and a significant share of the U S coach market
A s e c o n d i s t h a t Va n H o o l w a s b u i l d i n g a b u s p l a n t i n e a s t e r n Te n n e s s e e w h e n t h e pandemic hit There have been concer ns t h a t t h e re a re o n l y t w o h e a v y - d
bus builders in the United States so several p e
pleted and star t production BYD is less of a factor on this side of the Atlantic
A third concern is that the number of heavyduty transit bus builders has been dwindling lately Novabus pulled out of the U S market, Proterra went bankrupt and REV Group is shutting down ElDorado-National People are asking whether the U S is following Belgium in being unable to compete in this area because of high wages and costs
Q. Was that San Diego bus fire caused by a lithium-ion battery?
–– Reader in California
A The repor ts we found indicated that the fire broke out at about 7 a m in a garage on K e t t n e r B o u l e v a r d i n S a n D i e g o T h e y re p o r t e d t h a t t h e c a u s e w a s a l i t h i u m - i o n batter y in a bus that had ignited
Firefighters took an “extended time” to exting u i s h t h e fi re b e c a u s e o f t h e b a t t e r i e s A hazardous materials crew was called to the scene Three hybrid buses were repor ted as damaged, but no injuries were reported
Q. What is the story behind bus procurement changes?
–– Several Readers
A A special Federal Transit Administration m e e t i n g w a s h e l d a t t h e W h i t e H o u s e o n F e b r u a r y 7 t o d i s c u s s c o n c e r n s o v e r t h e declining number of heavy-duty transit bus b u i l d e r s i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s N o v a b u s decided to pull out of the U S market and close their Plattsburgh, New York plant Prot e r r a w e n t b a n k r u p t a n d R E V G r o u p a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e y w e r e c l o s i n g t h e ElDorado-National assembly line This left only Gillig and New Flyer currently building heavy-duty transit buses
In March, several senators from Alabama, Minnesota, North Dakota and Pennsylvania f o r m e d a c o a l i t i o n t o i n t r o d u c e t h e B u s Rolling Stock Moder nization Act The first t h r e e s t a t e s h a v e b u s b u i l d e r s w h i l e t h e four th has several bus operations
The new law would permit builders to apply for advanced payments of up to 20 percent when receiving a bus order This would allow the bus manufacturer to better invest in the necessary machinery and labor to build buses
Answers not credited to other individuals are provided by Larry Plachno q National Bus Trader / April, 2024
• 41
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q Vol. XXXVIII, No. 12 November, 2015
q Vol XXXIX, No 1 December, 2015
q Vol. XXXIX, No. 2 January, 2016
q Vol XXXIX, No 3 February, 2016
q Vol. XXXIX, No. 4 March, 2016
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q Vol. XXXIX, No. 6 May, 2016
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q Vol. XXXIX, No. 8 July, 2016
q Vol XXXIX, No 9 August, 2016
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q Vol XXXIX, No 11 October, 2016
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q Vol XL, No 1 December, 2016
q Vol XL, No 2 January, 2017
q Vol. XL, No. 3 February, 2017
q Vol XL, No 4 March, 2017
q Vol. XXXX, No. 5 April, 2017
q Vol XXXX, No 6 May, 2017
• UMA Motorcoach Expo in St Louis
• The Prize-Winning Aerocoach at the Museum of Bus Transportation
• Rochester City Lines Still Making, Preserving and Celebrating History
q Vol XXXX, No 7 June, 2017
• Industry History From UMA Shows – Installment I
• Extended Service Protection on Your Bus Fleet
• Bus History on a Wall
q Vol XXXX, No 8 July, 2017
• Vicinity – A Mid-Size Bus Success Story
• Prevost Conversion Shells for All Types of Coaches
• The Bus Accident in Red Lion, Delaware
q Vol. XXXX, No. 9 August, 2017
• “J” is for Jackpot with the 2018 J4500
• Industry History from UMA Shows – Installment II
