BUSRide Magazine August / September 2016 by Power Trade Media

AUG / SEPT | 2016

BUSRIDE.COM $5.00

Genfare links with

Porterville Transit

p10 Advances in infotainment p15 CNG conversions p17 Small bus dealers roundtable p 32

inside

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 CONTENTS

10 busride.com

COVER STORY Official BUSRide Field Test: Genfare links with Porterville Transit

A small, urban agency pioneers technology at the level of major metropolitan systems By Richard Tackett

FEATURES Transit Maintenance Forum for senior professionals headlines BusCon

Official BUSRide Roundtable Discussion: Getting your financial house in order 18 Experts from Advantage Funding, CH Bus Sales, Prevost, REV Group and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance weigh in

Focus On: Fare Collection

INIT and Genfare share best practices for fare media management

The vision behind the vehicle 42

Official BUSRide Roundtable Discussion: The state of paratransit vehicles

Representatives of TransitWorks and REV Group share their thoughts on paratransit in 2016

Official BUSRide Roundtable Discussion: Specialty bus dealerships 32 Transportation South, Davey Coach Sales and MobilityTRANS talk shop

Enterprise Asset Management 34 Thought leaders from TSO Mobile and Avail Technologies discuss preemptive tools that aid dispatchers

Official BUSRide Field Test: Fleetmatics connects with ECS Transportation

When the Connecticut operator needed a better way to track vehicles, he turned to Fleetmatics By Richard Tackett 4

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

There’s a philosophy behind low-floor vehicles and accessible transportation By Kim Yoder

BUSRide Safe Driver Hall of Fame

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

DEPARTMENTS 13 UPDATE 31 DELIVERIES

COLUMNS 6

DAVID HUBBARD

THE BISC REPORT

By Stephen Evans

15 A NEW LOOK @ TRANSIT TECH 17 FOCUS ON: CNG

By George Kalet

20 SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE By Lori Jetha 21 INSURANCE BASICS

By Tim O’Bryan

25 EQUAL ACCESS

By Larry Mabery

29 SAFETY SOLUTIONS

By Todd Carrier

41 TRANSIT

By Mary Sue O’Melia busride.com

DAVID HUBBARD

Attention limo operators: In the move to buses, new rules apply

busride.com VOL. 52 • NO. 6 Richard Tackett

The fatal accident in 2014 involving the limo bus carrying comedian Tracy Morgan and a Walmart truck prompted the Department of Transportation to launch a review of safety programs now being put in place by various luxury transportation systems throughout the United States, and is leading to increased and more intense discussion concerning this industry sector. “We have certainly experienced an increase in calls from luxury transportation operators regarding their pre-DOT audits,” says Mark Szyperski, president and CEO, On Your Mark Transportation, Nashville, TN. “We also are receiving more calls from insurance companies concerning preinsurance evaluations.” Szyperski says during initial reviews, his staff is discovering an astonishing number of common errors that luxury transportation companies are tending to miss. For example, hours of service records are either not accurate or missing altogether. Other errors involve random drug and alcohol testing; incomplete or out-of-date MCS150 forms, as well as driver qualification files incomplete or missing; and DOT numbers incorrectly displayed on the vehicles or nonexistent. “What I hear most often from operators in this sector is how and why they do not see themselves as a bona fide bus company,” Szyperski says. “They tell me they are just a luxury transportation system with larger vehicles that provide service to larger groups. Believe me, DOT views these companies with as much scrutiny as they do motorcoach operators — especially following an accident.” According to On Your Mark Transportation Vice President Lynn Sansone, luxury transportation companies moving to larger specialty buses and coaches need to follow up with corresponding upgrades to their safety and compliance initiatives, and implement strong and strict controls. Szyperski warns of an above average number of luxury transportation providers being fined or forced to close for noncompliance and inadequate safety measures, and stresses the urgency for these companies to thoroughly understand and comply with all mandates regarding buses and coaches of any size — or else DOT will most certainly be paying a visit.

David Hubbard Associate Publisher BUSRide Magazine

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

Editor in Chief rtackett@busride.com 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@churchexecutive.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 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™ 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™ 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.

busride.com

The

Report presented by The Pacific Western Group of Companies

There’s gold in them hills! In July, I was in Ontario, CA, for the Bus Industry Safety Council’s first-ever BISC West meeting and up in Whitehorse, YT, for a Pacific Western corporate meeting. Both places left me thinking and dreaming about gold.

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.

With a free afternoon in the Los Angeles area, I took in Knott’s Berry Farm, the famed theme park devoted to yesteryear and the Old West. Waiting in line for the GhostRider roller-coaster, I watched pintsized prospectors pan for gold, and had a hoot watching a few lucky kids think they’d hit it rich when they found a flake or two of real gold in their pans. In the same vein, Whitehorse is all about the Klondike Gold Rush. It was an important hub for supplies and transportation during the stampede of gold-crazy prospectors BISC West attendees can pan for the big payoff. heading to Dawson. Finding gold is more work than luck. Mixed in with gravel, sand and other mineral deposits, whether panning, sluicing or dredging, you have to dig up a bunch of dirt and wash away all the unwanted material called overburden to eventually reveal the heavier gold nuggets, flakes and flour that remain. Likewise, our 45 attendees learned to pan for gold when they convened at the BISC West meeting to discover what BISC is, what it does and how it operates. Following the opening orientation, we put on several “Best of BISC” sessions as examples of the materials and resources available to BISC members. In my session, I talked about the most common safety question I hear from the bus and motorcoach industry: Why am I having accidents, and how can I stop them? Well, come to find out, the answer is a lot like panning for gold. It is not easy, takes patience, and you have to sift through all the overburden. Using a strategic approach to find and fix, every operator can hit the jackpot and develop an effective safety program. Pan for the problem — find the gold In our business, panning for gold means examining and analyzing our previous accidents and incidents. Our gold nugget shows up when we are able capture, assemble, sort, categorize and summarize our results. We discard the info we can’t use and categorize our findings accidents by type, location, the number per driver, driver experience, and so on. For example, earlier this year I visited a company in which drivers with three or more collisions were responsible for 81 percent of its reported accidents. The gold nugget in this problem area was obviously a lack of effective follow-up and training. Fix the problem — redeem the gold Once you’ve discovered gold, make these nuggets of information your center of attention. Remember, you can’t fix the whole world. Be very specific and do only what will fix the immediate problem. Only when you focus on the “must-dos” can you extract the full value of the nuggets lying in the bottom of your pan. Leave all your dreaming of fabulous riches for another day. The tendency of many companies more often is to water down their safety efforts with a generic hit-and-miss approach that tries to address everything they uncover, instead of finding and fixing just one or two of their main problems. Typically, the difficulty in pinpointing the problem is not due to lack of effort, but the lack of a more accurately-focused effort. Take close-quarter maneuvering training as an example. Instead of testing the driver on a course using generic cones, try recreating the vehicle yards and parking lots where the accidents actually took place. The processes for safety excellence are as exacting as panning for gold. Discover the real underlying problem, recognizing what is gold and what is not. Focus your safety procedures on extracting the full value in each of your gold nuggets and nothing more. This, fellow prospectors, is the Mother Lode where we strike it rich. There’s gold in them hills! busride.com | BUSRIDE

Transit Maintenance Forum for senior professionals headlines BusCon

The inaugural Transit Maintenance Forum (TMF) for senior transit maintenance professionals will take place on September 20-21 at the Indiana Convention Center during BusCon 2016. The forum is supported by METRO and BUSRide Maintenance magazines.

With content created by a steering committee that includes Bus Maintenance Consultant and well-known industry expert Halsey King; Rick Streiff, manager, fleet design and maintenance, at Southern California’s Access Services; Gary Glasscock, vice president fleet and facilities for San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit; and John Calame, senior VP, fleet and facilities, for MV Transportation, TMF will give senior transit maintenance professionals the chance to learn about some of the latest trends they are facing in their shops. Holding this event at BusCon also affords transit professionals the unique opportunity to network and share challenges with peers and keep up-to-date with the newest vehicles, technologies and products on the market today. “The Transit Maintenance Forum provides senior maintenance professionals with a venue to extend their networks, share experiences and discuss not only some of the issues they are facing right now, but also those they may encounter down the road,” says James Blue, GM, METRO magazine and BusCon. “BusCon is the perfect place to host this forum because transit maintenance professionals can also access our show floor with over 60 of the latest buses and vehicles as well as the latest technology and products. They will get a comprehensive view of the industry by participating.” A highlight of the education program includes the “Maintaining for a State of Good Repair” session by the American Public Transportation Association’s Jeff Hiott, director, operations and standards, which will discuss the FTA’s proposed rule as well as its impact on maintenance managers and their departments. Other presentations slated will focus

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on the advances in battery technology, how wireless power transfer if fueling the electric vehicle revolution, and how apps can help troubleshoot multiplex systems and improve asset management and employee training. A Transit Maintenance Forum pass is $98 and includes the forum as well as full access to the exhibit hall, all seminars, scheduled meals and networking events that take place over the three-day event. The Transit Maintenance Forum schedule is as follows: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 2:00pm-3:00pm Maintaining for a State of Good Repair: Deﬁning the Roles for Maintenance Managers in Transit Asset Management (TAM) The FTA’s proposed rulemaking on transit asset management fits into a broader performance management framework envisioned by MAP-21 across all modes of transit. FTA is proposing two major rules addressing performance-based efforts: The National and Agency Safety Plan will propose safety performance measures and TAM will propose SGR measures. The proposed rule includes five main sections: general provisions, TAM system, TAM plans, performance management, recordkeeping and reporting requirements. How does this effect maintenance managers and how can you be a part of your agencies’ discussions? Presenter: Jeff Hiott, American Public Transportation Association (APTA) 3:00pm-4:00pm

