BUSRide October 2016 digital

OCTOBER | 2016

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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Field Test:

The

Rapid comes full circle with

Avail Technologies p12

Monitors create awareness p17 ECS Transportation adjusts to Fleetmatics p19 Autonomous buses in Amsterdam p 24 inside

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OCTOBER 2016 CONTENTS

12 busride.com

COVER STORY Official BUSRide Field Test: The Rapid comes full circle with Avail Technologies

12

Although the relationship between the agency and provider isn’t young, it’s managing to yield its most incredible results yet

By Richard Tackett

FEATURES Official BUSRide Field Test: ECS Transportation acclimates to Fleetmatics 19 After selecting the GPS fleet management solution, the operator begins the installation and training process

By Richard Tackett

BUSRide Safe Driver Hall of Fame

30

Presented by Prevost, the Hall of Fame honors more million-milers from Indian Trails

DEPARTMENTS 7 UPDATE 16 DELIVERIES 28 PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

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23

COLUMNS 6

DAVID HUBBARD

11 THE BISC REPORT

By Stephen Evans

15 EQUAL ACCESS

By Mike Ammann

17 SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE

By Steven Winnefeld

23 THE CONNECTED BUS

By Jessica Sweeney

24 THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT

By Doug Jack

30

27 TRANSIT

By Mark Anderson

29 ENTERPRISE ASSET MANAGEMENT

By Rick Spangler

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BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

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European leading technology Proven reliability

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Irizar, among the leading coach and bus manufacturers in the world ----------------------------------------------------------------------INA Bus Sales 5410 Cameron Street, Suite 101 Las Vegas, Nevada 89118 office 702.431.0707 www.inabussales.com

DAVID HUBBARD

John R. Oakman — a gift to the industry that just keeps giving

VOL. 52 • NO. 7 Richard Tackett

Editor in Chief rtackett@busride.com

I

am pleased to share with fellow columnist Dave Millhouser in acknowledging the good work of friend and industry leader John Oakman whose 50-year career just keeps going and going — as Millhouser covered in Bus and Motorcoach News, and capsulized here to introduce others in this vast and varied industry to Oakman’s remarkable contributions.

As CoachUSA senior vice president, fleet and maintenance, Oakman only appears to be throttling back in his new part-time position as vehicle procurement manager, working with OEMs to improve specifications and complete deliveries.

Clearly, one of Oakman’s more significant achievements has been his work in adapting the Van Hool TD925 double decker for the US market; first with ABC Companies, Faribault, MN, and then with CoachUSA, Paramus, NJ, identifying and implementing necessary engineering changes and gaining regulatory approval.

According to Millhouser, Oakman’s lifetime fascination with motorcoaches began with a brokedown bus en route to his high school youth camp – and the paper clip he used to make the repair.

It was enough to impress his future wife, Cindy, who was riding on the bus. The young couple moved to Colorado in 1970. There Oakman Industry veterans Tim Vaught, John Oakman, the late Fred maintained coaches for Young Dunikoski and Dave Millhouser met up at the Hounds of Life, a Christian youth outreach the Mother Road in Adrian, TX, with a bus on loan from ABC Companies. organization, while driving 50,000 miles a year.

Oakman went on to work for Hausman Bus Sales, the precursor to Motor Coach Industries (MCI), and helped establish the company’s facility in New Jersey; all the while inadvertently drawing other Young Life Transportation alumni into the industry; familiar names that include Noel Patterson, Sandy Baker, John White, Dick Baxter, Skip Neff, Bob Dethloff and Millhouser.

Oakman blazed on, joining American Coach Sales and then the Martz Group, where he established the Central Florida division. In his initial stint with CoachUSA, he assisted with its restructuring, as well as the successful implementation of Megabus.

During this time, he moved over to ABC Companies to run the Winter Garden, FL, facility and eventually spearheaded the Van Hool TD925 double-decker adaptation, which drew him back to CoachUSA. In his spare time, Oakman serves on the board of the Museum of Bus Transportation, Hershey PA, and as transportation safety adviser to Young Life.

David Hubbard Associate Publisher BUSRide Magazine

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busride.com

BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

David Hubbard

Associate Publisher dhubbard@busride.com Steve Gamble

Art Director sgamble@busride.com Judi Victor

CEO & Publisher Director of Sales jvfly@busride.com Mitch Larson

Business Manager mlarson@busride.com Blair McCarty

Sr. Sales and Marketing Coordinator bmccarty@busride.com Hannah Riley

Marketing and Sales Associate hriley@busride.com

BUS industry SAFETY council

A publication of:

BUSRide Magazine 4742 North 24th Street, STE 340 Phoenix, Arizona 85016 Phone: (602) 265-7600 Fax: (602) 277-7588 www.busride.com

BUSRide™ Magazine is published eight times annually by Power Trade Media, a division of The Producers, Inc., 4742 N. 24th Street, Ste. 340, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Subscription rates for nonqualified subscribers, single issue prices and pricing for reprints of 100 or more are available from: info@busride.com. All articles in BUSRide™ Magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2016 by Power Trade Media. No advertisement, sponsorship or description or reference to a product or service will be deemed an endorsement by Power Trade Media, and no warranty is made or implied. Information is obtained from sources the editors believe reliable, accurate and timely, but is not guaranteed, and Power Trade Media is not responsible for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed in BUSRide™ Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsors or advertisers. Content addressing legal, tax and other technical issues is not intended as professional advice and cannot be relied on as such; readers should consult with their own professional advisors.

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UPDATE

Educational Bus Transportation introduced this electric school-bus to the Copiague Public School District of New York.

Electric school bus debuts in New York A new electric bus offering zero emissions has been introduced in New York’s Copiague Public School District by Educational Bus Transportation, which provides transportation services to the district. The first of its kind in New York State, the bus offers seating capacity for 25 students.

“We are proud to be the first district in New York to make such a major commitment to the environment and to cleaner air for our students,” said Copiague Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Bannon. “Thanks to Educational Bus Transportation, our district will benefit from an all-electric vehicle that is sustainable, safe, and efficient.”

According to Educational Bus Transportation President Sean Corr, the new bus has a range of up to 120 miles before requiring charging and is the first Department of Transportationapproved electric school bus put in service in New York State.

“The new bus appealed to us because it performs all the same functions as a traditional bus without generating emissions,” Corr said. “In addition, it provides a quieter ride for passengers, reduces fuel expenses by using low-cost electricity, and offers significantly reduced service and maintenance costs.

We’re excited to add this innovative vehicle to our fleet. It’s a significant first step towards alternative transportation that embraces today’s clean technology.”

In addition to Copiague, Educational Bus Transportation provides school bus transportation to a number of districts throughout New York’s Nassau and Suffolk Counties. A member of The Trans Group, LLC, Educational Bus Transportation has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for its commitment to the operation of school buses that leave less of a footprint on the environment.

The first Spirit of Mobility goes back in service

ARBOC Mobility) built their first prototype bus to demonstrate their ground breaking, ADA-compliant low-floor technology for small shuttle buses. The prototype was used for engineering development as well as sales and marketing promotions accumulating tens of thousands of miles in the process. As production geared up, “Old #1,” as it became to be known, was phased out of use and finally retired in 2011. For the past five years it has been stored at the ARBOC manufacturing facility in Middlebury, IN. That is, until May of this year.

Craig Bennett, the son-in-law of one of the ARBOC Specialty Vehicles founders Jim Bartel, suffered a horrific accident while racing in Brazelton, Georgia in April of this year. Bennett suffered a crushed L5 vertebrae as well as bone fractures in every appendage. He was sedated for 11 days, underwent six surgeries which resulted in 58 screws and several plates being added to his anatomy. Needless to say, recovery will take a long time - but full recovery is expected. Because of these injuries, Bennett needed a means to transport himself for several months to doctor’s appointments and to work as a vintage race car engineer.

Bartel contacted Don Roberts, president of ARBOC to discuss the accident and inquire if they had any low floor product that could be used for a while. After routine service, a new battery and tires, the bus was delivered to Craig and Leah Bennett, Craig’s wife. The bus is operating flawlessly, even after setting idle for five years. The ADA features, introduced to the market in 2008 and included in every ARBOC bus to date, have made daily travel comfortable and efficient for Craig.