• Book Review
q Vol. XXXX, No. 10 September, 2017
• Propane Continues to be Clean and Economical
• H&L Charter – The Best Comes in Small Packages
• Industry History from UMA Shows – Installment III
q Vol XXXX, No 11 October, 2017
• ABC & Van Hool Celebrate 30 Years
• Taking a Venture in Norfolk
•The Five “No’s” You Must Overcome to Sell Your Bus Business
q Vol XXXX, No 12 November, 2017
• MCI Reliability Rally 2017
• BusCon 2017 in Indianapolis
• Exit Planning Becoming More Complicated for Family-Owned Bus Businesses
q Vol. XXXXI, No. 1 December, 2017
• Complete Coach Works and the Carson Heritage
• The Busboys Vintage Bus Rally in Evansville, Indiana
• Virginia’s Commonwealth Coach and Trolley Museum Ravaged by Fire
• Re-Energizing the North American Diecast Model Bus Scene
q Vol XXXXI, No 2 January, 2018
• Prevost Again Moves Ahead in Support, Service and Parts
• New 2018 J4500 Highlights Busy Season for MCI
• Common Rail Technology and the GHG17 Volvo Engine
q Vol. XXXXI, No. 3 February, 2018
• Walking the Irizar Assembly Line in Ormaiztegi
• Busworld 2017 in Belgium
q Vol XXXXI, No 4 March, 2018
• UMA Motorcoach Expo 2018i
• Van Hool to Build Buses in Eastern Tennessee
• The New MCI D45 CRT LE
q Vol XXXXI, No 5 April, 2018
• Charging Ahead with Electric Buses
• Holiday Tours Puts Customers First
• How Chicago’s “Party Bus” Ordinance is Affecting Bus Tourism
q Vol XXXXI, No 6 May, 2018
• The CHTC HT45 amd HT35 Coaches
• The Pacific Bus Museum – From Hobby to Formal Museum
• Twenty Tips on Hiring Bus Drivers
• Van Hool Builds Bus Factoryin Morristown, Tennessee
q Vol. XXXXI, No. 7 June, 2018
• MCI Academy Wins Fans Across Industry
• Where are the Buses Built? #1
• The Campaign Bus for the President of the Philippines
• The Penn Highway Transit Company
q Vol XXXXI, No 8 July, 2018
• Farber Continues Custom Coach Traditions
• Prevost’s New Flat Floor Slide-Outs
• Liberty Coach Busch Bus
q Vol XXXXI, No 9 August, 2018
• ZF Components for Electric Buses
• Museum of Bus Transportation Spring Fling Open House Success
• “Friends” of the NJ Heritage Center Takes Eight Vintage Coaches to the 2018 MOBT Spring Fling
q Vol XXXXI, No 10 September, 2018
• Van Hool’s CX35 – Small in Size, Big in Quality
• Diecast Model Buses Impress in a Big Way
• Master ’s Transportation – Where to go to increase your fleet quickly or temporarily
q Vol. XXXXI, No. 11 October, 2018
• ZF Technology Day in Friedrichshafen
• MCI’s 2018 Reliability Rally
• How Will Autonomous Cars Impact the Bus Industry?
q Vol XXXXI, No 12 November, 2018
• Peter Pan Celebrates 85 Years on the Road
• Clean Up Your Fleet with a Bitimec Wash-Bot
q Vol XXXXII, No 1 December, 2018
• Prevost Unveils New Features and New Possibility on the Volvo 9700 at UMA Expo
• MCI’s New J3500 – Small in Size, Big in Features
• The e GO Mover – Filling a Gap in Transportation with ZF Technology
• Giving Buses a Second Life at Complete Coach Works
q Vol. XXXXII, No. 2 January, 2019
• BusCon 2018 in Indianapolis
• Panorama Tours Keeps Things in the Family
• How Will Demand or Congestion Toll Pricing Impact Bus Operations?
q Vol XXXXII, No 3 February, 2019
• Test Driving the New Electric MCI J4500e CHARGE
• Stagecoach Group Sells Coach USA and Coach Canada
• The Story of the Australian Scenicruiser
q Vol XXXXII, No 4 March, 2019
• UMA 2019 Motorcoach Expo in Fort Lauderdale
• Angel Tours Celebrates 20 Years
• The Saga of #5496, a 1937 Yellow Coach Model 733
q Vol XXXXII, No 5 April, 2019
• Buses at the 2019 ABA Marketplace in Louisville
• Are Pre-Owned Coach Sales Declining?
• The Six Levels of Autonomous Vehicles
q Vol XXXXII, No 6 May, 2019
• Temsa North America Inc – Temsa’s Increased Support for the American Market
• MCI Launches Motorcoach Technician Apprenticeship Program
• 2019 Spring Fling Announced
q Vol. XXXXII, No. 7 June, 2019
• Looking Beyond the Driver Shortage to Demography and the Global Economy
• Are the Reasons for Coach Seat Belts Changing?