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 9:00am-9:15am Predictive Maintenance with Hybrid and all Electric Fleet Technology Michael Canada will discuss the benefits of advanced lithium ion technologies. Presenter: Michael Canada, EnerDel 9:15am- 9:30am

Wireless Power Transfer is SuperCharging the EV Revolution in Public Transit...Now Where Will You See it Next? Presenter: Michael Masquelier, Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (WAVE)

9:30am-9:45am

Smart Phone/Tablet Apps to Troubleshoot Multiplex System Y. Ping will discuss using interactive apps to troubleshoot multiplex electrical control systems when Wi-Fi hotspot and Internet connections are available. Presenter: Y.Ping Chu, I/O Controls Corporation

9:45am-10:00am

Smart Phone/Tablet Apps to Improve Asset Management and Employee Training Naeem will discuss using interactive apps to capture condition assessments of buses, coaches, stations, shelters and facilities as part of your broader asset management strategy, as well as using e-learning on the shop floor to improve adherence to SOPs. Presenter: Naeem Farooqi, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff

State of Good Repair Roundtables

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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Field Test:

Genfare links with Porterville Transit A small, urban agency pioneers technology at the level of major metropolitan systems By Richard Tackett

orterville Transit was in search of an upgrade. Rather, two upgrades: more fare payment choices for passengers, and more options for passengers to quickly and conveniently pay for service. “We really wanted an account-based smart card system, allowing passengers the convenience to manage their mobile transit wallet from their phone or a desktop, at work or from home,” says Richard Tree, transit manager for Porterville, CA. “We wanted riders to have those convenient choices rather than having to come in to the transit center to get their smart card uploaded with a new bus pass or a ticket.” Porterville Transit, with 25 vehicles on nine routes throughout Porterville, had worked with Genfare for a few years, when the city switched from non-validating, steel fareboxes to the Odyssey farebox from Genfare. The agency was happy with that decision, but later, several public planning meetings (which included students from the nearby Porterville College) indicated to officials that riders wanted more options. “Many parents of students wanted a more convenient way to buy bus passes for their children,” Tree says. “They didn’t want to reload their cards at a transit center. They wanted it all online – and on their mobile devices.”

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

Pictured left to right: Gary Hendrickson, Robert Tree, Richard Tree, Jacob Bedolla.

busride.com

accepts many forms of media, including smart cards, magnetic cards, mobile tickets and smartphones. Better still, it’s all maintained on the cloud – so Porterville employees will be able to manage fares and customer service using an online interface. In the past, Genfare technicians had to physically go on site to manually service the fareboxes and update software. With Genfare Link, Genfare created a management service that now Thinking bigger quickly pushes software updates to Though Porterville Transit is a small, the fareboxes via the cloud. These new urban agency, public officials have always tools also include intuitive dashboards been extremely forward-thinking about that provide customers with real-time transit technology. Tree says the agency insights into ridership, revenue, and has always strived to offer similar services maintenance monitoring. to California counterparts LA Metro and The modular design of Genfare the San Francisco Muni, aggressively Link provides transit agencies with pursuing and implementing automated functionality appropriate to their voice announcements, real-time passenger needs, from agencies operating complex information, HD monitors at transit centers multimodal systems with thousands of and more. vehicles to small regional providers with “I actually reached out to numerous a few dozen buses – like Porterville. larger fare collection providers,” Tree says, “Another major benefit of the Genfare “Many times I didn’t even get a return call, Link portal is that Porterville can manage because we’re not large enough.” its social partners,” says Mark Mahon, Tree says Porterville was drawn to director of sales, western region, at Genfare because of the company’s focus Genfare. “Hospitals and universities, on every size of agency. The city released which often distribute their own fare an RFP in April 2015, calling for an avenue passes to employees, can access the for riders to be able to recharge smart cards platform and manage their own card over the internet. Genfare responded with balances. This saves the Porterville staff a product demonstration in June. The city a lot of time and effort.” awarded the contract to Genfare by July. The new Porterville Transit app allows riders to buy Genfare Link will also connect fare and validate fares as well as quickly access real-time data with GPS data. The farebox actively A phased rollout passenger information. “knows” its own location, so the agency Phase one of the new project began immediately, with Genfare switching out its older Odyssey fareboxes will know which stops are collecting the most fares. “GPS location was a central part of our initial RFP,” Tree says. and replacing them with faster Fast Fare models. The recently completed second phase involves deploying mobile ticketing for all “We needed to know where our transactions were taking place so riders, allowing riders to use their smartphones to buy and validate we could better validate our reporting.” fares. The third phase, currently underway, will add ticket vending The pilot tests machines to Porterville’s transfer facility. Thus far, Porterville has used internal staff and select riders to test its new fareboxes and mobile applications. Porterville fares go mobile The farebox is much quicker than previous models when Genfare partnered with CooCoo, Inc., a mobile ticketing provider, in an exclusive contract to develop Porterville’s new mobile ticketing app. processing coins and dollar bills. The color screen has proven Genfare and CooCoo met with Richard Tree and his team for an popular with test riders, providing an interface with the Porterville interview about the parameters of the app. The app is currently in a Transit logo and information about the vehicle’s current route. “Sometimes customers see a bus coming and just get onboard, controlled pilot phase. When launched, however, it will be connected with Porterville’s automatic vehicle location (AVL) technology, so that even though it might not be the bus they were waiting for,” Tree riders can go to a single application to pay for fares and access real-time says. “Now customers have an extra reminder. They like that.” The farebox’s display languages are in both English and Spanish, passenger information. “I give Porterville a lot of credit for looking into the future and which is especially helpful because the majority of Porterville’s really making the commitment to electronic validation,” says Ryan population is Hispanic. Jacob Bedolla, technology specialist at Porterville Transit, has been Thompson, founder and president of CooCoo. “The ability to actually scan a smartphone with the farebox offers the agency an end-to-end one of the staff members testing the new system. He says that riders will often see him using the mobile ticketing app and become curious. secure solution.” “They tend to ask me where they can get the app,” he says. “They recognize that a virtual wallet would expedite their boarding A link to the future The final phase will represent the biggest undertaking of the process. It’s creating some buzz, and even the drivers are being asked blossoming partnership: Genfare Link installation. Genfare Link by the public about the upcoming mobile app.”

Furthermore, Porterville received many comments about the standard, nonaccount based smart cards – specifically, if a card malfunctioned, the agency had no way of accounting for any money that a rider had loaded onto the card. The agency was taking riders at their word as a customer service method, but it was clear they needed more accountability with their smart card system.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

Officials say riders and drivers are “buzzing” about Porterville’s new mobile ticketing app and the upcoming Genfare Link installation.

Genfare representatives provided hands-on operator training for Porterville when switching out the Odyssey units for the new Fast Fare fareboxes; however, the transition was relatively seamless. More extensive training was required for back-end staff that will need to generate reports from the new mobile ticketing app. Training on Genfare Link will be most extensive, lasting a full week on-site. Extensive, hands-on maintenance training often occurs at the Genfare factory in Elk Grove Village, IL. There, agency technicians are trained by skilled engineers to adjust, install and replace components on working Genfare fareboxes. The future is bright As recently as 10 years ago, Tree says that Porterville Transit was inundated with questions about information: Where is my bus? How do I pay for it? He says that many passengers were unwilling to give transit a chance, simply because of insufficient information. In the last three years, since adding these new technologies, Porterville has realized a 15 percent increase in ridership despite neighboring agencies all seeing decreases. “Now our riders have information at every bus stop,” Tree says. “Soon they’ll have it on every smartphone. Coupled with APC, riders will even be able to see how full each bus is. We’ve removed barriers to access transit in Porterville and our community is reaping the benefits.” 12

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

Porterville Transit operates 25 vehicles on nine routes.

busride.com

UPDATE

Dallas sniper attack claims the life of DART Ofﬁcer Brent Thompson Brent Thompson, 43, a Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officer, was one of five police officers gunned down July 7 in the sniper attack in downtown Dallas, TX. Officer Brent Thompson Thompson joined DART in 2009 as a transit patrol officer, working in Dallas’ northwest transit sector. At the time of his death, he was a newlywed of two weeks and leaves behind his wife, a fellow DART officer. He was training to join the Dallas Area Rapid Transit motorcycle corps. According to the agency, Thompson is the first transit officer for the City of Dallas ever killed in the line of duty. DART noted that three other officers with the agency, who were also shot during the protest in Dallas over the earlier police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, are expected to recover. Wounded in the attack and now recovering in the hospital were Omar Cannon, 44; Misty McBride, 32; and Jesus Retana, 39. Thompson had trained police officers in Iraq and Afghanistan as an international police liaison officer for DynCorp International, an American private military contractor. In his LinkedIn profile, he wrote of his enjoyment of the collaborative aspect of working in policing:

“I enjoy working on challenging tasks and problem solving with my peers, and constantly looking for different ways to serve the department, this helps to keep my work from becoming sedentary and boring.” DART expressed its grief over Thompson’s untimely death in a statement that reads in part: “Our hearts are broken. This is something that touches every part of our organization. We have received countless expressions of support and sympathy from around the world through the evening, and we are grateful for every message.” DART employees have established a Go Fund Me Account in honor of Officer Brent Thompson to help his family through this tragic event and their loss. Visit https://www.gofundme. com/2debdfk4.