The smooth function of this bus also makes a clear statement for the reliability and durability of the ARBOC products. Over 95 percent of all buses built since the company shipped its first bus in 2008 remain in service. Some of these buses have accumulated over 300,000 miles in service.

REV Group debuts new brand REV Group officially unveiled its World Trans bus brand during BusCon 2016 in Indianapolis. World Trans answers demand in the transit segment and joins an impressive REV Bus Group portfolio of industry-leading products. REV rolled out the World Trans narrow-body T-Series in May of 2016 at the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference in Charlotte, N.C., and during BusCon the company showcased the T-Series, as well as the all-new E-Series.

Engineered to be lighter, stronger and safer, World Trans gives customers a quieter and more fuel-efficient transit bus in both wide- and narrow-body designs. Already, World Trans has begun producing the T-Series, a narrow-body model built on a Ford Transit cutaway chassis, available with a gas or diesel engine. Interested dealers can schedule a demo of the T Series by completing the World Trans’ Request for Information form.

At BusCon, World Trans unveiled the E-Series on the Ford E-350/450. Following the E-Series rollout, the new REV brand will introduce the G-Series on the Chevy G3500/4500 in October. The Ford Transit T-Series will be manufactured in South Hutchinson, KS, alongside Collins, a sister bus manufacturer. The E and G Series will be built in Salina, KS, at ElDorado, another REV brand.

The first ARBOC Specialty Vehicles low-floor bus ever built in 2007 has returned in service after five years of retirement.

Nine years ago, ARBOC Specialty Vehicles (then known as busride.com | BUSRIDE

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UPDATE

MCI rolls out Syncron to maximize uptime for 28,000 coaches Syncron, the only technology provider exclusively focused on service parts management and pricing for the world’s leading manufacturers, announced the parts distribution division of Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc. and the largest bus and motorcoach manufacturer in North America, has selected Syncron’s service parts inventory management solution to help reinvent the way it serves the more than 28,000 in-service motorcoaches across the U.S. and Canada.

With nearly 1.7 million passenger miles logged annually in the motorcoach industry, it’s imperative to MCI that its customers experience minimal downtime, and are even able to get ahead of maintenance issues, to keep buses running and passengers happy.

To achieve this, MCI sought a cloud-based service parts inventory management solution that would enable them to optimize service parts inventory levels, specifically reducing new and excess inventory, and that would help increase its first-time fill rates for spare parts. The company provides 24hour roadside assistance 365 days a year, so a technology that provides a central approach to inventory – allowing them to see maintenance trends and predictions across multiple locations – is critical to ongoing success.

Protective Insurance Company has been very proactive in managing our relationship. They are true advisors that collaborate with our team.

The seamless communication we experience with Protective boosts our efficiency and in many cases reduces operating costs in key functional areas.

Davey Coach Sales purchases entire stock of ABC parts for Ameritrans Bus In an era where customer loyalty is disappearing rapidly, Davey Coach Sales is redefining it. While many current Ameritrans Bus owners can’t help feeling abandoned after learning the bus manufacturer no longer exists, Davey Coach stepped in to purchase all of the remaining ABC/Ameritrans bus parts to offer continued support to these disheartened owners.

After 18 years, Ameritrans bus has closed its doors Ameritrans manufactured and distributed a variety of small and mid-size transport vehicles from its state-of-the-art 40,000 square-foot facility in Elkhart, IN. With a dedicated dealer network in strategic locations nationwide, Ameritrans distributed an exclusive line of midsize and specialty vehicles that integrate exceptional style and quality components, performance engineered features, unique passenger amenities and superior fit and finish details.

Understanding the necessity to be transparent, and having a desire to build an even greater customer loyalty base, Davey Coach is attacking this transaction head-on. While offering industry-best highest trade-in values and insurance appraisals, Davey Coach is taking a three-prong approach.

It intends to contact all current Ameritrans Bus owners with the current list acquired in the transaction. Contacting once is not enough for Davey Coach, as a salesperson plus a parts and service representative will reach out to the customers, and continue to send them updates as items become available.

John Ferrari President

— John Ferrari, President, AFC Transportation

FOR COVERAGE THAT REVOLVES AROUND YOU, CONTACT STACY RENZ: (800) 644-5501 x2570 | protectiveinsurance.com

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BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

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UPDATE

Additionally, all current Ameritrans Bus owners are encouraged to contact Davey Coach at 1-800-873-1856 should they have any questions.

“Our number one priority is to ensure the current Ameritrans Bus owner does not feel abandoned,” says Tom Davey, founder and CEO of Davey Coach. “At the end of the day, these customers will have the peace of mind to know their purchase will continue to be supported for years to come,”

APTA awards Big Blue Bus for sustainability The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced that it is recognizing Big Blue Bus (BBB) with a Silver Status Award for its sustainability program at the APTA Sustainability Conference in Austin, TX. First started in 2009, 133 public transit agencies and businesses have signed on to the APTA Sustainability Commitment Program. Currently, 38 of these signatories have received recognition from APTA. The APTA Sustainability Program recognizes outstanding sustainability achievements which have met specific criteria through the APTA Sustainability Commitment program. Public transit agencies and businesses that voluntarily participate in the APTA Sustainability Commitment program commit to implementing processes and actions that create continuous improvements in environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Depending on the level of accomplishments, organizations are presented Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Level certifications.

This ZEPS-powered bus served a route during the Orange County Fair.

CCW supplied OCTA with ZEPS electric bus for Orange County Fair route Complete Coach Works (CCW) provided their Zero-Emission Propulsion System (ZEPS) demo bus to Orange County Transit Association (OCTA) to support one of their Orange County Fair (OC Fair) routes.

The OC Fair, located in Costa Mesa, CA, has attracted over a million guests each summer for the past five years. This summer the fair opened its doors July 15, 2016 and remained open until August 12, 2016. Due to the large influx of guests attending the fair each year, OCTA adds a designated route to its route service. CCW is thrilled that their ZEPS electric demo bus was servicing the additional route.

“Working with OCTA has been a great experience,” says Ryne Shetterly, ZEPS sales manager for CCW. “Seeing how much

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busride.com | BUSRIDE

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UPDATE

attention they put into each detail is what makes this property special. From the first day of the demonstration, OCTA actively communicated what their needs would be and with the support of the CCW ZEPS team, we were able to successfully provide an electric bus that met the expectations of this outstanding property.”

The 40-foot ZEPS bus was used to shuttle guests from OCTA’s standard bus stops to the OC Fair grounds. The bus traveled close to 100 miles a day and charged overnight with a CCW mobile charger.

CCW hopes to team up with OCTA in their future endeavors and is happy they were able to partner with them to alleviate their heavy summer route.

Safe Fleet awards $55,000 for anti-bullying initiatives Safe Fleet is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 United Against Bullying (UAB) Grant Program. The UAB program is the national social campaign of Safe Fleet, the leading provider of safety solutions for fleet vehicles. This year, the company donated $55,000 to applicants who presented the best strategies to stop bullying and inspire kindness in their communities.

Schools and organizations working with youth were invited to plan an anti-bullying project and apply for a grant from February 24, the official Pink Shirt Day, to June 30, 2016. Over one hundred applications, almost double from 2015, were submitted to Safe Fleet from North American school districts, school transportation departments, and non-profit entities. The applicants’ objectives included the creation of new anti-bullying awareness and kindness projects, expansion of existing programs, positive behavior

recognition, school bus driver training, and purchasing school bus equipment to help reduce bullying incidents.

“It was inspiring to receive so many initiatives empowering students to be kind and compassionate, and to stand up to bullying,” said John R. Knox, president and CEO of Safe Fleet. “Thank you to everyone who applied for the United Against Bullying Grant. Many proposals were well-detailed and inspiring, making the selections difficult. United by the cause, we applaud every community for every action taken to keep kids safe and happy.”

INIT invests in Bytemark 2016 INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc. has acquired a 27.5 per cent stake in Bytemark, Inc., a leading provider of mobile ticketing technologies in the transit industry.

Bytemark, Inc., located in New York, with additional offices in the UK, Canada, India and Australia, has developed a patent-protected technology that powers a secure mobile ticketing platform for transit. The platform offers a seamlessly integrated mobile commerce experience.

