BUSRide Maintenance August / September 2016 by Power Trade Media

AUG / SEPT.2016

BUSRIDEMAINTENANCE.COM

THE EXCLUSIVE MAINTENANCE RESOURCE FOR THE TRANSIT AND MOTORCOACH INDUSTRY

Official BUSRide Maintenance Field Test:

MCI Academy educates the industry p4

Eco-friendly HVAC p 10 | Bus facility preliminary design p11

FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Learning on a new level

busridemaintenance.com VOL. 06 • NO. 6 Richard Tackett Editor in Chief rtackett@busridemaintenance.com

This month, BUSRide Maintenance spotlights MCI Academy, the latest learning initiative from Motor Coach Industries. Engineers and technicians from the Martz Group, Bloom Bus Lines, Arrow Stage Lines, Cavallo Bus Lines and Free Enterprise System all attest to the effectiveness of MCI’s off-site education program. Also in this issue:

David Hubbard Associate Publisher dhubbard@busridemaintenance.com Steve Gamble Art Director sgamble@busridemaintenance.com Judi Victor CEO & Publisher Director of Sales jvfly@busridemaintenance.com

• Steve Johnson, product manager for large bus and rail HVAC solutions at Thermo King, explores the many ways in which modern HVAC systems are eco-friendly, and why so many HVAC OEMs are thinking “green.”

Mitch Larson Business Manager mlarson@busridemaintenance.com

• Don Leidy, principal of Maintenance Design Group, lays out seven “commonsense” steps for preliminary designs of bus facilities.

Blair McCarty Sr. Sales and Marketing Coordinator bmccarty@busridemaintenance.com

Thank you for reading this issue of BUSRide Maintenance.

Hannah Riley Marketing and Sales Associate hriley@churchexecutive.com

Richard Tackett Editor in Chief BUSRide Maintenance Magazine

BUS INDUSTRY SAFETY COUNCIL

CONTENTS

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016

On the cover: Official BUSRide Maintenance Field Test: LMS spawns MCI Acamedy

MCI operators make the move to higher learning By David Hubbard

A publication of:

Features Move the components to a warmer climate

Moving dryers to the storage bays can save an emergency service call By Scott Greteman

Official BUSRide Maintenance Roundtable Discussion: Refurbishment and Remanufacturing 8 ABC Companies and Complete Coach Works discuss the benefits Departments From the Editor in Chief Products and Services

2 3

Focus On: HVAC By Steve D. Johnson, Sr.

Maintenance Facility Design 11 By Don Leidy

BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

BUSRide Maintenance Magazine 4742 North 24th Street, STE 340 Phoenix, Arizona 85016 Phone: (602) 265-7600 Fax: (602) 277-7588 busridemaintenance.com BUSRide Maintenance™ Magazine is published 8 times each year by Power Trade Media, a division of The Producers, Inc., 4742 N. 24th Street, Ste. 340, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Subscription Rates: United States and Mexico $39 (USD) one year, Canada $42 (USD) one year (GST included), all other countries $75 one year, single issue United States $5 (USD), all other countries $6 (USD). All articles in BUSRide Maintenance™ Magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher. For reprints of 100 or more, contact Judi Victor at (602) 265-7600 ext. 125. Copyright 2016 by Power Trade Media. No advertisement or description or reference to a product or service will be deemed as an endorsement, and no warranty is made or implied by Power Trade Media Information is obtained from sources the editors believe reliable, accurate and timely, but no warranty is made or implied, and Power Trade Media is not responsible for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed in BUSRide Maintenance™ 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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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Maintenance Field Test:

LMS spawns MCI Academy

MCI operators make the move to higher learning By David Hubbard Motor Coach Industries (MCI), Des Plaines, IL, rolled out the first course in its new, comprehensive MCI Academy in May to essentially test the interest level within the industry for the more intense, fully-developed maintenance training regimens to come. Reaching out to a small test group of customers, the first session involved three-and-a-half days of HVAC training as part of an intended series in the curriculum. “Our goal for the MCI Academy is to help our customers train their maintenance personnel to much higher standards,” says Scott Crawford, manager, MCI Technical Training. “The motorcoach industry has reached the point where operators need to rethink this area of their operations. Companies would be better served by offering their mechanics and technicians an established career path to follow.” “Typically, they all share the same title,” he adds. “Other than the size of their paychecks, there is little to distinguish the veteran in the shop from the new hire.” Crawford is probably safe in saying motorcoach operators generally feel that the trucking and transit industries are drawing talent away from their operations, largely because of the training and development programs they provide. “Our industry has always been behind in this respect,” Crawford says. “But MCI is changing that. For operators who need to bring new hires up to speed quickly, or advance the skills of seasoned technicians, MCI Academy is the solution.” LMS supports the MCI Academy According to MCI, the Academy has evolved from the company’s own history in training MCI technicians. The company established its National Training Center in 2007 at its parts distribution center in Louisville, KY, where it hosts the popular hands-on Technical Tune Up and Advanced TuneUp events. In 2015, MCI debuted its comprehensive online Learning 4

BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

Management System (LMS), which is now the foundation for the MCI Academy to combine all existing training platforms into a more progressive curriculum leading to certificates and diplomas. Today, more than 4,000 active employees of MCI customers are able to select from more than 400 courses in the LMS library on major coach components and systems. As students, they typically schedule their own time to study online in their shops. LMS maintains an account and transcript for each student and documents all training activity. MCI operators can then track each employee through fully-customized reports. “MCI is working very hard to change the often-heard mindset that outside training is an unnecessary expense or cost prohibitive at best,” Crawford says. “While the actual amount saved by sending employees for additional training is difficult to document, the true burden on the company comes from not investing in employee training.” Contrary to another prevailing attitude, that an operator’s shop is too busy to allow employees time for training, more than a few MCI customers are investigating incentive programs by which they compensate techs for training on the job and even in their own time. BUSRide Maintenance spoke with five such motorcoach companies actively engaged in LMS training to understand their unique applications of this versatile system. Generally, they each spoke to the time constraints but also to the returns through knowledge gained, more accurate troubleshooting and diagnosis, and faster, cost-efficient repairs. “LMS training is on-demand training, which works best for us,” says Aaron Kopa, corporate director of maintenance, The Martz Group, Wilkes-Barre, PA. “This program gives us flexibility to arrange for our techs to train at work or at home, for which we pay them for dedicating off-duty time to their LMS training.” Kopa says Martz incorporates the LMS training requirements busridemaintenance.com

into its pay-grade structure, as do the other companies BUSRide visited that include Bloom Bus Lines, Taunton, MA. “We select the LMS courses we feel are the most important to our operations and encourage our employees to go through the training,” says George Sweezey, assistant maintenance director, Bloom Bus Lines, Taunton, MA. “As an incentive, we attach a pay raise for the employee’s successful completion of LMS training.” Long engaged in its own intensive maintenance training, Arrow Stage Lines, Omaha, NB, incorporated the LMS program into its programs to better serve technicians in its multiple locations. “We have found the LMS curriculum very beneficial in helping technicians coming over from the trucking industry, as well technical training school graduates, to better understand the unique characteristics of a motorcoach,” says Ray Smith, Arrow safety and maintenance manager, located in Denver, CO. “I routinely invite self-assessments from our technicians to determine strengths and shortcomings in their overall skill levels and areas of interest. I can then assign specific LMS courses to address their shortcomings and fields that might need more attention.” In conjunction with the LMS training, Smith says he works to align the tech with a “champion” veteran experienced in that area to lend further hands-on support. MCI Academy raises the bar With most MCI customers firmly committed and engaged in the LMS platform, as well as attending the Technical Tune-Ups and advanced training at the Louisville facility, the announcement of the MCI Academy comes as great news. “MCI has come a long way in a short time to broaden the scope of training,” says Bruce Sands, shop foreman for Cavallo

Bus Lines, Indianapolis, IN. “From a technical standpoint, much of our work is very difficult to learn without help from someone who has ‘been there; done that,’ someone who can answer questions, demonstrate and explain with hands-on knowledge without digging it out of a book.” According to MCI, the programs as presented in the MCI Academy have never existed before now, and are being conducted at more advanced levels than the previous Technical Tune-Ups. “Students coming to Louisville for the Tune-Ups got as much out of the class as they put in,” Crawford says. “They were not formally tested on what they had learned, which is completely different under MCI Academy.” MCI Academy is settling into place with its more intense curriculum offering certifications and diplomas on the major motorcoach systems. System Qualifications in which students complete a combination of LMS online courses and instructor-led classroom training at the National Training Center in Louisville, KY. Certificate Programs bring maintenance personnel along sequentially to higher skill levels, through MCI Level 1, 2 and 3 technician training. Diploma Programs consist of intense, in-depth, multipleweek training on HVAC and electrical systems, and the presentation of a diploma upon completion of the course. Continuing Education Programs keep technicians abreast of advancing technologies and new industry procedures, and sharpen skills on common systems. On-Site Training brings MCI training to the customers’ shops and coach fleets for at least three days of scheduled training in any combination of maintenance topics. MCI says interest and participation from the industry will determine the ultimate number and frequency of class.