Prevost launches new website Prevost recently debuted a completely redesigned website at www.prevostcar.com. Reflecting Prevost’s sleek and striking brand, the site is fully responsive, automatically adapting to all mobile devices, and is fully available in both English and French. The Prevost website offers a multitude of information and functions including online parts ordering, access to technical documentation and warranty documents and product line information for seated coach, conversion and motorhome. A primary goal of the redesign was to simplify the user experience in locating needed information. “Our goal is to provide the best experience for our customers and that includes being as current and technologically accessible as possible,” said Director of Marketing Michael Power. “Our website, www.prevostcar.com, has been updated and modernized to

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UPDATE

meet the needs of our customers. The clean and streamlined look allows anyone to find what they’re looking for faster and easier than before. With features like an advanced search bar, dynamic headings and drop-down menus, Prevost’s new website gives the customer the ultimate online experience.” Reaction to the new site on social media has been overwhelmingly positive.

Metro Transit vitalizes Twin Cities transit With more than 3 million people in the Twin Cities, the region’s need for a modern, multi-modal transportation network has never been greater. Metro Transit is delivering just that, serving a 900-mile area with two light rail lines, 130 bus routes and commuter rail. In 2015, there were nearly 86 million rides, the highest ridership in three decades. The new Green Line has sparked an incredible transformation, with more than $4.2 billion in investment along its 11-mile path. New waiting shelters, transit information tools and expanded bus service have enhanced the customer experience, while a growing police department has improved safety. Sustainability initiatives have led to $16 million in savings. In 2015, the agency launched a groundbreaking program putting job-seekers on a path to becoming Mechanic Technicians. Building on these successes are 3,200 employees,proud to build on Metro Transit’s rich 150-year history.

TARC rolls out six new Proterra battery-electric buses Transit Authority of River City (TARC), Louisville, KY, has begun adding six new all-electric, zero-emission buses along the Fourth Street corridor between downtown and Iroquois Park, stopping at some of the city’s most popular destinations. With the new buses, TARC will have a total of 15 all-electric buses on the road, making it one of the largest electric bus operators in the country. “We know passengers enjoy a quiet, clean ride and it doesn’t get better than this,” said TARC Executive Director J. Barry Barker. “We encourage everyone – visitors and residents alike – to take a ride on one of these zero-emissions, modern buses, and have fun visiting top city attractions.” The new buses, which feature a bike rack for up to three bikes, 14

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

travel everyday exclusively on Route #4-Fourth Street between downtown and Iroquois Park and also on a section of the route to Strawberry Lane on weekends. They stop at or near Museum Row downtown, the University of Louisville, Speed Museum, Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum, Old Louisville, restaurants, hotels, and much more. Barker was joined by Mayor Greg Fischer, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and officials of Churchill Downs Racetrack, the Kentucky Derby Museum and Proterra, Inc. to showcase the new buses near the entrance to the racetrack. “Since coming into office in 2011, I’ve emphasized our city value of creating a healthier and more sustainable Louisville,” Fischer said. “Efforts like this, adding these sleek, modern buses to our TARC fleet, are how we live that value, and how we bring that value to life for our citizens.” The buses provide cleaner air, fuel conservation and maintenance cost savings. They replace buses that are 16 years old and have traveled more than 600,000 miles. The harmful emissions from the old buses – more than 30,000 pounds each year into the air – will be eliminated with the electric buses. About 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year will also be spared.

Complete Coach Works welcomes new team members Complete Coach Works (CCW) is excited to announce 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 15 plus 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.

FMCSA issues warning about electronic smoking devices The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a safety advisory to provide notice and information to owners and operators of CMVs concerning incidents that have occurred relating to the possession and use of battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices (e.g., e-cigarettes, e-cigs, e-cigars, e-pipes, e-hookahs, personal vaporizers, electronic nicotine delivery systems and the transportation safety risks associated with the use of these devices. The Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) do not specifically address the potential safety risks posed by battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices. However, motor carriers and drivers should be cognizant of the risks associated with these devices and exercise good judgment and appropriate discretion in their possession, storage, charging or use on, around or while operating a CMV, and adhere to the smoking prohibitions on, near or when loading and unloading a motor vehicle transporting hazardous materials in accordance with 49 CFR 177.834(c) and 397.13. busride.com

{ A New Look @ Transit Tech } INFOTAINMENT SHOULDN’T BE COST PROHIBITIVE BUSRide spoke with Brandon Curtis, executive managing director at Aesys, and Kevin O’Brien, general sales manager of Complete Coach Works (CCW), about the rising demand for transit infotainment and why a cutting-edge system is often (unnecessarily) cost-prohibitive for public agencies. Please provide a deﬁnition of transit “infotainment.” Kevin O’Brien: Infotainment in transit has a few definitions. It can range from simple next-stop and nearby-route announcements, to local weather, to public and private advertisements. What’s the present public demand for infotainment in transit? O’Brien: Demand is starting to flourish, and we’re going to start seeing more advances in the cutting-edge of infotainment. Screens and monitors on buses are getting bigger. For example, some agencies are starting to run buses with wide-screen onboard monitors that stream stop requests, route intersections, weather information and local advertisements. Another exciting example: Aesys is soon releasing flat-screens which extend down both sides of a bus in place of the ad-cards with streaming digital signage, as well as leveraging existing technology for an exciting new product line. Brandon Curtis: I think there is a lot of demand right now. Infotainment started 15 years ago, but has it even been defined? What is a functional infotainment system? There are a few agencies and companies that have tried to resolve that and it’s had difficulty here in North America. There are more of these types of systems in Europe than in North America. For instance, if you were dropped off in the middle of Copenhagen, as long as you know the name of the area that you’re going to, you can follow easy to use information signs next to the trains, next to the subways, on the subways, et al. to easily make it to your destination. Visual information that shows what stop you’re at, what the next stop is, et cetera. But is that infotainment? People argue to great effect that information for riders right now is not really necessary because most of the people riding the bus are the ones that ride it every day, or they are looking at their smart phones. More commonly everyday people are looking at their smart phones for information relative to their transit trip. Much of this information is extrapolated by the rider/user. For example; looking at their smart phone for route and run information, checking Google transit to find the position of the vehicle and determine when it will be close, and watching maps and other apps as they are on their journey to either research business as they drive past on the internet or to compare their physical location with where it is they want to go. Maybe the real question(s) is how do you get passengers to look at the screens on a bus instead of the cell phones – and should we? Agencies are looking for ways to increase ridership. I don’t think there is a single transit agency in North America that works on a profit from the farebox, or a profit period. The best chance agencies have for increasing budgets without asking the federal government (which is the taxpayer) is by increasing ridership. I think there is a growing belief that infotainment is the next step toward getting people to ride the bus. In order to have infotainment that will rise to the challenge of increasing ridership, it has to start with good data and provide something useful and/or meaningful enough to the potential rider that it sways his/her tendency toward transit. The screens and hardware are simple tools for conveying the message.

What are the major roadblocks for agencies trying to upgrade to cutting-edge infotainment systems? Curtis: Firstly, these systems must have the correct information. Once the information is correct it must be presented in a way that the riding public can interpret as useful. Then the information needs to mix with something that could be classified as entertainment. Whether it’s a live news feed or a video that runs from the transitmarketing department, location-based advertising or “text in” trivia contests with results displayed on the screens. One of the major roadblocks is that the agencies don’t have the ability to create their own onboard VLU’s or computers with GPS. It’s tragic that many technology companies have kept taxpaying transit agencies in the dark about advances in technology. In many cases, it would make the integrator’s high system price tag more explainable since the actual benefit of the systems has been difficult to justify in light of the technology that people are walking around with in their pockets. Location-based advertising is another concept with a very fancy name in the transit industry and a mystique much greater than its real cost. There should be no problem in taking a geo-targeted location and either play an automated stop announcement, an advertisement or a recording from the transit agency or private coach operator. On your smart phone, you simply activate a menu item and you will be streamed advertising information for wherever you are standing. There should be no reason we can’t stream live satellite. One of the main obstacles to this is the wireless system. While some agencies require a mission critical command and control radio system that is completely self-contained, the greater majority of them do not. Commercial wireless is now a viable and affordable option for transit agencies that want to be able to move data real-time from the vehicle to dispatch and back and out to the riding public. The third common roadblock agencies face in using today’s readily available technology is data. Most companies charge agencies for the hardware necessary to collect the “data” and then they charge them to use their own “data.” Then they make it difficult to use their own data through proprietary protocols and databases. Lastly, I believe the software developed by most in transit for the daily maintenance and functionality of the system(s) is not good. Anytime you marry together software that is not intuitive or easy to use and constantly changes with proprietary protocols and comms so that an agency has to pay money every time they want box “A” to talk to box “B,” or to generate a report or use the data to hand off to another vendor to eliminate antennas, connections or confusion, is tragic and un-necessary. As we look around ourselves in this industry and what it is we are trying to accomplish, why is it that transit in our part of the world has lagged so far behind consumable technology? How are we still specifying and designing to J1708 requirements in an age of Ethernet and wireless high speed? I believe we are coming quickly to a time when saying something is “made for transit” or that it’s “very complicated in transit” are no longer going to be a valid reason for charging agencies millions of dollars for outdated technology that they cannot use on a daily basis. Even now, many agencies are figuring out how to put together commercial off-the-shelf into functioning information systems. Aesys is getting ready to deploy product suite that is a whole new look at transit technology. One of those items is an affordable and expandable infotainment system that starts with a stretch TFT screen and a single controller to provide simple rider information and locationbased advertising with easy-to-use software – leveraging technology available from other verticals.