• The Passengers Left Behind – Take the Accessible Information Test
q Vol. XXXXII, No. 8 July, 2019
• Prevost Motorhome Expo
• Featherlite Luxury Coaches
• Emerald Luxury Coaches Unveils First H3-45 Conversions
• Ten Things to Consider When Choosing a Luxury RV
q Vol XXXXII, No 9 August, 2019
• NFI Group Acquires Alexander Dennis
• Getting the Glow – Take a look inside the “New Look” of Liberty
• Book Review – Chicago Motor Coach
q Vol. XXXXII, No. 10 September, 2019
• The 2019 Spring Fling in Hershey
• Congestion Pricing May Affect Bus Operators
• In the Beginning – The Bus Industry Prior to Regulation in 1935
q Vol XXXXII, No 11 October, 2019
• Proterra Launches Proterra Powered™ Vehicle Electrification Solutions for Commercial Fleets
• Bendix Tech Tips: Avoiding the “Gotchas”
• The “Shorty” Flxibles of Pikes Peak
q Vol XXXXII, No 12 November, 2019
• 30 Years of Foxy Travel & FTI Coach
• Fleet Graphics is an Art at ABC Companies
• MCI debuts 2020 model line-up with a SNEAK PREVIEW of the battery-electric D45 CRTe LE CHARGE at Bay Area Reliability Symposium on October 1
q Vol XXXXIII, No 1 December, 2019
• Temsa’s Redesigned TS 30
• BusCon 2019 in Indianapolis
• Hammond Transportation
q Vol XXXXIII, No 2 January, 2020
• Anchor Transportation – 30 Years and Counting in a Growing Nashville
• David Thomas Tours and Their Short Temsa Coaches
• Museum of Bus Transportation to Merge with Antique Automobile Club of America Museum
q Vol XXXXIII, No 3 February, 2020
• Busworld 2019 in Brussels, Part I
• Heroes’ Honeymoon
• Philadelphia to New York Every Half Hour
q Vol. XXXXIII, No. 4 March, 2020
• Busworld 2019 in Brussels, Part II
• The Changing Bus Industry
q Vol XXXXIII, No 5 April, 2020
• ABA Marketplace 2020 in Omaha
• Procedure and Liability After a Collision with an Automated Vehicle
• Impaired Drivers
q Vol. XXXXIII, No. 6 May, 2020
• Bringing Back the Bus Industry
• Bus Industry Suggestions from Shriver Insurance
• What Can Bus Companies Do To Reduce Insurance Costs During COVID-19?
• UMA Motorcoach Expo 2020 in Nashville
• Bus Preservation After the Merger
q Vol XXXXIII, No 7 June, 2020
• Grants, Loans and Programs to Help Transportation Companies Survive COVID-19 Business Disruption
• Time to Think Tours
• Motorcoaches Rolling for Awareness
q Vol XXXXIII, No 8 July, 2020
• What the IATR and Transportation Regulators are Doing to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• A Tribute to Kirwan Elmers and Custom Coach Corporation
• RiverLandings Motorcoach Resort, Where True Luxury Reaches New Heights
q Vol XXXXIII, No 9 August, 2020
• The Evolving MCI Product Line
• The Impact of COVID-19 on the Transportation Ecosystem
• Marijuana and Drivers
q Vol XXXXIII, No 10 September, 2020
• New Coach Review
• Seven Simple Steps to Show Your Customers You Are Open for Business
• Can Bus Operators Change to Survive?
q Vol XXXXIII, No 11 October, 2020
• Getting People Back on the Buses
• 10 Easy Ways to Update Your Web Site During COVID-19
• Didn’t See That Coming
• The Eucharistic Congress in Chicago
q Vol XXXXIII, No 12 November, 2020
• How Temsa Developed Their Programmable Electric Bus
• Can Bus Companies Get to and Survive in the “New Normal?”
• Talk’s Cheap – Let’s Play
q Vol. XXXXIV, No. 1 December, 2020
• Keolis Moves People
• Are Mergers the Answer?
• A Lesson from the Sea – Time to Choose a Strategy
• Now is Not the Time to Skip on Bus Maintenance
• The Small Business Reorganization Act – A New Option in Bankruptcy
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