On-site training brings MCI training to the customers’ shops and coach fleets for at least three days of scheduled training in any combination of maintenance topics.

busridemaintenance.com | BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE

Diplomas Programs consist of intense, in-depth, multiple-week training, and the presentation of a diploma upon completion of the course.

Coach operators on board Following the roll-out HVAC session in May, the MCI Academy is clearly the next step according to the operators who participated. “We really applaud MCI for taking a big step to offer more than what is available through the Technical Tune-Ups,” Sweezey says. “It just takes more time to fully understand the systems on a coach.” “Though the MCI Academy programs will be more difficult to schedule, and our employees will be away for longer periods of time, we do want to continue to send our mechanics to those sessions,” Kopa says. “This level of training is something that we were looking for from MCI,” he continues. “We have wanted something more ‘hands-on.’ When mechanics and technicians can actually apply all they have gained from training, they retain the information much easier, and are really learning what to do with what they are being taught.” Likewise, Free Enterprise System says it has no qualms about sending its most qualified employees MCI Academy for specialized training, after the two techs returned from the first session with positive reports. “We were actually surprised by their enthusiasm,” says Gary Blanchard of Free Enterprise System. “They are eager to get back for the second installment. Our hope is to eventually get more people through the certificate and diploma programs.” Crawford says the MCI Academy programs teach to the operational science and theories that drive the systems and components. All of which will become paramount in the coming MCI Academy courses focused on electronics and multiplexing — areas which the companies BUSRide Maintenance talked with see as their biggest hurdles and training challenges. 6

BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

The programs as presented in the MCI Academy have never existed before now, and are being conducted at more advanced levels than the previous Technical Tune-Ups.

“We have really needed this,” Sweezey says. “We are really looking forward to this one. Even our top technicians are unfamiliar with the new electronics in today’s coaches and are starting to fall behind.” Sands concurs, saying electronics are a struggle. “For our older, veteran mechanics, electrical systems are about fuses, relays and wiring diagrams,” he says. “Any up-to-date training they can get in this area will be very helpful.” Crawford says through the MCI Academy, the value of hiring, training and retraining technicians will become even more obvious. “For example, look to the savings benefits in learning to make an accurate diagnosis, and choosing replacement parts wisely and frugally, and not just throwing parts at a problem until something sticks,” he says. “With the proper training, mechanics and techs will become better versed in how to always methodically search out the original source of a problem on any system.” Readers interested in learning more about the MCI Academy may email: Scott.Crawford@mcicoach.com.

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Relocating air dryers can combat the effects of brutally cold weather and better protect coaches from breakdowns.

Moving dryers to the storage bays can save an emergency service call By Scott Greteman Road failures and equipment problems can ruin the sterling reputation of any first class operator. For that reason, the technicians at Windstar Lines, Carroll, IA, strive to improve the maintenance program to drive down the failure rate. The winter weather is a major concern. Our location in Iowa means the coaches are exposed to very conditions for long periods during the winter months. Daytime temperatures below freezing are typically the norm and can easily disable the air system, as well as clogged fuel filters resulting from the extra moisture that seeps into the tanks during fueling. At Windstar Lines we have taken a number of steps to combat the effects of the brutally cold weather and better protect our coaches from a potential breakdown. We relocated the air dryers and added dual air governors. We then relocated the fuel filters to a clean, dry compartment inside one of the storage bays. If a purge valve on one of the dryers sticks for any reason, the driver can turn a petcock to shut off the air leak. Bear in mind this solution is only temporary. Rely on it to only get the coach and passengers home or to the destination to make the proper repair or replacement.