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CNG requires a little TLC By George Kalet Among the many considerations when converting your bus fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG), the service and maintenance practices are paramount, and demand a special set of requirements and practices for safety and compliance. The fact is, in its natural state as a gas and not a liquid, CNG behaves entirely different than gasoline and diesel. As simple as that may sound, everyone working on or around CNG-powered vehicles and related equipment must be aware and continually reminded of the technical and safety guidelines. Training is key in gaining the familiarity to work safely within a CNG environment. Assuming the conversion to the maintenance facility and fueling station is complete and up to code, here are some basic safety practices. Because CNG is a fl ammable gas – the less of it, the better. Meaning, the fi rst rule is to always defuel the vehicle before doing any kind of maintenance. Any CNG remaining in the tank and lines must be removed and stored. This step sounds easy enough, but is often sidestepped or overlooked. Technicians working on CNG vehicles are dealing with the elevated fuel pressure and need to understand the added dangers of highpressure fuel lines, sources of fire and explosions, as well as exposure that can cause asphyxiation. They should always wear standard of safety gear that includes face shields and work gloves. Ideally, among the specific modifications to the shop and service area would be a dedicated area or bay for only the CNG vehicles, equipped for proper ventilation, and certainly containing no electric equipment that could cause a spark. Techs also need to be cognizant of the danger of static electricity, both in the shop and at the fueling station. A CNG bay must employ a monitor and warning device to sound the alert when flammable limits reach 20 percent and another once they reach 60 percent. At that point, it initiates action to ventilate the space, such as opening the bay door or activating exhaust fans to avoid the CNG from accumulating in any area of the shop. The fuel dispenser and hose assembly need to be equipped and installed in accordance with codes to prevent any static electric charges. The same precautions apply in defueling the system. In fact, special defueling panels are available for this function. Technicians have a few options for taking CNG off the vehicle. Some fleets return it to the pipeline, which is typically the most difficult

When emptying a bus of CNG, it’s often best to return gas through the compressor suction and put it back into storage.

method. Unless the gas utility is heavily involved on the front end of the program, it has no way of controlling the defueled gas coming back to them. Another method is to return CNG through the compressor suction and put it back into storage. Atlas Copco advises fleets to consider the CNG fuel levels before conducting any sort of scheduled maintenance. Avoid any routine refueling regimen prior to bringing the vehicle into the shop for maintenance or repair. The less fuel on board, the better – as the pressure is lower. From a safety standpoint, it’s also important to know that federal motor vehicle standards require the fuel storage system onboard the vehicles to be officially inspected every three years or 36,000 miles. A vehicle involved in any kind of accident, not just accidents involving other vehicles, requires an internal inspection of the control systems, in terms of the piping and connection and particularly the storage tank. Always be sure the integrity of the pressure vessel has not been compromised. A number of CNG training programs are commercially available throughout North America. One in particular is through the Natural Gas Vehicle Institute. Many local community colleges in states where natural gas is a popular vehicle fuel, like California, Louisiana and Oklahoma, offer basic CNG safety and maintenance training. George Kalet serves as CNG applications and key account manager for Atlas Copco, Gas and Process Group. Visit www.atlascopco.us for more information.

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A BUSRide Roundtable Discussion

Equipment Finance Getting your financial “house” in order

BUSRide spoke with a select group of financial thought leaders in the bus and motorcoach industry for a roundtable discussion on the issues, trends and practices that affect operators’ borrowing, acquisitions and all-around financial health. Craig Lentzsch, executive chairman of All Aboard America! Holdings and former president and CEO of Greyhound Lines, Inc., moderated this high-level discussion with the following panelists:

Greg Berg, director of commercial finance, REV Group Al Damiani, president and CEO, Advantage Funding Robert Foley, president and CEO, CH Bus Sales Matt Hotchkiss, senior vice president – Commercial Vehicle

Group, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance David Scoular, director of financial services, Prevost

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

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Craig Lentzsch: What are the most important factors affecting an operator’s creditworthiness in the eyes of an equipment vendor or lessor? Al Damiani: A lot of things are important, depending on the size of the operator. We look at balance sheet and fleet size; the kind of debt loan they have; and if they have a tangible equity in the business. We also look at cash flow, working capital and debt service coverage, to assure ourselves that the operator has the ability to manage the debt. Is it a replacement or is it new? If it’s new and if it’s substantial, we like to also understand what’s driving the need for new vehicles. Robert Foley: It depends on the size of the credit, but for the midmarket credit, for me, it’s cashflow. Most of the companies we work with are owner operators, so we also look at their personal payment histories and credit scores. David Scoular: With cash flow, I look at net income depreciation. Matt Hotchkiss: The two most critical things we need before we consider a deal is cashflow and positive credit history. This would typically be personal credit history (CBR) and business credit (Paynet and Dun & Bradstreet). If I don’t have those two things, it’s hard for us to move forward. Greg Berg: I agree with everything that everyone else has said. I think everybody here has been through two or three business downturns. All of our businesses, whether you’re an operator, a finance source or a bank, you have been impacted in some way, shape or form by the business cycle. How you react to those difficult situations is important. Did you handle it appropriately, and what did you do to try to work out of it? Lentzsch: Does the makeup of an operator’s fleet affect lending decisions? Scoular: We’re trying to keep everybody in the industry competing and getting the best deal, so there are competing factors for operators if they want to buy new and different equipment. It’s usually no problem if an operator is buying smaller vehicles because of a special contract. If someone is moving “upward” into the heavy-duty coach market, I’m a little more concerned. We really like to know what operators are doing and why they’re doing it, for that reason. When operators are just buying and mixing fleets it gives us some concern. They may have specific needs, like customer preference, which is just fine – we get that. It just makes it a little difficult from the manufacturer’s standpoint, always in competition, but it is what it is. Lentzsch: Robert, you recently had a competitor compliment one of your buses. Foley: Well, that was very nice of them! The collateral side of it does matter. If we use 35-foot coaches for an example, there have been a half-dozen different models sold in the past decade - some are body on chassis versus a monocoque structure, which makes a difference in collateral value. But in the 45-foot coach segment, if you are looking at the predominant manufacturers, it is a level playing field. Berg: I’ve always treated all the core manufacturers represented in our industry as equals. They are all fine vehicles. I do think, from a lender’s perspective, it is more difficult to launch new equipment into our industry. With service and parts responsibilities, it’s a difficult market to enter.

Damiani: We are concerned if there is a wide range of vehicles types, so we typically do a bit extra due diligence to understand what the customer is doing. It’s all about knowing your customer and why they have a mix. If they’re going to be going from exclusively shuttles to adding motorcoaches, we want to understand why. We also look at the type of vehicle. In terms of the OEMs, we’re not concerned with any of the major manufacturers because we are comfortable with their level of support for parts and repairs. We do have a little concern with foreign manufacturers, having had some negative results in past years. We look at that, as well as an operator’s ability to remarket and resell a vehicle. Lentzsch: Is there any technology, available now or in the future, that you would encourage your customers to purchase? Or would you rather not enter that dialogue with an operator? Hotchkiss: Typically not, although back when the discussion was occurring about three-point seat belts and the likelihood that they were going to come out, I encouraged any operator financing coaches to install three-point seat belts. It was likely going to become standard and if you didn’t have that it would negatively influence the value in the resale market. With newer safety technology, I don’t really get into those discussions with operators. Berg: From a lender’s perspective – when you talk about any technology, whether it’s hybrid, CNG or electric power, it does play into the discussion on whether the lender will want to fund that collateral. It could be the greatest technology in the world, but the issue is that in some cases advanced technology is not universally accepted in all markets. So there’s a potential that the operator will limit his or her ability to resell the equipment. Scoular: Other technologies to consider, much like self-driving cars, are automatic braking systems for coaches. From a lender and manufacturer’s perspective, that’s not something we’re going to push anyone into. We tell operators that if they want it, it’s available, but it’s not something I typically discuss in depth. Lentzsch: Do you underwrite leases differently than loans? Damiani: We do not offer FMV-type leases so, generally speaking, we do not underwrite leases differently than loans. Hotchkiss: When it comes to standard TRAC leases or loans it doesn’t matter. If we’re talking about a FMV-operating type lease, it does matter because there is more term risk as well as end of term risk. We want to be a little more discerning on the credit if we look at that type of structure. Berg: I agree with Matt. The only thing I have to add on that is that as a manufacturer, we like to get our pre-owned equipment back on FMV leases. We love our used equipment. Our equipment has great resale values and we’re active daily in those markets. Scoular: Even from a manufacturer’s standpoint, you want to know who your customer is. The maintenance of the backend for residuals is important. So we observe their credit and their reputation, because we’re probably going to get that coach back or want to know they’re maintaining these coaches. Foley: From our standpoint, the credit information and the process is virtually the same. When it comes to a fair market value lease from a manufacturing side, I would say that we’re in a position to understand the risk and be more aggressive than the standard lenders. busride.com | BUSRIDE

SECURITY & SURVEILLANCE

Practical tips for better video management By Lori Jetha protect innocent bystanders. Lastly, data verification and encryption can ensure that once a video clip is created, the content is not altered.