The Bytemark Platform is a suite of smartphone apps, point-of-sale plugins, and open APIs providing transit agencies the ability to meet the needs of today’s passengers. INIT’s investment will help expand their technology offerings, thereby allowing them to continue to deliver leading edge solutions to the transit industry and passengers.

Bytemark and INIT have already worked together on a wide range of major projects in North America. Currently, Bytemark is participating in opportunities for major projects in Europe, North America, the Middle East and East Asia. The acquisition allows the companies to continue their ongoing collaboration and expand their offerings in the growing mobile market.

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BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

1.800.873.1856

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The

Report presented by The Pacific Western Group of Companies

This is not working!

For decades, the standard approach of the bus and motorcoach industry with regard to a whole range of close-quarter maneuvering accidents has simply been to declare them preventable and then follow up with the driver through disciplinary measures and remedial training.

By Stephen Evans Chairman, Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC)

The Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) is an affiliate in the American Bus Association (ABA) group of councils created to elevate the level of safety in the intercity bus and motorcoach industry through the collaborative efforts of all professionals committed to the highest standards of action and conduct in all operations.

Stephen Evans serves as vice president of safety, Pacific Western Group of Companies, Calgary, AB, Canada. As presenting sponsor of the BISC report, Pacific Western operates more than 3,000 buses in motorcoach, transit, and school bus operations throughout Canada, for which safety is first on the list of core values that define every action and decision in support of its 4,100 employees and customers, and ensures at the end of the day everyone always returns Safely Home.

Although we go through the motions, the truth is that drivers are still knocking off mirrors, hitting signs, backing into fences, clipping canopies and scraping against posts. People, here is a newsflash: What we are doing is not working!

Maybe it is time we try to figure out why and do something different.

I have never figured out how it makes sense for management to punish a driver over an accident.

If the driver is continually late for work, bullying fellow employees, or stealing from the company, then by all means send a warning, a suspension, or eventually make that person walk the plank.

However, I don’t think misjudging clearances is at all the same. For example, clipping the mirror of a parked car while trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle on a narrow street is a skill problem, not a matter for discipline.

There are those who seem to think they can forcibly prevent people from making human errors; that somehow through the disciplinary process employees will finally come to an ah-ha moment Motorcoach operators need to stop using the same tired and say, “Now I get it,” and immediately stop disciplinary process to correct making mistakes. I don’t think so. skill-based issues.

No one wants an accident. No one goes to work expecting to get hurt or to cause harm to others.

Accidents are unexpected and unintended with unwanted consequences, and we certainly don’t expect accidents will ever happen to us. Threatening drivers that they’ll be in big trouble if they have an accident is not terribly motivating — in fact, it is downright goofy.

We spend far too much time on blame and shame.

The collision review process many of us follow is mostly about deciding if the driver was “at fault” and that incident was “chargeable.” But we already know someone made a mistake.

Instead, our internal reviews and investigations should focus more on prevention.

Of course, in major accidents we expect law enforcement, insurance adjustors and litigators will investigate and determine liability; and do it with an eye to making certain that someone pays or is punished.

However, the piece of the accident puzzle that for the most part goes missing from their investigations, and the piece that our safety staff need to be focused on, is the why? Knowing and understanding why mistakes were made will begin to help us prevent the same mistakes from happening again.

Our internal investigations need to dig deeper and look beyond the driver. Truth be known, as a safety guy I don’t really care as much about who or what caused an accident.

I mainly want to learn why it happened, why mistakes were made. Only then can I work on ways to minimize those errors from reoccurring.

While drivers can sometimes be a frustrating bunch for a company to watch over, when an accident does happen, for managers to get mad, get even and get justice is a no-win for everyone and will never fix the situation — especially at a time when finding and keeping drivers is such a huge challenge. Get over it and move on.

The way to get a driver to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, is not by falling back on the same tired disciplinary process. Instead, it is about providing effective training that strengthens knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies; and it is about us engaging with our employees.

Still, far too many bus and motorcoach drivers out there would say of their company, “The only time they have talked to me about safety is when I have done something wrong.” busride.com | BUSRIDE

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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Field Test:

By Richard Tackett

The Rapid operates fixed route, demand-response and car and vanpooling programs among other services in the Grand Rapids, MI, area. Although the relationship between the agency and Avail Technologies isn’t young, it’s managing to yield its most incredible results yet.

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Initial contact Avail Technologies, State College, PA, began work with The Rapid in the mid-2000s. An initial comprehensive RFP for an expandable Intelligent Transportation System to meet its hardware and software requirements for dispatching, communications, and passenger information lead the Michigan agency to Avail, a leading ITS solutions provider for transit agencies in the United States.

“Avail clearly emerged as the consensus leader,” says Brian Pouget, chief operating officer of The Rapid. “They took a different approach from other companies and seemed more interested in dealing with our particular needs. I think that’s been our ongoing experience over the years with Avail. It’s not like we haven’t encountered challenges, as any public agency does, but Avail has always been there to help find the solution to the issues at hand.”

After installing the provisioned CAD/AVL system in 2007 and periodically making small upgrades, the relationship between The Rapid and Avail continued to blossom. In 2012, The Rapid released a 2nd major competitive procurement spec for real-time passenger information and signage. Avail was again awarded the opportunity and continued to work with The Rapid on what would be a multi-phased project that built upon the technology implemented before it. During Phase 1 of the project Avail installed 56 LED signs in total, The Rapid’s BRT project with the initial project phase with Avail Technologies only set for a pilot at Rapid dovetailed directly into the Central Station and Kentwood agency’s ongoing Bus Rapid Station in Grand Rapids.

Transit (BRT) project. The During Phase 2, The company provided LED Rapid and Avail continued signage (featuring audial their partnership on a major and visual announcements) passenger information project at every station on the in 2014. The fi rst phase of the agency’s designated routes, project involved installing the BRT dispatch equipment wayside signage that provided and more passenger real-time estimations of bus information technology. arrivals.

Avail’s real-time “We worked with the signage paved the way for construction contractors passenger information such as installing the BRT system, public service announcements, along with The Rapid,” says detour messages, Amber Gretchen Paules, marketing Alerts, weather alerts and even lead at Avail Technologies. marketing materials.

“It was important that we The second half of Phase make sure that the signs 2 of the real-time passenger at every single stop were information project included operating correctly and a customer-facing app and mounted. It had to be the passenger information website, best way possible for Grand branded myStop®, allowing Rapids’ passengers.” riders to access and schedule real-time information from any location. Finally, the software suite was rounded out with Interactive Voice Response system and text-message alerts. myAvail With the massive passenger information suite upgrade came a corresponding need for dispatch to keep up-to-speed. Enter myAvail.

“After working with Avail for over a decade, we had heard hints about the new myAvail system,” Pouget says. “Suffice to say, it caught our attention.” myAvail is a CAD/AVL system with a number of dynamic features for dispatch staff – including automatic mining and analysis of operational data, configurable performance metrics dashboards, pre-emptive

notification of upcoming issues, as well as desktop, email and text alerts to avoid operational issues.

Combined with The Rapid’s already implemented advanced passenger information setup, the combination presented a brand new paradigm for the agency.

Product training Throughout the entire implementation process, Avail trainers worked side-by-side with The Rapid to help them achieve total adoption of their new technologies.

“I trained multiple trainers and supervisors at The Rapid, initially teaching a handful of classes,” says Greg Kilbride, professional service engineer at Avail Technologies. “I then observed those trainers as they taught a small segment of their staff. From there, we worked together to roll the training out to all staff. IT, paratransit and fixedroute personnel were all involved in implementation and training for the system. We needed to make sure everyone fully understood the new software and hardware before they began using it. This trainthe-trainer approach proved to be very successful as a key part of the technology adoption.”

Kilbride continues, “To this day, we still support The Rapid as it grows its services and personnel with additional training and upgrades as part of their ongoing maintenance and support agreement. When you’re a customer for life at Avail, we make sure you get the training and support you need, long-term.”

“The plan was not only to train our people on it,” Pouget says, “we also wanted to train our paratransit subcontractor. That required coordinating with their staff as well to arrange a training session on how the myAvail system would work for them and what they could do with it. From an implementation and training perspective, I don’t think it could have gone any smoother.”