We have also made to the switch to governors accessible to the drivers. Should an air governor act up and continually exhaust, the driver can turn a couple of switches to engage a backup unit. This has saved us from replacing the governor at certain mileage intervals. We are now achieving 100 percent usage from each governor. We also are relocating the fuel filters on the coaches, positioning them inside to allow the driver to change a fuel filter without having to crawl underneath the coach. This simple action can save the $100 to $400 charge for an emergency service. Instead the driver can replace a filter in less than 15 minutes and still have a clean uniform. By simply relocating these components from under the bus and into a warmer, more protected climate in the storage bays has also saved both time and money for the times we have to change a fuel filter in the shop or re-kit an air dryer. Scott Greteman serves as director of maintenance at Windstar Lines, Carroll, IA.

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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Maintenance Roundtable:

REFURBISHMENT AND REMANUFACTURING BUSRide Maintenance spoke with a select group of thought leaders, representing OEMs that specialize in remanufacturing and refurbishment for a roundtable discussion. This high-level discussion featured the following panelists:

Dale Carson, president, Complete Coach Works Roman Cornell, executive vice president, ABC Companies

ABC Companies is able to refurbish vehicles, like the refurbished Van Hool TD925 “Sky Deck” open-topped double-deck sightseeing coach, in order to improve cosmetics and the passenger experience.

What are the key benefits of refurbishing or remanufacturing older buses as opposed to purchasing new vehicles? Roman Cornell: For one, it’s less expensive to refurbish an existing vehicle. A refurbishment is a viable option when the purchase of a new model coach is simply not an option. Operators also get fresh warranties out of a refurbished engine, transmission and other components. Warranties can be six or 12-month on components with an option up to two years on engine and transmission in some cases. 8

BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

Dale Carson: Remanufacturing offers several advantages over buying a new vehicle. By purchasing a refurbished or remanufactured bus you have cost, training, life-cycle and turnaround time benefits. With the choice between new and used largely being a matter of finances, remanufacturing can bring older buses in the fleet to new standards and add value to the original investment in terms of a longer life-cycle. With a remanufactured bus, the parts inventory is already established, and the learning curve is zero. A new vehicle always requires retraining to some degree. busridemaintenance.com

If customers do not operate under such strict air quality controls, we can bring their older buses back to the year model of their valves, or bring up a 2007 year-model engine to compliance. Other upgrades and enhancements include, but are not limited to, new paint schemes, interior and media screens, as well as updated electrical systems, ADA compliance, and Wi-Fi for an enhanced customer experience. What is the public perception of a refurbished or remanufactured bus? Cornell: I would say most charter and tour passengers rarely notice whether the coach has been refurbished, or can tell it from new — as long as it is clean When Complete Coach Works converts a vehicle’s powertrain from diesel to electric, like in a ZEPS bus, it can reduce emissions to zero and help meet new environmental standards and mandates. inside and out, and offers the features and amenities they are expecting. It’s up to the operator to let their customer What degree of disrepair would prevent refurbishing or know the coach has been refurbished. Again, there are different remanufacturing? Basically, when is either process not a levels to refurbishing, some more noticeable than others. Some of viable option? our customers just want to repaint the exterior or spruce up the Cornell: The first step is to examine the structure of the vehicle, interior. Others want a new engine and transmission, or for us to for any damage like corrosion or hidden accident damage. Don’t go through the entire coach from front to back. Carson: I don’t think the riding public gives it much thought, forget to look at the roof, they can be costly hidden damages and because after a remanufacture, as far as they’re concerned, the time consuming. Carson: It is always possible for us to refurbish or bus looks new. My favorite stories are about remanufactured buses we have remanufacture any vehicle, regardless of the condition, some just may be a bit trickier. Buses and coaches operating in more severe delivered to our clients, in which more than a few CEOs actually climates, such as the brutal winters in the Northeast, can develop confused the rebuilt bus for a new bus when they were parked corrosive, structural issues from the buildup of salts and highway side by side. They were a little embarrassed, but we took it as a grime, making remanufacturing tougher, but still doable. Buses compliment to our work. and coaches operating in more severe climates, such as the brutal winters in the Northeast, can develop corrosive, structural issues What has been the most challenging refurbishment or remanufacturing projectyou have ever undertaken? from the buildup of salts and highway grime. Vehicles operated in regions where the environment Cornell: I would have to say the 750 MCIs we refurbished from isn’t such an issue are almost always capable of a rebuild or remanufacture. We can essentially take rebuilding to any level 2010 to 2014. We began with the idea of only refurbishing 100 buses. We started the project in a 120,000-square-foot building the operators wish. used for manufacturing modular homes. We ultimately ended up with 150 employees refurbishing 24 What upgrades and enhancements are available for refurbished units a month at the height of the contract. Our refurbishment and remanufactured buses? plan was challenging, and widely successful for the operator. Carson: When we started back in the early 1980s, we had one Cornell: By incorporating new front and rear caps with upgraded lighting and bumpers, we can bring older coaches situation where we determined that 40-foot RTS transit buses extremely close to the look of a 2016 or 2017 model. We can actually needed to be shorter – so we cut a few down, took them upgrade to three-point seat belts, as well as add 110 plugs with apart and reassembled them as 30-foot vehicles. It may have USB plug-ins for charging personal devices. We can add contour seemed difficult, but we didn’t look at it that way. It was a new parcel racks, a glass roof or a rear window to enhance the interior; challenge for us, and we just dug in and did the work. We have taken the same approach with the electrification with new upholstery and flooring. Carson: In our current rebuilds, in which we are converting process we have developed. We recently had a project in which the powertrain from diesel to electric, we can bring vehicles we fully converted a diesel bus to an electric drive bus within a to zero emissions to meet new environmental standards and 10-day turn around. Our client really wanted this bus for a trade mandates. For example, in California the higher requirement is show that was less than two weeks away; we saw that we could do it and made it happen. to bring emissions control up to 2010 specifications. busridemaintenance.com | BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE

FOCUS ON:

HvAC

Eco-friendliness is a priority for HVAC By Steve D. Johnson, Sr. There is little doubt that when the term “eco-friendliness” is used, practically everyone can grasp the meaning because of the emphasis on being green and protecting the environment. It is also generally understood that the HVAC system has the potential to negatively affect the environment because of the refrigerant gases inside. But before we get into the potentially harmful effects of refrigerant gases, let’s dig deeper into the broader interpretation of eco-friendliness and being green. For a product to claim that it is eco-friendly, the manufacturer of that product must have a “cradle to grave” strategy that clearly indicates that thought and effort have been applied towards creating specific rules intended to reduce the overall environmental impact. For example, every manufacturer knows what percent of their product is recyclable because it was considered during the design phase. The higher the recyclable content, the more eco-friendly the product is. The recyclable content is generally high for HVAC systems because of the common use of aluminum, brass, steel and copper. While that is a good thing, being eco-friendly goes beyond the materials in the unit. The chemicals used in the manufacturing of the product are also important. Why? Although some chemicals may be legal to use, it is the disposal of those chemicals and the potential effect on human health that drives manufacturers to use the most eco-friendly processes available. When you replace solvents and hazardous chemicals with biodegradable solutions, you can claim that your processes are eco-friendly and you are thinking green.

The manufacture of an eco-friendly HVAC product requires some special considerations. The systems designed for our comfort contain gases that can be harmful. The stage was set in 1987 with the signing of the Montreal Protocol which eventually led to legislation that phased out certain gases like R12 and R22. The issue then was ozone depletion. No ozone depleting gases are currently being used in bus air conditioning. The issue now is global warming and the stage is being set for the next transition with the EPA working on the final rule for acceptable gases. The implications for HVAC manufacturers have not changed since 1987. To be eco-friendly, the HVAC system must be designed for containment number one, and efficiency number two. Containment simply means that the design should be such that the amount of refrigerant leaking into the atmosphere is kept to the lowest level possible. HVAC manufactures have consciously reduced the number of fittings and other potential leak areas over the years. Containment also means that the user should repair any refrigerant leak immediately and observe all of the rules around recovery and recycling to further reduce the amount of refrigerant escaping to the atmosphere. As you can see, the responsibility for an eco-friendly outcome is shared. So, how does the efficiency of the HVAC system play into the eco-friendly and green scenario? Maybe more than one might suspect. Let’s start with the fact that the HVAC system is the largest single load on the bus. The power taken from the engine, or battery in the case of all-electric, to provide enough cooling for the bus can vary widely depending on the configuration of the HVAC system. An eco-friendly HVAC system is one that is designed to reduce and manage energy consumption. This measure of efficiency manifests itself with improved fuel economy for engines and longer ranges for the battery bus. While the engine itself must be efficient and comply with emission standards, any load reduction contributes to even lower emissions. Weight matters as well. As is commonly noted, an empty bus gets better MPG than a fully loaded bus. HVAC systems weigh 200 to 300 pounds less than they did 15 years ago. All HVAC manufacturers have a set of “Green Technologies” in their portfolio. Improving efficiency in the pursuit of bringing increased value to the end user is not new for HVAC manufacturers and today, the entire Transit industry is focused on energy efficiency and sustainability. To be eco-friendly, we must think and act green. It truly is a state of mind where thought leads to execution. Steve D. Johnson, Sr. serves as product marketing manager, Bus HVAC, at Thermo King, Minneapolis, MN. Thermo King is a world leader in transport temperature control systems for buses. Thermo King also manufactures auxiliary power units, which dramatically reduce engine idling. All Thermo King products are backed by a nationwide dealer network. Visit www.thermoking.com for more information.

BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

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Bus facility preliminary design: 7 common-sense steps By Don Leidy investing time to find the right solutions for both short- and longterm rewards. As you move to the charrette, keep that same open mindedness and spirit of adventure.

The author leads a facility design charrette for a bus transit client.

“Common sense.” Seems like a simple concept to apply, doesn’t it? Yet when you’re in the midst of facility design, that philosophy sometimes goes by the wayside. So how do you make it your guiding principle? Take these seven commonsense steps during preliminary design to get the best bus transit facility result: 1. Partner with experts. You have great ideas you’d like to incorporate in your facility. Yet trying to design it yourself can be overwhelming and risky. Instead, find facility design consultants and use them. They’ll uncover your challenges – even the ones you don’t know about yet – and solve them. They’ll listen to your ideas and help you determine which you can incorporate and how. And they’ll lead you through the process of programming, master planning, and conceptual design. 2. Establish your stakeholder group. Immediately assemble a group of stakeholders, which may include managers, operators, technicians, and more. Each brings a different perspective and insight into the application of ideas in the(ir) real world. They feel valued and you get a much better understanding of their facility needs. This group helps lay the programmatic foundation on which you build a master plan that works for all. 3. Take tours. Tour recently completed facilities with your consultants and stakeholder group. It’s good to look at three to five facilities in your region, both similar to and different from yours. Ask what works well…and not as well. Share your ideas and see if any resonate with them. And at the end of each tour, have the group discuss what they found intriguing. Include these ideas in the programming process. 4. Sleep on it. The time between programming and the design charrette is well spent brainstorming. Think about how you want your facility to work. Consider the ideas you’ve seen and dream up more. Then share them with your consultants. Your facility is distinct from every other. Honor that distinctness by

5. Incorporate a design charrette. The onsite design charrette may be the single most important step for creating a facility that truly serves your needs. The charrette is a process where your design team essentially brings a complete design studio to your facility for an extended, integrative design session. It not only saves time (taking only four to five days versus weeks or months); it also empowers you to create your ideal facility. Hold two design charrettes – the first for the master plan; the second for the conceptual floor plans. You and your stakeholders attend a series of short, iterative daily meetings. Each day, the design team presents solutions that incorporate ideas and address challenges. Then you choose the best of the best. Charrettes build consensus across all stakeholder groups and provide an eye-opening, educational, and enjoyable process for all involved. Need more incentive to incorporate a design charrette into your process? Discussing and determining solutions before design and construction saves money and change orders later. 6. Conduct a peer review. As the end of the charrette process, invite the people whose facilities you toured to review your final site plan and conceptual facility floor plans for safety, efficiency, and functional flow. These individuals have firsthand experience so getting their feedback on your preferred preliminary plans is extremely valuable. 7. Consider the value of new. The industry is quickly evolving, yet many facility designs still rely on traditional approaches, old technology, and outdated equipment. Think beyond initial capital investment to long-term operating costs. Consider the benefits of innovative ideas, particularly in your critical functions. Your consultants can help you determine where “new” makes the most sense. There’s a single common-sense thread throughout these seven common-sense steps: integrating users into the process. Though you may be apprehensive about using an inclusive process, you’ll be amazed how dynamic it makes the process and how much it contributes to creating a facility design you never dreamed possible. Don Leidy, principal of Maintenance Design Group, has worked with transit agencies throughout the U.S. to plan and design their bus maintenance facilities. To learn more about MDG’s capabilities and to gain valuable insights and information, please visit www.maintenancedesigngroup.com.

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