Video management software can help save time by providing authorized maintenance personnel a cloud-based system health dashboard indicating which surveillance equipment needs attention.

nstalling a video surveillance system helps protect against false claims, improve operator safety and reduce overall risk for transit systems, but safety and security departments need to plan ahead to avoid being swamped by requests to deliver video evidence. To reduce strain on resources supporting your video safety program, there are several strategies to ensure success. Publish a video surveillance policy The first step in maintaining a manageable workload for staff handling video requests is by creating a comprehensive video management policy. Your policy should cover the ‘5 W’s’ - who, what, when, where, and why video footage should be accessed. Clearly describe the situations when it is appropriate to pull and review video footage as a pro-active measure in reducing the number of frivolous requests for video review. This can save your security team a lot of time and effort in the long run. Detail why video surveillance is being conducted and what will be reviewed, citing the steps you’ve taken to protect the privacy of operators and the general public. Ensure that you have consulted any union and legal representation to protect the privacy of individuals recorded, and ensure the integrity of video evidence. Assign roles and be specific about who is authorized to maintain versus view versus distribute video and to whom. Dictate exactly where video will be stored and for how long. Video protection features A good video surveillance policy will ensure video does not get into the wrong hands and become a viral sensation on YouTube, or a PR nightmare, but there are a few features you should also look for before selecting the right video surveillance system. The first is a locked case for the digital recorder that prevents cables from coming loose and unauthorized access to storage media. Cameras should also be tamperproof and vandal-resistant. Aside from physical security features on video hardware, playback software should feature proprietary video formats so video cannot be viewed without authorized software. Password protection can further limit unintentional access to software installed on a shared device. Privacy blurring is critical to

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

Minimize video retrieval and handling The best way to reduce video retrieval and incident investigation timeframes is to invest in automatic wireless downloading and video management software. Without it, you risk having requests from insurance companies and law enforcement tying up resources to retrieve hard drives, a timeconsuming task when buses are parked in multiple yards, or

spread across a large geographic area. Avoid an exhausting search for which bus may have been in the area at the time, and tedious review of hours of irrelevant footage by using video management software to create a zone of interest and display any bus routes that travelled through that area in a given timeframe. You can click on the route path on a map to set start and end points to schedule video download when buses return to the yard. Or you can have alarmed video trigger automatic downloads for later review. A word of caution when architecting your wireless network: Video requires a high-bandwidth connection with consistent throughput and connectivity to ensure fast, reliable downloads. Ensure your chosen vendor has Certified Wireless Network Administrators (CWNAcertified) on staff to avoid any unpleasant surprises down the road. Proactive maintenance One last tip to ensure video is always there when requested is a pro-active maintenance program. Just like your fleet vehicles, video surveillance systems require regular inspection and maintenance for smooth operation. Video management software can help save time by providing authorized maintenance personnel a cloud-based system health dashboard indicating which surveillance equipment needs attention. See immediately which hard drives have been left unlocked or not replaced, cameras need maintenance, and even GPS units need adjustment. Scheduled, random automated video clip downloads can even help identify cameras not positioned correctly or tampered with. These are just a few practical tips that, when addressed up-front, can help make managing video easier. Don’t wait until you’re overloaded with requests for video footage. Plan ahead to make better use of technology to free up staff to focus on what they do best – keeping your transit system running safely and efficiently. Lori Jetha serves as marketing manager for Seon, a video surveillance and fleet management company based on Coquitlam, BC, Canada. Visit www.seon.com.

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INSURANCE BASICS

Avoiding the pitfalls of workers’ comp By Tim O’Bryan The continuing series with Tim O’Bryan, president of Service Insurance Agency, Richmond, VA, now focuses on workers’ compensation claims – specifically, the pitfalls of workers’ comp and how motorcoach operators can avoid them. What’s one of the biggest pitfalls that motorcoach operators don’t foresee when dealing with workers’ compensation? Tim O’Bryan: I often see operators confusing contracted workers with employees. The term “contracted” almost implies that they’re not really employees. The fact is, if you give someone a coach and tell them where to go with it, they’re an employee. Regardless of what the contract says, operators need to adjust their payrolls accordingly. In the motorcoach industry, we really don’t have independent contractors in a true sense – not like there are in the trucking business. In trucking, the contractor might own the vehicle and not the load. On the bus side, there’s no true independent contractor so anyone driving your bus needs to be covered under workers’ comp. Workers’ comp has nothing to do with full-time, part-time or seasonal employment. It’s driven by payroll. It’s all well and good to separate your employees that way, but the your workers’ comp carrier just wants to know total payroll. Every state is different as to when you’re required to have workers’ comp. With some states, it’s three employees and the owner is counted in that. In other states it may be more or less. You need to know what your individual state requires. If you only have two people and the states say three, that’s fine. You can still be held liable for that person’s injuries. The only exception is an operator who owns the company, drives the bus, answers the phone and completes all maintenance by himself. Everybody’s got somebody in the office that answers the phone – even if it’s just a family member who doesn’t take a salary. There’s

always someone in the garage so, before you know it, your company already has four or five employees. For this reason, it’s extremely important to know your state’s individual statutes. Operators with locations in different states must be sure to stay abreast of workers’ comp requirements in all of those states. Tell your agency, at the beginning of the policy, about all of your locations and make sure you’re covered properly. How important is payroll upkeep to understanding workers’ comp? O’Bryan: Workers’ comp is a premium based on total payroll, and it’s divided into different classes, depending on the class of employees you have. Every state is different and the state sets the rate. Using the right payrolls is extremely important. Do yourself a favor and don’t monkey around with the payrolls. Don’t try to save money on that, because your workers’ comp carrier is going to get you on audit. Be reasonable, look at what you have on the books and don’t cut corners. In the motorcoach industry, we borrow and/or subcontract buses during the year depending on seasonal needs. Always get a certificate of insurance from the operator you’re borrowing from to make sure they have workers’ comp. Anyone you’re doing business with must provide you with a certificate of insurance. Keep these certificates in your workers’ comp file, because auditors may come in and ask for them. If you have the certificates, the auditor will likely move along. If not, they’ll start to ask more questions which could lead to additional premium. Tim O’Bryan serves as president of Service Insurance Agency. Since 1952, the company has been committed to the transportation industry. Service Insurance Agency strives to provide the most knowledgeable advice and personal service to all of its valued customers. Visit them online at www.serviceins.com.

Worker’s compensation is often the “first line of defense” for owner-operators.

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FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION

MANAGING FARE MEDIA – what the data tells you “Focus On: Fare Collection” highlights the benefits of various modes of fare collection, as well as addressing the best practices associated with each. This month’s featured installment is centered on fare media and data management. For this installment, BUSRide called for contributions from revenue management experts INIT, Karlsruhe, Germany; and Genfare, Elk Grove Village, IN. INIT is a worldwide leading supplier of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and electronic ticketing systems for public transportation. As a supplier of turnkey systems, INIT develops, produces, installs, and maintains integrated hardware and software solutions for all key tasks required by transportation companies. Stan Craft, system architect for INIT, lists requirements for a comprehensive back-office electronic fare media system – focusing on open architecture, reporting, and fraud and maintenance management. Genfare builds from roots that date back to 1880 and the invention of the first farebox by Johnson Farebox Company, which acquired Cleveland Farebox in 1938. In this chapter, the company spotlights Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and details how that agency was able to enhance its reporting and ridership by better analyzing fare collection data. Thank you for joining BUSRide as we continue to “Focus On: Fare Collection!”

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BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

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FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION

Requirements for your back-office EFM system By Stan Craft Open architecture The back-office system is the focal point of your EFM structure. It supports the processing of fare transactions, passenger information, third party interfaces and clearing houses, as well as provides system security for fraud management, system maintenance, reporting, and more. Open architecture has become more and more important as systems grow larger and more complex. It is vital to have a system that supports open interfaces and is modular in nature. You will need the flexibility in the future to update and modify peripherals, add new modules, and to perhaps change equipment providers. Flexible management Fare collection involves the processing of passenger payments when they purchase tickets and the debiting of tickets as passengers use your transit system. The back-office system must recognize your various fare structures and respond in real time as fares are changed and updated. Although there are many similarities, there are some crucial differences between a normal retail environment and transit payment systems. • Inherent with the technology, a vehicle’s online connection to the backend system may be intermittent and must be planned for. • Boarding time is critical to schedule adherence, therefore payment validation has to be less than a second. • Fare rules are complex with capping, best price calculations, multiple agencies, etc. Your choice of vendors must factor heavily towards providers with this kind of experience. • Web portals must provide an enjoyable experience for riders to purchase tickets, reload cards, report lost, stolen or replacement cards, as well as review fares and fare rules. In addition, there are some important features to look for with your back-end processing system: Comprehensive reporting Modern systems, particularly those that exploit the benefits of smart media, generate significant amounts of data. Using data warehouse techniques and analysis tools, your systems should be able to identify trends and respond to them quickly by turning the data into meaningful information. Administration tools support your daily management functions and should include the ability to set your fares and fare structure, manage media registrations, control devices and secure important data. Reporting provides real-time and historical as well as forecast views of transit operations and ridership assessments. Online dashboards of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) with the ability to generate alerts will allow you to identify problem trends before they affect service. Reports should include analytical views, event processing, performance management and predictive analytics.

Back-office processing and clearing systems are essential for managing today’s comprehensive e-fare systems.

Fraud and maintenance management Fraud management is essential to support the requirement to blacklist lost or stolen media or to temporarily block usage based upon rules such as tickets valid for special events, or valid only day-time windows like with school transit tickets. A comprehensive maintenance module will provide the key information required to manage your central system and peripheral hardware. KPI’s will notify the team of trends, and real-time monitoring identifies failed component(s) along with their configuration, hardware and software revisions. Data should be available by vehicle, by vehicle type, and by device to name a few. Provisions for scheduling uploads and downloads to field devices using a variety of wired or wireless communications also needs to be supported. The back-office system monitors on-board equipment, generates various reports, and interfaces to work management systems, which allows administrators to proactively maintain the systems for high availability. Status and alarm information that can be routed to email recipients and mobile devices allow for real-time notification of your IT staff, maintenance personnel, supervisors and administrators, if action is required. Summary and conclusion Finding the right back-office solution for your agency depends on many factors. Key to a successful deployment is identifying and communicating your unique set of requirements to your potential vendors. Writing clear specifications in your RFP will help you deliver the best outcome for a future-proof system. This is essential for your business goals today, and for keeping you on the cutting-edge of backoffice system technology in the future. Next in the series, we will explore Application Programming Interfaces (API) and why third-party system integration services are critical to the success of the entire system. Stan Craft is the system architect for INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc. Visit www.initusa.com.