Passenger information training was slightly different. It involved training the agency’s marketing and customer services teams how to interface with the system. The Rapid was key in this initiative, with Kilbride providing trainers at the agency with every possible tool to get the job done. busride.com | BUSRIDE

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Even The Rapid riders needed training. The Rapid rolled out a major “go-live” date and marketing campaign – which involved flyers, social media, and even “boots on the ground” training. Agency officials met at public areas, like libraries, to teach large turnouts of users how to use the new app and website.

“At Avail, we’re less concerned with, ‘Here’s how it works.’” says Gretchen Paules, marketing lead at Avail Technologies. “We’re more concerned with, ‘Here’s why it works.’ We want these technologies to become second nature to our customers. Because at the end of the day, it’s not just how you do it – it’s why you do it. How does it make life easier -- for a transit agency and for its passengers?”

The path forward The most immediate benefits that The Rapid saw upon implementing Avail’s suite of solutions were customer-facing.

“With the myAvail system, we have real-time information,” says Jennifer Kalczuk, external relations manager at The Rapid. “Our tracking is intrinsically linked with the myStop® app. While there are some other third-party apps that have our data feed, most riders use myStop® because they associate it with our services.”

The Rapid derived significant benefits from myAvail’s routing features. In the past, the agency was relying on mostly anecdotal information – operators’ words together with personal timekeeping.

The new system quantifies routing information in a digestible format, allowing for operations staff to make decisions based on concrete data.

Enhanced visibility has greatly aided dispatch, which Pouget says allows for information at-a-glance.

“Previously, our operations managers needed to use multiple screens to house all of their relevant information,” Pouget says. “Now, they can have all of that crucial data on a single screen and relegate secondary information to their second screens. It’s a huge increase in efficiency.”

Company culture hasn’t changed at The Rapid – it’s been enhanced by new tools that increase data transparency. Kilbride says The Rapid is particularly adept at “picking up new tools.”

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“In the beginning, we started giving them small pieces of our ITS suite,” he says. “They’ll use anything we give them, by rolling it into everyday operation and using every feature of that tool. Then they are going to ask for extra features, or extra functions for the features they already have.”

Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Through social media, riders praise the ease and reliability of the new app.

“Having the myStop® app for iPhone has made using The Rapid even more enjoyable - having access to real-time bus and route data has made the tool an indispensable part of my ‘EveryDayCarry’,” wrote passenger Chris Koens on The Rapid’s Facebook page.

Praise from The Rapid’s staff has been no less effusive. Dispatch and customer service truly appreciate the role-based customizability of the system. Gone are the days of uniform screens for each dispatcher.

Now, each member of staff can prioritize the information that’s most beneficial to them at any given time.

“Frankly, it’s quite exciting for the customer service staff to have access to this information,” Kalczuk says. “Prior to having any Avail system in here, they were literally using the same schedule books that our customers were using. It’s thrilling for them to be able to do a better job and provide real-time customer information.”

Looking to the future of The Rapid, equipped now with a number of Avail Technologies systems (branded “Rapid Connect” to riders), Kalczuk says that the agency is prepared for the changing needs of “choice” transit riders – riders who choose to use public transit, as opposed to those who rely on it.

“People want to have access and they want to have a certain comfort level with the system, particularly choice riders,” she says. “They want to feel like there’s no uncertainty. Being able to see a bus on your phone and knowing that it’s going to be there in just a few minutes, that helps with the psychological hurdle some people face when riding transit.

The more we can do to help them be comfortable and confident in their information, the more likely they are to ride and stay riding.” busride.com

EQUAL ACCESS

Heavy-duty buses ramp up

accessibility

Some heavy-duty vehicles, like the pictured EZRider II, feature dual wheelchair ramps placed at the front and center doors of the vehicle.

In this installment of Equal Access, Mike Ammann, vice president of sales for ENC (formerly Eldorado National California and now a division of the REV Group), responds to questions on his company’s philosophy in regards to making heavy-duty vehicles more accessible.

How are transit bus OEMs improving heavy-duty vehicles in order to make them as accessible — or nearly as accessible — as small and midsize paratransit vehicles?

ENC manufactures a medium-duty front-engine low-floor cutaway, along with heavy duty, rear-engine standard and low-floor transit buses that range from 30 to 40 feet in length.

It is safe to say that not all bus builders are fully committed to concept of complete accessibility. For the purposes of this discussion, we will focus on the ENC’s heavy-duty low-floor transit products, which are the most relevant to the ADA community because they focus expressly on accessibility in normal fixed-route applications.

What advantages does the more accessible standard transit bus offer over other products in the market?

Larger, heavy-duty low-floor transit buses with higher weight-rated chassis can accommodate up to six wheelchair positions depending on the length of the bus. This carrying capacity is simply not available on many small and midsize paratransit vehicles. In many cases, their chassis weight ratings are so low they can barely accommodate two wheelchairs and a full complement of ambulatory passengers. With ENC models offering GVWR ratings up to 43,000 pounds, wheelchair capacity is never an issue.

What is ENC doing to improve accessibility on heavy-duty transit buses?

With a growing ADA population, and the advent of larger and heavier wheelchairs and scooters, ENC goes to considerable lengths to modify its products to provide the necessary accommodations. All ENC low-floor vehicles feature a 102-inch interior with a wider aisle that makes it easier for wheelchairs and scooters to and park.

By Mike Ammann

Our rear engine low-floor models utilize a wheelchair ramp that is exceedingly flat with up to an 8:1 slope. Loading from a 6-inch curb, wheelchair and ambulatory passengers have nearly a straightlevel shot into the bus. This is superior to most small or midsize paratransit vehicles.

By virtue of the wider bodies and heavy-duty chassis, larger buses offer the latest securement options, such as the Q’Straint Quantum, which can be heavy and require significant space within the bus.

These can be cumbersome or impossible to install on smaller buses.

Perhaps more unique to the industry, ENC’s 30, 32 and 35-foot E-Z Rider II and the 35 and 40-foot Axess models offer dual wheelchair ramps placed at the front and center doors of the vehicle. This dual setup allows wheelchair-using passengers to enter at the front door, pay their fare and exit at the back without disrupting ambulatory flow.

This feature lowers dwell time at stops and affords all passengers an equal level of service.

As an added benefit: Should the situation arise that a front-end accident damages the front entry and renders the ramp inoperable, a transit bus equipped with a second ramp at the center door provides emergency egress for wheelchairs and scooters.

What should operators take into consideration before purchasing fully-accessible transit buses?

With the option for front and / or center entry ramps, the transit agency has an opportunity to customize its ADA solution in accordance with its customer base. For example, agencies operating in areas with a larger wheelchair population will consider the center door ramp location. This entrance places the wheelchair ramp directly across from the wheelchair securements. Wheelchair passengers can move directly to the tie downs without disturbing other passengers.

The center door ramp also alleviates the challenge of maneuvering longer, wider, heavier wheelchairs and scooters onto the bus, where the pitch point for that first turn at the front door is 90 degrees. That said, operators must determine if the center ramp would actually be out of position for boarding at transit stops designed only for a 40foot bus with one ramp at the front door.

What further improvements in accessibility can operators expect in the future?

Any lasting improvement in this area, such as a dual-ramp system and the recent innovations in securement systems, will give more consideration to the freedom and independence the ADA community is demanding from transportation providers. ENC literally searches the world over for such innovations.

Mike Ammann serves as vice president of sales for ENC, a brand of REV Group. Visit www.revgroup.com for more information.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

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DELIVERIES MOTOR COACH INDUSTRIES (MCI) added

CH BUS SALES / TEMSA added

2

ABC COMPANIES / VAN HOOL added

6

1

Southern Coaches Dothan, AL

Stylus Transportation Orlando, FL

DATTCO, Inc. New Britain, CT

Southern Coaches believes in sticking with a winner and recently added two more new MCI J4500s to its meticulously clean and maintained 14-J4500 coach fleet.

Southern Coaches has also invested in an optional back-up camera system and a state-of- the-art REI in-cabin audio visual system. These newest coaches also save money too with their workhorse reliability, low total cost of operation and significant fuel economy gains. Southern’s signature decal puts a finishing touch on the new coaches’ curb appeal.