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FOCUS ON: FARE COLLECTION

Fare collection informs for better data management To better understand how fare media management and analytics work on a day-to-day basis, what better way to demonstrate a handson approach than to interview a customer – Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA). PSTA is the public transit provider in Pinellas County, FL, providing more than 14.9 million passenger trips in 2015. One hundred eighty-three buses, 16 trolleys and eight cutaways buses serve 348 square miles – with a total of 4,929 bus stops on 38 routes in Pinellas County, including two express routes that travel to Tampa. Genfare’s relationship with PSTA began roughly 17 years ago with a Request For Proposal (RFP) that ultimately evolved into the current Odyssey farebox system installation. Though the agency only began by accepting a minimal variety of fare media, they now have online purchasing and offer an array of magnetic-based fare media –- including regional cards, daily fares, reduced fares and other options. “Through the years, PSTA has taken its original fare platform and advanced it greatly,” says Roy Purnell, eastern region sales manager for Genfare. “They’ve really raised the bar in terms of accepting different types of fare media - and in using the data collected by the fare payment system to help monitor and guide agency operations.” We spoke with Rita Hoffman, statistical data manager at PSTA. What types of fare media does PSTA accept? PSTA accepts cash, coins, magnetic tickets, flash passes and student I.D. for PSTA’s university pass program. PSTA is currently part of a multi-county regional fare collection project which will include a mobile app in the fall. Smartcards and open payments (bank cards) will follow. How do you use fare collection analytics in your daily operations? Regarding fare media and fare collection, daily data is used to monitor revenue collection security, accuracy and efficiency. Daily ridership is reviewed and monitored to ensure reasonableness of the data, as a large swing could indicate bad data or incomplete data. Shop reports are used to evaluate farebox maintenance requirements. What data does your current fare payment system help you monitor? It helps us in several areas Fleet management: There are extensive maintenance reports that detail specific farebox conditions and suggested preventative maintenance actions. There’s also a probing report that details the buses probed or vaulted each day and which ones were not probed or vaulted. Passenger counts / ridership by route: Our fareboxes provide us with passenger counts by date, service day, route, run, time, fare type, bus, and other criteria. Fares: Fare revenue collected is tracked by date, bus, fare type, denomination, cashbox and vault. Also, for reconciliation purposes we compare total revenue collected per the farebox system versus actual revenue collected, daily and monthly. The farebox system generates a variety of security warnings when certain non-routine events happen, such as excessive length of time 24

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

PSTA has utilized the Odyssey fareboxes for 17 years.

the cashbox is out of the farebox; if a portable probe has been used on the farebox; if the door of the farebox has been opened outside of the proper procedure; if a logic board has been memory-cleared, and so on. These reports detail the day, time and bus of the occurrence. How is this data transformed into actionable business intelligence? Farebox ridership is coupled with route revenue hours to measure route productivity (trips/revenue hour). The data is ranked by route, highest to lowest. Lower-performing routes are evaluated to see if ridership can be increased by possible route changes or if the route should be discontinued. We monitor the fare types used by our customers to ascertain: • The demographics of those using public transit? Seniors, youth students, university students, regional travelers, 1-trip riders, transportation disadvantaged riders, commuters, tourists? • Which fare types are the most commonly preferred? • Which fare types are in decline? • Are customers favoring a lower per-trip price but higher initial cost (monthly pass) versus a higher per-trip price but lower initial cost (seven-day pass)? PSTA does not offer transfers, but many agencies do and look at this data to determine how often passengers are transferring on the system. Farebox data could be merged with a GPS system for further analysis — where exactly are the passengers boarding and what fare types are they using? Soon PSTA will implement a mobile app, with smartcards and bank card payments to follow. How many passengers will use this technology? Which technology will they prefer? What will the best option be for operational efficiency (i.e., faster boarding time and lower costs of fare collection)? How does PSTA use that actionable intelligence to enhance the rider experience, increase agency efficiency and prepare for the future? By reviewing the fare history (as mentioned above), we can better tailor our fare structure to what customers want. We recently revamped our fare structure to make it simpler (more customer-friendly). We discontinued fares that were not being used much, and we also added new fare types that customers had been asking for. Genfare is a leading provider of fare collection solutions for transit agencies of all sizes. Visit www.genfare.com for more information. Visit www.busride.com/ ebooks to get the full story in Genfare’s eBook.

busride.com

EQUAL ACCESS

Luxury enhances By Larry Mabery

Following on the recent innovations to paratransit vehicles that make basic accessibility easier and more accommodating, the question from passengers with special needs might be, “What’s next?” Beyond wheelchair lifts and convenient securements, the industry is clearly doing more in the pursuit of luxury to improve the overall shuttle bus experience for everyone on the bus, and that certainly must include people in wheelchairs. Many of today’s small and midsize specialty buses offer a sharper look with more comfort. Underneath, new suspension systems offer greater comfort on larger vehicles. The ride is at its smoothest with air suspension systems. More specific to passengers in wheelchairs, Operators have a myriad of options to heighten their experience on a luxury vehicle. For example, Federal features what it calls a clear-view wheelchair lift. Basically the platform folds in half, so it stays below the bus door windows. The person in a wheelchair, riding in the back, has the same view as any passenger in a regular seat. As the platform on a standard lift typically blocks the windows, the option of a clear-view lift can definitely improve the riding experience. Passengers with wheelchairs appreciate being able to see out and not have to look through a platform. Also, the same level of seating covers the lift area with the same look as the rest of the interior. Such features are essentially customer-specific, meaning end users that include assisted living centers and medical facilities are asking for these upgrades. Interestingly, they tend to favor finer seat upholsteries, darker interior colors and, above all, solid windows as opposed to a slider window. REV Group is looking into further applications for low-floor chassis. While our current low-floor vehicles are intended more for transit applications, we are researching new ways to “dress up” the concept for a high-end interior complete with a ramp that allows easier access for everyone.

Operators have a myriad of options to heighten accessibility on luxury vehicles.

Additionally, we are reconsidering where to ideally position the in-vehicle wheelchair lift – somewhere other than the rear of the bus, where most wheelchair passengers feel is the roughest ride in the bus. Our recommendation is to spec the lift for the front of the vehicle, behind the passenger entry door and close to the driver. This change offers a more enjoyable riding experience and a softer ride. It’s not a luxury amenity per se, but we are starting to see a trend for rooftop HVAC units, where the air flows evenly to the front, side and rear, reaching all the passengers — especially those in the back. In a standard A/C configuration, the evaporator blows out the air at the rear of the bus — right above someone in a wheelchair, blowing cold air right over their heads. The complete rooftop unit, such as our ACC Tropicool system, provides 360-degree cool airflow to every passenger throughout the bus. The idea is for every passenger to enjoy the same level of luxury provided by the complete package of comfort features and amenities, in addition to easier and more equitable access. Larry Mabery serves as brand manager to the Krystal and Federal Coach brands for REV Group. Visit www.revgroup.com for more information.

busride.com | BUSRIDE

Official BUSRide Roundtable Discussion:

THE STATE OF PARATRANSIT VEHICLES BUSRide spoke with a select group of thought leaders, representing OEMs in the small bus and paratransit industry for a roundtable discussion on the issues, trends and practices affecting the state of paratransit operations today. This high-level discussion featured the following panelists: John Walsh, president, REV Bus Group Ken Richards, business manager, TransitWorks

What would you list as key points in a “State of Paratransit Address”? What issues are most affecting the current state of paratransit, and where should agencies try to go from here? John Walsh: For transit agencies and authorities, funding for vehicles is always an issue. The capital fee is an 80/20 split so they get a lot of money to buy the bus ... but what they don’t get is money to operate the bus. Our job at the manufacturing level is to produce the highest quality product that we can, and a product that is very affordable for purchase. It’s got to be a dependable bus that they don’t have to spend a lot of money trying to maintain. That’s probably the biggest concern, but I think the current state of the industry is very healthy. I believe the demand for paratransit is higher than the service that’s available. Ken Richards: I would say that funding is still the top issue that agencies face. Trying to get the funds to be able to purchase the equipment needed to run paratransit operations is a costly endeavor. A dollar can only go so far. The federal government put a lot of money into transit a few years ago, but not much of it trickled down to paratransit operations. There was a lot of money spent on buses and trains. I think, financially, that’s the biggest hardship agencies have – the 26

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

availability of vehicles and products is at an all-time high. There are a large number of options for agencies, but whether they can afford those options is the real question. Paratransit has improved immeasurably in recent years, but why was there such a long gap between the passing of ADA and those improvements? What factors contributed? Walsh: It was a huge gap. This will blow you away – we used to sell buses with wheelchair locations that sat users sideways. With tiedowns, riders would back their wheelchairs into a wall and the seat claps would grab the wheels. I’m surprised more people didn’t get sued because of injuries. So there was a lot of thought that went into, “How do we properly position everyone and still make room?” I think it’s a question of, why does anything take long with the federal government? Once you get the regulation, things just get better and better over time. Richards: I think the initial thought was accessibility and getting somebody into a place rather than getting them to that place. A lot of initial money was spent on making buildings and parking lots more accessible. Even though the ADA has been around for a number of years, I think the focus was more so on how a person gets into a building; busride.com

how a person is going to get from a bottom floor to the 10th floor; or whether all the restrooms were accessible on each one of the floors in a federal building. Since then the focus has come to, how are wheelchair users going to get to a doctor’s office, or get to a hospital, or get to their appointments? The process went from large, urban agencies to smaller agencies getting involved. It wasn’t necessarily ignored; it just needed some time to come around. What new features can operators expect to see in your pursuit of the “ultimate” paratransit vehicle? Walsh: The “ultimate” paratransit vehicle is going to be a bus that is very low cost to operate. Operation cost is the biggest problem for transit authorities. It’s not the cost of the vehicles. It’s the cost of operation. So, we’re looking at higher fuel-economy vehicles. What if you had an electric shuttle bus with ramped equipped that only cost $80,000? That’s the sort of vehicle I’m talking about. We need something that’s fuel efficient because of the cost of operation. We need something that’s ramp equipped. No stairs, no steps. We certainly don’t want to have to use lifts. That’s for sure. And the purchase price has got to be affordable up front. It could be propane, electric or something else, but we’re a country that’s stuck in the past and big diesel buses are expensive to operate.

TransitWorks developed its Ford Transit Small Bus Ambulette in response to requests from the public transit and wheelchair transport industries.

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Richards: The ultimate paratransit vehicle offers 100 percent safety for passengers with or without wheelchairs. There are innovations coming down the line that will enable each wheelchair passenger, no matter where they’re sitting, to have full backrest head support – just like someone sitting in a seat. A lot of wheelchairs currently have backs that only come up to below the shoulders, and in the event of an impact the head and upper-back are moving freely and susceptible to whiplash.

The future will see increase of versatile, multi-use vehicles. Instead of a vehicle dedicated to one purpose, the newer multi-use bus is coming out. Owner-operators are no longer tied down to a wheelchair van being used strictly for wheelchairs. This will allow drivers and companies to maximize their effectiveness, and maximize the number of passengers they can take on any route.

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SAFETY S N SOLUTIO

Avoiding collisions while parking and moving from a parked position By Todd Carrier Drivers experience congested roadways, massive highways and adverse driving conditions regularly, but most collisions do not occur under these conditions. Many collisions occur in an uncontrolled and potentially chaotic area: parking lots. Collisions in parking lots are usually minor and property damage is the most likely result. However, these minor collisions can add up to large costs because they can be more frequent, are often below insurance deductibles and can hurt relations with customers. Informing your drivers of the following procedures can help reduce parking-related collisions. When parking on narrow roadways or streets, pull out of the lane of traffic as far as you can, put on your four-way hazard flashers and fold your traffic-side mirrors in whenever possible to avoid having them struck. Unless you are stopped in a business or residential district during the period when vehicle lighted lamps are not required (see FMCSR Part 392.22), federal regulations state that if the vehicle is stopped for other than normal traffic stops, emergency triangles must be deployed within 10 minutes. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a best practice to use four-way hazard flashers from dusk to dawn, particularly in the winter months with reduced sunlight and adverse weather. When you return to your vehicle, take a moment to look around the vehicle for obstacles and double check your plan for leaving the area. This step is very important in residential areas. Children and pets are common and you may not see a small child or animal with your mirrors. Children may also leave bikes or other objects around your vehicle. Before pulling back into traffic, check to make sure your mirrors are properly adjusted, put on your turn signal, check your mirrors, look over your shoulder for approaching traffic and carefully enter the lane of travel when clear. Be sure to also check your tail swing on the side of your vehicle closest to the curb by looking in the mirror on that side of the vehicle. When parking in a lot, scan the area and look for where you are going to park and how you will need to exit the area. Note vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow and any fixed objects such as mailboxes, trash cans, light poles or signs where you intend to park. These objects may be hard to see with your mirrors and knowing they are there will help you avoid hitting them when you leave. Remember to look up to see low awnings and low-hanging signs, which are commonly hit. This is especially important if you are parking along the building. Backing can be dangerous and you should never back unless you have no other choice. Always park your vehicle so that you can drive forward to leave. If you are parking along a building, leave enough space between other vehicles or obstacles to allow you to pull forward. Avoid blocking traffic when doing this or you could create a dangerous condition for your vehicle and passengers by encouraging motorists to quickly drive around your vehicle. If you are parking in marked spaces, it is best to find two spaces in a line so that you can pull through the first space and into the second. This will allow you to pull forward when you leave without ever having

Always park the vehicle so that you can drive forward to leave.

to back. The next best option is to back into a marked space, because the space is a more controlled environment than the aisle and is safer to back into. You should start this process by rolling past the space to observe the area. If the space is clear, quickly honk your horn a few times to alert anyone that may be near the space and slowly back toward the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side. Check all of your mirrors and look over your shoulder to ensure that the space remains clear and you are not going to hit anything. If you are unsure of where your vehicle is going or if the area is clear, always get out and look. If you are traveling to a new destination and you are unsure of where to park, try calling ahead and asking for specific instructions. This can help you avoid searching for parking in crowded lots and can help build good relationships with customers. Aerial views from the internet can also help with advance planning, but remember, new obstacles may be present that are not shown online. Todd Carrier serves as director of risk management for Protective Insurance Company, Carmel, IN. For more information, please email lossprevention@ protectiveinsurance.com

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Star Shuttle & Charter San Antonio, TX MCI announced that while everything’s big in Texas, and getting bigger, Star Shuttle & Charter is more than keeping up. After all, a May U.S. Census Bureau report pointed out that Texas has five of the 11 fastest-growing cities in the U.S., with San Antonio and Austin following Houston in adding the most people to Texas last year. The San Antonio-based charter and tour coach company, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, has added 11 new 2016 MCI J4500 coaches to meet market demands. The latest MCI delivery brings nearly half of Star Shuttle’s 38-J4500 fleet to less than three years old.

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Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LA DOT) Los Angeles, LA MCI announced that the Los Angeles Department of Transportation has added nine more compressed natural gas (CNG) Commuter Coaches. The new 45-foot coaches, purchased off an option at an estimated cost of $6.8 million, brings the number of CNG-powered MCI coaches now part of LA DOT’s fleet to 104. The new coaches come equipped with a Cummins ISX-G CNG engine and meet standards under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California’s Air Resource Board, which have led to advances in lowering emissions.

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Niagara Scenic Tours Hamburg, NY

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Niagara Scenic Tours operates a fleet of 14 motorcoaches, two cutaways, one shuttle and 12 vans. Currently in their fourth generation as a family-owned operation, Niagara’s charters and tour operations run throughout Western New York, east of the Mississippi and Canada. Joining the Niagara Scenic fleet is the TEMSA TS 35, their second. Niagara started with their first TS 35 in early 2014. The majority of Niagara’s groups consist of college athletics, scheduled tours, casinos, and school groups and the 40 passenger TS 35 is perfect for the sports teams.

Premier Transportation’s addition of a Van Hool 45-foot motorcoach adds to the diversity of its fleet and overall product offerings for its clients, truly making it a full-service transportation provider. Premier provides a broad range of services including groups & personal transportation, meetings and event services, airport ground transportation and luxury charters. The Van Hool CX45 comes equipped with a Detroit Diesel DD13 engine, Allison B500 G5 transmission, Body Line 210 seats with three-point seat belts, wood grain floors, power outlets, and Wi-Fi. The quality and style is a perfect fit as Premier continues to provide personalized, professional service.

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Official BUSRide Roundtable Discussion:

SPECIALTY BUS DEALERSHIPS Three dealerships talk shop

The Transportation South headquarters in Pelham, AL.

Small and midsize buses continue to evolve into a more dynamic segment of the bus and coach industry, and new markets expand the possibilities for their use as the direct result of refreshed engineering, styling and technology. BUSRide visited with three leading small and midsize bus dealers and builders to “take a pulse” on the innovations, trends and perceptions that are moving their products and services forward. The panelists at this discussion were: Bucky Law, president, Transportation South Comer Hobbs, transportation consultant, Davey Coach Sales Dave Brown, president, MobilityTRANS Describe the “core and crux” of your small bus dealership and the markets you serve. Dave Brown: Our industry segment is small buses and modified paratransit vans. We modify a vehicle only as much as is necessary, and we never replace the body. We manufacture paratransits on the Ford Transit and FCA ProMaster under our new name, MobilityTRANS. Bucky Law: The Bus Center Family of Companies includes Transportation South in Birmingham, AL, Mid-South Bus Center in the Nashville, TN, area, and The Bus Center in Atlanta, GA, which is being built as we speak. Our Birmingham location is also equipped with arguably the best body and paint facility in the shuttle and school bus business. We represent Starcraft, StarTrans, Champion, Federal, Turtle Top, TransitWorks, McSweeney, Polaris Gem, Collins and Thomas Built Buses. Comer Hobbs: Tom Davey founded Davey Coach in 1992. From our current location in Sedalia, CO, we represent 15 commercial bus manufacturers. We are a member of the REV Group dealer network, and for many years have been named the top retail dealer for Turtle Top. We also own and operate Cornerstone Bus Leasing, as well as Big Picture Graphics, with capabilities to design and install all vehicle exterior wraps. What do you want to impress upon BUSRide readers throughout North America regarding your sector of the public and private bus industries? Brown: We take a special interest in rural transportation and the many smaller transit agencies serving communities in remote, outlying 32

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

The Davey Coach Sales headquarters in Sedalia, CO.

areas. The small transit buses we offer from our industry sector deliver high fuel mileage and are also at the forefront of alternative fuels, such as CNG and propane. We believe our buses and vans are a perfect fit for those agencies with service routes that are best served by for small buses and vans. Law: Our companies take pride in listening and advising our customers on how to spec equipment properly so that they receive vehicles appropriate to not only their operation, but also their climate and geography. Our techs and parts people are continually retrained and certified consistently so they are up to speed on everchanging technologies. Hobbs: So many of our customers are looking to improve the overall customer experience in every corner of their operations, including the transportation they provide. Over the last 10 years, motorcoach operators have turned to small and midsize buses to handle their smaller groups. Before, they were never thinking along these lines because, in their minds, the quality just wasn’t there. What is your assessment of the “state of small and midsize buses” in terms of evolution and major innovations in engineering, design and customer service? Brown: I think small bus transportation is growing faster than other vehicle segments. The reason is that some incredible innovation has been taking place, such as the and use of high HP V-6 engines; highstrength, lightweight steel going into the body to allow more cargo capacity and lower gross weight. The innovations we are seeing is leading to faster growth. Law: Growing. Traditional customers including churches, retirement communities, universities and transit agencies have seen steady growth over the last five years. Many motorcoach operators have come to realize that the efficiencies to transport smaller groups busride.com

Standard transportation no longer does it for them – a higher quality ride has to be included in the mix. It’s more expensive, but that is what our customers are requesting. Do you see any new bus transportation markets taking shape because of developments and innovation in today’s small and midsize buses?