Stylus Transportation’s fleet is currently made up of 30 coaches and 15 vans. With the growing demand since their acquisition last spring, Stylus has added more vehicles to their fleet by bringing in the TEMSA brand. Recently, the company has taken delivery of their sixth TEMSA TS 45. The company first purchased the 56-passenger TEMA vehicle in February of 2016. The TEMSA vehicles are used quite often within their operation.

DATTCO Inc., the multifaceted transportation operation, and ABC Companies recently celebrated DATTCO’s purchase of their 100th Van Hool motorcoach. The new TX45’s delivery was honored at the August International Motorcoach Group (IMG) meeting in Norfolk. Established in 1924 and now with the second and third generations of the DeVivo family now involved in management, IMG member DATTCO is one of the Northeast’s largest and most respected passenger transportation companies.

ABC COMPANIES / VAN HOOL added

3

16

added

2

added

7

Master’s Touch Christian Charter Service and Tours Dothan, AL

Executive Car Service (ECS) Carrollton, TX

Best-VIP Chauffeured Worldwide

Master’s Touch Christian Charter Service and Tours recently took delivery of two new Van Hool 2016 CX35s and a 2016 CX45. The drive trains are Cummins/ Allison and all three coaches have enclosed parcel racks, REI Elite Entertainment systems with 15.4-inch monitors, 110V outlets, USB ports, wireless microphones, wood floors, WiFi cup holders and magazine nets. The coaches are equipped with Van Hool safety features including 3 point seatbelts, backup camera, lane departure warning, antilock brakes, Smartwave Tire Pressure Monitoring, Kidde Fire Suppression Systems, automatic stability control, daytime running lights, curbside lighting and adaptive static aiming lights.

In recent months ECS has taken delivery of two new Van Hool CX45s, powered by Cummins ISX 12-liter 425 HP engines coupled to Allison B500 Gen5 transmissions. The 56-passenger coaches have leather-trimmed seats, Wi-Fi, 110-volt and USB power outlets. They feature Van Hool’s unique contoured parcel racks with an REI Elite Entertainment system with six 23-inch video monitors, woodgrain flooring and a panoramic rear passenger window.

The stunning black coaches have Van Hool safety features including three-point seatbelts, backup camera, lane departure warning, antilock brakes, Smartwave Tire Pressure Monitoring, Kidde Fire Suppression Systems, automatic stability control, daytime running lights, curbside lighting and adaptive static aiming lights.

In 20 years Best-VIP Chauffeured Worldwide has grown to employ 230 people with a diverse fleet of 124 vehicles, including 18 luxury motorcoaches and offers corporate transportation, airport and hotel transfers, and luxury charters.

The company recently acquired seven new Van Hool motorcoaches, including four 56-passenger CX45s, one 56-passenger TX45 and two 40-passenger CX35s.

BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

Huntington Beach, CA

busride.com

SECURITY & SURVEILLANCE

Monitors create awareness and value

By Steven Winnefeld For most transit agencies, legal and liability expenditures are significant. A great deal of attention is paid to on-board camera equipment and systems that ensure their riders are safe and secure while on their vehicles. Is your ridership completely conscious of this fact? Many agencies are now looking at installing monitors in their vehicles that not only demonstrate their investment in technology and safety, but also provide additional benefits as well.

Showcase security These monitors, such as Safety Vision’s Awareness Monitors available in 10.4-inch and 15-inch sizes, are much larger than the monitor typically located near the driver for their use. They mount in the passenger compartment in full view of the riders, and display a live camera feed. As soon as a rider steps onto the vehicle, they can watch themselves step through the door and deposit their fare. In larger, articulated bus installations, passengers can see each other seated in different positions. A popular application is double-decker buses, where passengers entering on lower level can see the availability of seating on the upper deck. While the digital video recorder is typically tucked away, and cameras may be visible but low profile, the awareness monitor boldly announces the security presence that is watching over them. While many people are mindful that mobile surveillance may be present, they may not be familiar with how far the technology has come in terms of clear, high definition cameras and comprehensive coverage. Not only does this put concerned riders at ease, it promotes your agency’s commitment to ensuring a safe environment and positive riding experience.

Deter vandalism and crime Joe McCleary, account executive at Safety Vision, frequently expounds the benefits to his clients of what he considers to be one of the most important benefits of awareness monitors: deterring crime.

“Digital video recorders already discourage criminal activity by recording irrefutable evidence of unlawful actions; awareness monitors amplify this message several fold,” he says.

Again, depending on where they are mounted, cameras may be inconspicuous, but when potential vandals or criminals can see for themselves that their image is being captured and recorded clearly, the motivation to commit illegal acts often dissipates much faster.

Reducing crime committed on vehicles decreases the cost and time required for legal actions to prosecute offenders, and again it increases rider confidence they are in a safe place.

Timely messages and added revenue In addition to displaying live camera views to enhance a surveillance system, the awareness monitors can also be used to publicize other messages. Critical information and public service announcements can be displayed, informing the ridership of new agency initiatives and marketing campaigns. Instead of static posters or billboards, the content can be dynamic and bright, demanding attention. This attractive, prominent space can also be sold to advertisers and service

When potential vandals or criminals see that their image is being captured and recorded clearly, the motivation to commit illegal acts often dissipates.

partners, increasing revenue. With some creative thinking, even more uses for awareness monitors can be imagined to communicate effectively with your customers.

Your on-board surveillance system represents a significant investment of not only agency capital, but also your personnel’s time and consideration to equipping your vehicles with the best possible solution. Consider promoting this effort and technology to your riders with a clear image of themselves.

Steven Winnefeld is the documentation specialist for Safety Vision, LLC, a pioneer in mobile video surveillance systems. Safety Vision prides itself on its institutional knowledge. Visit Safety Vision at www.safetyvision.com. For a complete set of references please visit: http://bit.ly/1IwdQCu.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

17

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Copyright ©2016 Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved. Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company.

O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Field Test:

ECS Transportation adjusts to Fleetmatics

O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Field Test:

ECS

Transportation acclimates to Fleetmatics After selecting the GPS fleet management solution, the operator begins the installation and training process

By Richard Tackett

When we last left ECS Transportation, the Connecticut-based operator had begun its search for a new GPS solution and had interacted with Fleetmatics, a fleet management provider operating since 2004. Initial meetings between the companies had ECS electing to sign up for Fleetmatics REVEALTM, the flagship product of its new partner. Fleetmatics conducted comprehensive needs assessments through calls and web conferencing, taking particular interest in personnel issues, as well as vehicle safety.

20

BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

busride.com

Installation begins The initial implementation process began in 2012, and Fleetmatics was able to accommodate the Monday through Friday schedule of ECS Transportation. Installation of Fleetmatics REVEAL was handled on weekends by a member of the Fleetmatics network of installation companies.

“We have an installation coordinator at Fleetmatics,” says Chris Daywalt, marketing manager at Fleetmatics. “That coordinator figures out the logistics of installation schedule – where the vehicles are and when Fleetmatics REVEAL needs to be installed. From there, the coordinator works with several large companies with locations all over the country. We then choose the a local certified installer for our client.”

Daywalt says that the all installers are initially embedded with Fleetmatics, so the installations meet the company’s standards.

Gene Horne, president of ECS Transportation, says the installation process was comprehensive, with the third-party installers initially removing all of the older GPS units in the company’s buses. The entire process of removing old units and installing Fleetmatics REVEAL on nearly 60 vehicles took approximately one-and-a-half months.

“They were neat and quick,” he says. “They were in and out, which was crucial for us. The installation didn’t interrupt our core business, which is school transportation Monday through Friday.”

Training the team Fleetmatics REVEAL training sessions with ECS Transportation staff were a combination of web-based teleconferences and training videos. Sessions were tailored to specific staff divisions.

“ECS has a lot of people doing different things in their company,” Daywalt says. “We train people on different aspects of the system, depending on what they will use. It’s not one-time thing, it’s as needed.”

Sessions included training for setting up software parameters, Geofencing and the Fleetmatics REVEAL user interface. Fleetmatics REVEAL’s dashboards provide complete reports on fuel, activity, timecards, driving style and overall business summaries, so it was important for staff to know the ins and outs of the system. Drivers were also educated about Driver I.D. and the key fobs that would be issued to them.

Horne says that one big benefit, gleaned from the training sessions, was an ability to give clients a log-in I.D. for the system. He knew his school clients would greatly benefit from seeing vehicle location in near real-time.

“They trained our office staff and dispatchers first, so that later we could go out into the field and train our customers,” he says.

As new staff members join the team, ECS will simply reach out to Fleetmatics for additional training. Also, the company will handle all future maintenance, installation, and downloading security and updates.

Immediate returns ECS also saw an almost immediate 15 percent reduction in payroll expenses because of the new, foolproof tracking.

“We had drivers saying they’d worked eight or nine hours, and we’d take their word for it,” Horne says. Actually tracking the drivers using software allowed us to find and root out discrepancies between reported hours and actual hours of service.” busride.com | BUSRIDE

21

As implementation began, Fleetmatics also had a major suggestion regarding the vehicle safety component of ECS Transportation’s business.

“We have a proprietary algorithm for driver behavior,” Daywalt says.

“It scores driver behavior on a scale of 0 to 100, so if you see anything below 60, you need to really take a close look at what this driver is doing. This is an area where we were able to really show ROI, because of the special-school needs transportation of ECS.” Horne says the driver monitoring did cause some turnover in staff, but that it was ultimately the best possible outcome for the company.

“Some drivers weren’t happy. Suffice to say that those who weren’t entirely honest don’t work here anymore,” he says. “But the savings that ECS would begin to realize were passed on to the great, loyal drivers and employees that work for us. We’ve got people working here that have been working since our founding in 1999. We’re very proud of that.”

Watch for the final chapter in this three-part series in the November / December 2016 edition of BUSRide Magazine. Find out where ECS Transportation is now; how the “path to success” has been achieved and what the future holds.

Fleetmatics and the Fleetmatics logo are registered trademarks of Fleetmatics in the U.S. and other countries.

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BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

busride.com

THE CONNECTED BUS

The importance of a consolidated communications platform

By Jessica Sweeney Looking at the transit market across the board, we see a vast and growing array of onboard systems. There are new and innovative technologies every day that are designed to help operators provide better, more reliable service, inform passengers, or to gather and analyze important data that can help optimize their operations.

The challenge is that each of these technologies often operate as independent systems – as separate functions unto themselves.

Great examples are automatic passenger counting, ticketless fare collections systems, and passenger Wi-Fi systems. Each of these capabilities requires a communications infrastructure – and traditionally, what providers do is to bundle the communications infrastructure into the purchase price. The result? When you buy passenger counting, it comes with its LTE system. When you purchase a CAD / AVL system, it has its own communications system. When you add in the passenger Wi-Fi service, guess what? It comes with its own communications system.

One bus operator lamented, “My bus is like a hedgehog. I can’t install another system on my bus – simply because I can’t put another hole in the roof for the antenna!”

LILEE Systems had its start in rail and recently expanded to bus and motorcoach, finding only subtle differences between the two modes of transportation. Large Class 1 rail operators have sizeable, dedicated teams to address their communications issues. The comparatively smaller size of many bus operations that may not have the personnel to focus on this technology clearly affects the type of systems each operator can afford and manage.

When we look at this environment, we believe it is important to stop treating communications infrastructures like micro-systems within each of the solutions. Instead, we must provide a single, robust platform that can provide the communications backhaul for many different onboard systems simultaneously.

Many transit operators have neither the necessary staff nor the time to manage a variety of disparate systems. Beyond making it easy to use, LILEE has gone even further for the bus market and offered a fully managed solution, called Connectivity-as-a-Service, which is a monthly subscription service.

This is a smart model for operators who can’t take really big bites.

There are some transit operators who will receive a capital expense grant to buy everything up front. Many transit operators need to fit their connectivity platform into an operating budget. If they can do that on a monthly basis, then we can take care of the total solution for them as a managed service.

LILEE bundles its transit use cases into four core “buckets”: Passengers: This can include passenger information, advertising, onboard communications, and even passenger services like ticketing and passenger counting. There are lots of opportunities to better know riders, and technology can have a huge impact here.

Technology provides agencies many opportunities to better know their riders.

Safety: Driver monitoring is key in this area, but we’re also think a lot about emergency alert situations. Companies like LILEE have given agencies the ability to, with the press of a button, instantly stream surveillance footage to their home offices. We’re even thinking about how will that work in the future with driverless vehicles. There are many angles to tackle in this bucket, especially in the years to come.

Reliable service: What people want most is that the bus shows up. When the bus is in the garage, it’s not on the road grabbing passengers. Maximizing time in service by using the operational data for predictive maintenance and tying into their existing systems in the garage is crucial for transit agencies.

Analytics: This includes all operation applications, guest services, and everything that feeds information to the back office through the cloud. Analytics allow for a holistic view of an agency’s operations.

Operators are best equipped for the future when all of these core areas are addressed in a consolidated, easy-to-manage system.

Jessica Sweeney is senior director of market and product strategy at LILEE Systems. LILEE provides solutions for passenger connectivity and a range of other broadband solutions, including on-board entertainment and advertising, surveillance and security, fleet management and positive train control.

Visit www.lileesystems.com for more information.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

23

THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT

By Doug Jack

Mercedes-Benz launches autonomous city bus Friends who work in Daimler Buses sometimes express regret that their company does not appear to be keeping pace with European competitors on the development of transit buses with alternative fuels and driveline technology. I can understand their concerns, but the company has forged ahead with very strong sales of diesel-engined Mercedes-Benz Citaro city buses with the latest Euro 6 engines. They have minimal exhaust emissions and superior fuel consumption to previous generations. Production of the Citaro is fast approaching 50,000 units, an all-time record for a modern-generation city bus.

Hands and feet free! Note the screen on the pillar giving the driver a view of everything alongside and behind the bus.

24

BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

That is not to say that Mercedes-Benz has been solely focused on diesel. They have built hybrid buses and they have the largest number of fuel-cell buses in operation in Europe, in countries like Germany, Italy and Switzerland. They launched the option of a modern compressed natural gas (CNG) engine just one year ago.

However, Daimler Buses accelerated past all its competitors in an event in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in July this year, when it launched the world’s first full-sized semi-autonomous transit bus. The project was sufficiently well advanced to be shown to leading customers and the trade press.

Daimler Buses has the advantage of being able to work with colleagues in the car and truck divisions on advanced technology, like autonomous vehicle control, fuel cells and all-electric vehicles.

The Netherlands is moving faster than other European countries in promoting advanced automotive technology and zero emissions. Earlier this year, convoys of heavyduty trucks ran in platoons from the home cities of their

manufacturers to the port of Rotterdam. They had interlinked GPS and electronic systems. Running at the same gross weight they could travel closer together, ensuring valuable savings in fuel consumption. Although each vehicle had a driver, for safety reasons, the platoon was under the control of the leading truck.

The City Pilot bus project was demonstrated on a segregated busway linking Amsterdam’s Schipol airport with the town of Haarlem, serving stations along the route. Those stations have platforms that are level with the low floors of the city buses. Most of them in service, running every two to three minutes, were articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro models. Just to be clear, there were no guide wheels helping to control the wheels, nor any white lines on the road surface.

Mercedes-Benz took parties of around 30 journalists at a time on a round trip on the system, covering approximately 20 miles. The bus was equipped with global positioning systems, also a combination of radar detection and cameras which monitored everything that was happening every second, not only in front of the bus, but alongside and behind it. The radar could see more than 200 yards ahead.

The cameras had closer vision and were interconnected, giving a precise picture of the surroundings and the exact position of the bus. Near the top of the front pillar on each side, a small external camera monitored what was happening alongside and behind the vehicle. This was relayed to larger mirrors inside the bus, mounted quite high on the windshield pillars. The interior displays were totally free from any distortion by rain, road dirt or icing in winter conditions.

There was a normal driver’s position on the off-side front, complete with instrument displays, a steering wheel and foot pedals. The driver was there only for safety reasons. He only took control of the steering wheel when approaching and passing a bus travelling in the opposite direction and that was a local safety regulation.

Travelling on the City Pilot was an amazing experience. I sat near the front, on a seat facing the driver. The bus accelerated quite rapidly, with very smooth gear changes. It almost immediately entered a tunnel about 1-mile long, when the GPS was inactive but it was still able to follow bends in the tunnel and keep exactly on course. At times, between stations, it reached speeds of up to 50 mph but when it approached a station it decelerated remarkably smoothly, parking within 4 inches of a platform level with the floor. This enabled passengers to get on and off rapidly.

In various places along the route, it was intersected by streets used by other traffic. These were controlled by traffic lights. The bus could send an advance signal to the traffic lights, ensuring priority and therefore faster busride.com

THE INTERNATIONAL REPORT

average speed. It could also recognise pedestrians who might want to cross the track just in front of the bus at the last minute, usually to catch a bus going in the opposite direction.

Mercedes-Benz said that the City Pilot system did all the driver’s work, saving him or her from stress and effort. At this early stage in the development in autonomous buses, a driver still has to be present, and that is reassuring to passengers. He or she can override the system in the event of an emergency but at the end of a shift a driver should feel much more fresh. Passengers will benefit from very smooth travel and there should be savings in fuel consumption from optimum control of gear changing, acceleration and braking.

It is well known that Mercedes-Benz is planning a next generation of city buses. There will be a common platform capable of using standard diesel, hybrid, gas, all-electric and fuel-cell hybrid drive systems. These are likely to be introduced around 2018-2019, following a further investment of around $200 million. The company plans that the option of autonomous driving will be available from 2020.

The City Pilot Citaro was also a design and development test-bed for the Bus of the Future. The design team took a standard Citaro city bus and modified it heavily, with many new ideas, to stimulate customer reaction.

Most Citaro buses have one double-width entrance in front of the front axle, opposite the driver, and a second double-width door ahead of the rear axle. To a large extent, this layout has been dictated, not only on the Citaro, but many other European buses, by the need for the driver to collect fares or ensure that the passenger uses a valid automatic payment system.

The design team opted for two double-width doors in the center of the bus in mid-wheelbase. They reckoned that this will greatly improve passenger flow, especially at busy stops. On entry, passengers could validate tickets or pay for their journey by suitable cards at a centrally mounted machine. They could turn left and go towards a rear lounge area with side facing seats and another bench across the rear face, giving a club-type atmosphere. Alternatively, they could turn right moving towards the front, where there were further inward facing seats, including one almost opposite the driver. Passengers on short journeys could cross the gangway to another row of side facing seats.

I have reservations about the number of sideways-facing seats, partly because they reduce the overall seating capacity, but also because

passengers could bump into one another if the vehicle had to brake sharply. There was also a noticeable shortage of hand rails for standing passengers, or for those with disabilities moving around the bus. They are comments that are likely to be picked up during customer surveys but I cannot help feeling that many will call for more conventional forward-facing seats.

Another view of the City Pilot at a station near Amsterdam.

Externally, the styling was dynamic. Although the frontal aspect was clearly derived from the highly popular Citaro, the traditional waist rail on each side was replaced by swooping curving glass, letting more light into the vehicle. Matte-black panelling at various points tended to make the area of glazing look even larger. Attracting fairings at roof level neatly disguised the air conditioning. A strip of full-width lighting, on the front and the rear faces, could illuminate in blue or white, indicating when the vehicle was or was not running in autonomous mode. It might take some time to get that idea accepted

by European legislators.

It was an unusual experience to sit in a 40-feet transit bus running in autonomous mode. Talking to the drivers, they admitted that they had at first been wary of the technology, but quickly became convinced by it. Some journalists thought that drivers would become bored if their work was taken over completely by the autonomous driving system. They thought there was a risk that they might be distracted and fail to notice any emergency situation where they had to manually override the system. While I can understand their concern, I feel quite confident that drivers will trust the systems and appreciate an easier-driving environment. Although the test in the Netherlands was carried out on a separate right of way, the real test will probably come when autonomous buses are introduced to city streets, mixing with much more traffic, pedestrians and other obstacles.

Doug Jack is with Transport Resources in the United Kingdom.

Looking toward the rear of the bus with its inward-facing bench seats.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

25

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TransIT

Demystify the cloud and make it work for you

By Mark Anderson What do transit operators need to know about the cloud that they don’t already know? While many people use the cloud, not everyone understands its tremendous benefit to company operations. It takes some demystifying and a few illuminating Ah-ha moments to realize the cloud is a much better solution, and using it is easier than many operators think.

Perhaps more importantly, the cloud platform is a true cost solution to facilitate all software management systems such as Trackit Manager. As yet, many companies still think the approach is to buy the servers and hire people to bring IT functions in-house.

Comparatively speaking, a totally inhouse system is nearly cost prohibitive and actually counterproductive to the expected security and control of information, as well as workflow. As Trackit Manager exists in the cloud, an agency needs nothing more than computers, laptops and tablets with internet access. Trackit provides the servers, hosting and technical support.

Managing a singular in-house platform requires a very high level of technical expertise that most agencies understandably lack, particularly smaller operations. Trackit is in the IT business to alleviate transit agencies of the major responsibility of owning and managing the software. This all allows agencies to work harder and smarter.

For example, recently a small transit agency in the Los Angeles area encountered a virus that invaded its server and eradicated up to 10 years of spreadsheets and accidents reports. It crippled the organization for weeks. The IT staff thought all this information had been backed up.

Unfortunately, they had inadvertently backed up the virus on to the other system as well. This turned out to be their Ah-hh that took the agency into the cloud via Trackit.

At the leadership level, with regard to the expense and liability of using and maintaining the technology, those who understand budgets, and the capability of software to manage, access, and store all company records, know an in-house solution doesn’t make sense.

Another Ah-ha moment is certainly the ease and efficiencies of the mobile applications using handheld tablets that replace the redundancy and compartmentalized pitfalls of disseminating spreadsheets.

Trackit Manager mechanizes every step in the process to create a work flow. The fact that this involves the same people completing the same managerial tasks with greater speed and efficiency, and not taking anyone’s job away, is one more Ah-hah moment.

Employees fill out their forms, validate the information and hit the submit button, sending their reports and comments to the cloud and emails for everyone’s access and use as-needed. What they were

“Many companies still think the approach is to buy the servers and hire people to bring IT functions in-house.” unable to do in the past, they can now accomplish with Trackit. This cloud-based document management and workflow system makes all forms completely searchable, which is not possible with paper reports that get stacked or filed, and allows everyone to work together in lockstep—instantly, if they so choose.

Mark Anderson is president of Trackit LLC, San Diego, CA. Trackit Manager provides paperless digital tools to systematically collect – track – analyze —and allows managers to act on the personnel data generated by transit agencies.

Visit www.trackittransit.com.

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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Complete Coach Works (CCW) announced the appointment of James (Jim) F. Paul as Northwest regional sales manager, Michael (Mike) Klein as Southwest regional sales manager and Aaron Timlick as general manager for the Alameda, CA, facility.

Paul held previous senior management positions and brings more than 25 years of leadership and automotive expertise to his role. Klein has taken on several roles in the transit industry. In over 15 years years he has held a vast array of titles, allowing him to grow professionally within the industry. With five years as a production supervisor at CCW under his belt and over 10 years in the transit industry, Timlick will surely be very successful in his new role as general manager in CCW’s Alameda facility.

The City of Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (BBB) announced the addition of three new hires, and one promotion from within the public transportation agency. Collectively, their expertise will play a vital role in equipping Big Blue Bus to meet the rapidly changing mobility demands of the Southern California transit landscape to provide greater connectivity and access to numerous transportation modes in a safe, reliable and environmentally sustainable manner.

Joining Big Blue Bus are Eric O’Connor, Liseth Guizar and Robert McCall, in the position of chief administrative officer, safety and training manager, and transit community engagement coordinator, respectively. Jennie Campos has been promoted to transit community engagement officer.

TBL Group, Inc, owner of AFC / ECHO Transportation brands has recently hired Kim Bratton-Tubbs to the position of vice president business development. With over 30 years in the ground transportation industry, Tubbs brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to her new role with the Texas-based ground transportation leaders.

Tubbs will direct and coordinate all company sales and marketing efforts including oversight and management of all public relations and marketing-related activities, as well as business development including market research, strategic planning, and strategic account development.

In her leadership position, Tubbs will identify and develop strategic Kim Bratton-Tubbs relationships with partners and potential customers. She will develop a pipeline of new customers and projects in key strategic accounts through customer contact and negotiations, working with marketing, sales and product development teams to implement business development initiatives.

Elizabeth Thompson joins VHB’s New York City transportation team as a transportation planner, supporting the Northeast region’s growing transit and rail practice.

After seven years in the public sector, Thompson joins VHB from New York City Transit’s Division of Operations Planning, where she served as senior transportation planner for Long-Range Bus Service Planning. Thompson was instrumental in evaluating the performance of existing Select Bus Service routes and planning new routes for implementation. Elizabeth Thompson Prior to that, she served in a variety of roles with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority including principal planner and project manager for the Capital Programming Department and principal planner and senior planner for the Regional Planning Department where she oversaw development of numerous federally funded transportation planning studies for local and county agencies.

ARBOC Specialty Vehicles is announced the appointment of Scott Defrees to the position of regional sales manager. Defrees brings 12 years of experience in the bus industry where he has held multiple roles in engineering, product design and most recently as bid administrator / sales engineer at ARBOC. “I am excited to start a new chapter within ARBOC and I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge and experience in the bus industry with such a respected company like ARBOC” Defrees says.

“Scott has a proven track record within our company and understanding of our customers,” Scott Defrees says Don Roberts, president & CEO of ARBOC. “I am confident that he will continue to grow and help achieve ARBOC’s dominance in the market.”

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BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

PTSI Transportation welcomed Patricia Chemka Speranza, more commonly known to the public transportation industry as Patty Chemka, to its team of associates. Chemka is expected to play a major role in developing and implementing numerous projects related to local, regional and intercity passenger transportation, for both public and private carriers and agencies. She will work with PTSI’s public transportation team in serving existing clients and in generating new value-added projects and products. Among these will be application of the Route Learning System™ to bus services, and improving customer service to both the institutional as well as the ultimate customers (passengers) of PTSI clients.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) announced that the organization has appointed Carter R. Rohan as the vice president of construction and capital programs management.

Rohan manages the design and construction of the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center, the First Coast Flyer Bus Rapid Transit system and the JTAMobilityWorks program, which includes 13 roadway and 14 mobility corridor projects. Rohan reports to CEO Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. “We are elated to have someone with Carter’s remarkable talent and experience,” Ford says. “He is a dynamic leader with international experience in transportation program management.

The JTA is fortunate to have someone of his caliber. He is a tremendous addition to the Jacksonville community.” busride.com

Open architecture and system integration Avail Technologies, State College, PA, is an intelligent transportation systems (ITS) solutions provider for transit operators in the United States, specializing in CAD/AVL solutions for fixed route and paratransit. In an interview with BUSRide, Rick Spangler, chief technology officer at Avail Technologies, answers a few critical questions about open architecture and system integration.

How would you define open architecture as it relates to enterprise asset management (EAM)?

Think of enterprise asset management (EAM) as all the software, hardware, and tools agencies put in play on a day-to-day basis to build an enterprise-wide solution. This solution touches all aspects in every division of their operations.

Particularly as it relates to ITS, an agency building an EAM solution wants to feel as if that solution is singular and holistic. All the components work together seamlessly. We often find agencies may have been building ITS solutions à la carte over the course of years, making investments as needed with a variety of vendors. The trap they somestimes fall into is that the various products do not always connect and interrelate.

Integrators such as Avail can equip the agency with an open architecture solution. This solution is not only capable of running multiple operational systems, but also ties into the existing technology where the customer is already heavily invested.

How prevalent is open architecture in transit today? Is it in the near future or do we have to wait?

In today’s public transit industry, open architecture is not as prevalent as it should be. Compared to other industries and the ubiquity of fully-integrated information and services, the transit industry is lagging behind. Transit must recognize that customers’ expectations are changing. Perhaps spoiled by the technology on the consumer sides of their lives they are demanding an open platform that quickly and efficiently answers their questions and services their needs. Vendors not embracing this concept are not long for this world.

I see the industry as a whole trending toward EAM solutions that offer full integration between new, existing and best of breed technologies focused on taking customer service to a higher level.

How does an open database help agencies plan?

Open architecture creates a foundation capable of bringing all these seemingly disparate data points together digitally under one umbrella where they can be easily manipulated and formatted. This allows agencies to focus on finding answers and not worrying about where they’re finding the data.

We’ve heard from some transit agencies that there are vendors who treat data collected from customers as somewhat of a commodity, requiring customers to go through that vendor for access. Avail works with a different paradigm. We believe that, although it resides in our database, the data belongs to the customers and can

Open architecture’s prevalence is on the rise in North American transit.

be shared with other systems as it suits their needs. As agencies grow and plan to meet the needs of their ridership communities, many are realizing the tools they’ve been using are causing them to play catch-up. They’re learning that perhaps there are solutions in the market capable of integrating their disparate systems to make planning easier.

What are some advantages of centralized data storage as applied to multi-modal operations?

When we think about transit agencies today, we don’t only include fixed route or paratransit. Most agencies provide a greater mix of transportation modes, from light rail to commuter rail, circulator shuttles and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Some are even incorporating information for on-demand services such as Uber and Lyft to increase mobility options for their ridership. Transit agencies today are hungry for a holistic picture of the entire operation. Solutions like ours can provide that via our centralized data access architecture, by either bringing those various data elements directly into our open data warehouse or by linking various databases together. They not only allow agencies to investigate a particular service mode but, with a single point of access, they can also drill down to the level of detail they need to tie everything together. Having the ability to tie data together, then cross-check and validate the various elements, helps agencies discover relationships they may have missed had they been looking at each mode in isolation.

How steep is the learning curve to integrate and manage new systems in an open architecture?

I can interpret this question from the standpoint of both the provider and the agency. Not every provider in this market is embracing open architecture. They are, however, beginning to realize this is the future and the learning curve for them could be steep if they don’t get on the bandwagon soon.

From an agency standpoint, an open platform can actually lessen the learning curve by integrating systems and processes with which agency staff is already familiar.

Rick Spangler serves as chief technology officer at Avail Technologies, an ITS technology solutions provider for transit operators in the United States. Visit www.availtec.com for more information.

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Indian Trails veterans honored for safely going the distance Presented by Prevost, the BUSRide Safe Driver Hall of Fame recognizes three more million-mile veteran drivers for Indian Trails, Inc., Owosso, MI. This family-owned motorcoach operator has honored its million-mile safe drivers for 27 years. All have gone the distance without an avoidable accident.

Ernest Nieman drove coaches part time for 10 years while running his own barber shop. Once he chose the highway over hair, he landed with the Indian Trails company in 1990 after a chance meeting with fellow million-mile driver Carl Briggs who inspired Nieman to change jobs.

After 26 years, Nieman has traveled to nearly every state and throughout much of Canada.

Somewhere out on the open road in 2005, he hit Ernest Nieman his million-mile mark.

“I like driving, being on the move and working with people,” Nieman says. “There’s an independence that almost feels like I’m selfemployed – without the expenses, but still accountable.”

Chad Schwab, a 31-year veteran, helped launch the Michigan Flyer affi liate and continues as “the old man on the totem pole,” as he often jokes.

Reduce Maintenance Costs.

Schwab is particularly proud of the friendships he’s made with his passengers from China attending Michigan State University, who inspired him to learn Mandarin Chinese in order to correctly pronounce their names. In 2011, he travelled to China to visit some of the friends he’d made, and says it has been fun to surprise Chinese passengers with his knowledge of their language.

Chad Schwab In 2005, Schwab knew he was closing in on one million miles – but when he asked, he was surprised to learn he’d already surpassed the mark by 200,000 miles.

Jerry VanDeusen has driven for Indian Trails and Michigan Flyer since 1995, and reached one million miles without a preventable accident in 2014.

VanDeusen says the best part of his job is meeting people from all walks of life and helping first-time travelers. He is among the experienced Indian Trails drivers who train new recruits.

“I had great training and preparation for my job, and I want to pass that along,” he says. “I train drivers to always keep their eyes on the road and the safety of their passengers in mind.” help in keeping him and his passengers safe on Jerry VanDeusen Jr. the road.

That, coupled with the Golden Rule helped him reach “million-mile safe” status in 2014.

Sometimes the nightmare starts when you wake up.

Improve Safety Ratings.

Ruler

» Old » Slow » Risky

V’Stroke

Push Rod Meter » Precise » Fast » Electronic

BED BUGS ®

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BUSRIDE | OCTOBER . 2016

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