The Ford Transit by MobilityTRANS, Canton, MI.

on large coaches with empty seats make no sense. As a result, they are buying small buses and equipping them with similar features in order to continue to deliver the comfort and conveniences of their larger equipment, only in a smaller package. Hobbs: Comfort has greatly improved, largely because of cushier seating with three-point seat belts — a drastic change for the better. I think this is a “trickle-down” effect from the motorcoach industry, where passengers are expecting many of the same safety features when they ride in smaller buses. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has certainly made its mark. Ford Transit as well, with the e-series chassis going away. Certified upfitters are rebuilding the entries to make them more like bus, making it easier to get in and out, as opposed to the customary van with a slider door. Have you observed shifts in public awareness and perception of the vehicles you represent? Brown: I have been in the paratransit business since late 1979, and have seen a lot of changes over 37 years. The most, by far, came with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which brought safer and more accommodating systems for individuals with special needs. Prior to ADA, we saw transportation providers using vans that didn’t have the roofs raised enough to accommodate wheelchair passengers; their heads pressed right up against the ceiling. FMVSS didn’t include wheelchair regulations until 2005 — 15 years after ADA. FMVSS had never before regulated add-on equipment. Wheelchair lifts were the first such equipment to receive NHTSA safety standards. I certainly see the current design and manufacturing of small and midsize paratransit buses moving forward steadily, giving dignity and self-esteem back to paratransit passengers. Law: We have been in business since 1972 and have seen incredible shifts in the perception of “riding the bus.” Old descriptions such as “cheese wagons” are long since gone. The public understands that today’s vehicles are not only comfortable, they come equipped with modern conveniences such as Wi-Fi and satellite TV. In addition, responsible adults are learning to seek out our sector to attend football games and sporting events, concerts, parties and restaurants in a manner that is not only more fun, but safer for the rest of the traveling public. Hobbs: On the paratransit side, I believe the newer buses and lowfloor cutaways give more attention to accessibility, which has really improved the view of public transportation from this community. Wheelchair passengers now realize they are being treated just like everyone else on the vehicle, an accommodation that has gradually come to light only over these last several years. Many of our customers, particularly assisted living and senior facilities, want to transport their residents in a style more in keeping with the rest of the operation.

Brown: Small and midsize buses are a viable choice in rural transit markets. They give the operators cost-efficient options they haven’t had before. For example, the Ford Transit product we offer is so OEMequipped, they have no issue with maintenance service and repairs on what are essentially all Ford-products. Help is only as far away as their nearest dealership. Law: Just recently, we built vehicles for dog rescue groups, mobile dentistry and even for mobile banking in small buses outfitted with ATM machines. Buses are being considered today for a wide variety of non-traditional uses. Additionally, we are also seeing growth in more non-traditional segments such as inmate transfer, mobile offices and even large families looking for higher-capacity equipment with more comfortable seating. Hobbs: Limousine companies have woken up to the demand for buses instead of the standard stretch limo, carrying more customers with greater comfort and convenience. Small and midsize buses are defi nitely growing in popularity. What we are seeing more on the national level is their use for what is called the “last mile” to get passengers to their fi nal destination from the transit terminal, train station, or end of a scheduled motorcoach run; and transporting passengers living in rural areas into the innercity using multi-modal connections. This still remains a challenge for many parts of the country, but everyone is working hard to solve this dilemma.

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Preemptive tools that aid dispatchers In this issue, BUSRide continues “Enterprise Asset Management,” an in-depth forum series addressing fleet management, vehicle tracking, fleet monitoring, fleet optimization and in-vehicle diagnostics. This month, we cover preemptive tools that aid dispatchers – the technologies, philosophies and best practices that allow dispatchers to receive real-time information and use it to better manage their fleets. Diego Capelluto, director of public transportation for TSO Mobile, details how improved dispatch ultimately improves passenger satisfaction. He highlights automatic passenger counting systems, anti-bunching technology, GPS and vehicle maintenance as key tools for improving real-time dispatch. Alice Wilson, product manager at Avail Technologies, answered some critical questions about proactive dispatch; how a real-time dispatch tool can aid other departments in an operation, not just dispatch; and how a more responsive dispatch system can benefit riders and customers.

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Improved dispatch improves passenger satisfaction By Diego Capelluto

rom an operational standpoint, dispatching plays a significant role in pleasing passengers. Passengers are aware if their public transportation is running on time, the frequency of buses arriving during peak times, or if their bus is exceptionally full. These things are all addressed through dispatching methods. By incorporating preemptive tools to aid dispatching, public transit should run efficiently and passengers will take notice. What exactly are these preemptive tools? There are a handful of different solutions that can address a range of dispatching issues. An important preemptive tool that should be incorporated on all transit systems is a Passenger Counter system. Passenger Counters use high-efficiency sensors to accurately count how many passengers are alighting and boarding at each stop and during what time of the day. The information that is taken can then be assessed to address how frequently buses should run depending on the time of day. This will assist dispatching with properly scheduling vehicles on their respective routes and passengers will no longer feel cramped, as there should be an ample amount of vehicles scheduled during peak times. Another useful dispatching tool is Anti-Bunching technology. Anti-Bunching technology provides simple monitors to display driver performance in “comfort zones, keeping vehicles efficiently distributed while on the field and within their designated route. Ideally, with Anti-Bunching monitors in place a vehicle won’t get too ahead or fall behind and can adhere to the times designed from Passenger Counter data. With Anti-Bunching technology in place, passengers will not be as frustrated waiting long periods for the bus and extra buses will not arrive when they are not needed. GPS, in general, is extremely helpful when it comes to public transportation, but for dispatchers it enables them to properly track the location of a vehicle. In addition to tracking, GPS aids with routes and rerouting when necessary. GPS technology is a huge asset for any public transportation entity, regardless of size. While maintenance may not seem like it effects dispatching, properly servicing vehicles on a routine basis will prevent breakdowns and help keep a consistent schedule. Maintenance ensures properly operating vehicles are out on the field. Pre-set parameters can determine when a

vehicle is due for maintenance, and send alert reminders. This feature enables only necessary maintenance to occur and can help dispatching in anticipating scheduled maintenance while also helping thwart a common occurrence of vehicle issues that arise from not properly maintaining them. A large proponent of maintaining vehicles is hiring careful drivers who take care of them. With driver behavior, an automated scorecard is created for each individual driver based on Speed, Harsh Brakes or Turns, RPMs, and Fatigue where you can weigh each variable into a 100 percent total. The scorecards enable operations to review driver performances while also creating a sense of accountability for drivers. Driver behavior ultimately plays an important role in dispatching because the on-time and safe arrival of passengers has a lot to do with the driver. Simply put, improved dispatching improves passenger satisfaction. Fortunately, there are many preemptive tools that can be incorporated in public transportation entities to aid dispatching operations. Diego Capelluto serves as director of public transportation for TSO Mobile, an innovative leader in mobile resource management and logistics products and services, providing “all-under-one-roof GPS Vehicle Tracking and Fleet Management solutions” to all transportation entities. For more information, please visit www.TSOMobile.com. Above: GPS technology is a huge asset for any public transportation entity, regardless of size.

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Real-time dispatch aids the entire agency

Real-time dispatch tools allow managers to quickly respond and make informed decisions about vehicles on the road.

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, Alice Wilson, product manager at Avail Technologies, answers a few critical questions about preemptive tools to aid dispatchers. Why is it so important for dispatchers to act proactively as opposed to reactively? The morning pull-out is often very hectic. There are many drivers checking in, checking out, pulling their buses out of the lot and starting their services for the day. There’s a lot going on and, traditionally, the dispatcher doesn’t know much information aside from the fact that a given driver may have left the garage a few minutes late. It won’t be until the driver arrives late at the first time point that the dispatcher will have any inkling that service on that particular run is late. By that point, it’ll be a lot harder for the dispatcher to do something to get that service back on schedule. A preemptive dispatch tool, like myAvail Dispatcher with Pullout Management, shows when the driver’s supposed to check in, when the driver’s supposed to log on and when the driver is supposed to pull out of the garage. We’re trying to provide the dispatcher with more time to react if something’s not happening the way it should be. If the driver does not check in on time, we can already say to the dispatcher, “Hey, you have a potential late pull out. If you don’t get somebody checked in and on that bus as soon as possible, this particular bus is going to leave the garage late. You’re going to have a late pull out and that’s going to start the whole run badly.” The idea is to give the dispatchers more time to react to a potential upcoming issue, rather than having to react once the issue’s already occurred. Another example dispatchers often encounter is a vehicle running late. The myAvail Dispatcher Timeline can let the dispatcher see what will be impacted by this vehicle running late. If there is an upcoming layover on this vehicle’s timeline then maybe the dispatcher doesn’t have to be concerned that the vehicle is running a little late. They’ll know that the driver will be able to make up the time at the layover. But, if there is an upcoming relief, or an upcoming transfer that could be adversely affected by this vehicle arriving late, then the dispatcher can see that on the timeline and take action right away. 36

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

How can a real-time dispatch tool aid other departments in an operation? In the operations department, an operations manager is usually not down in the dispatch area monitoring what’s going on. Under normal circumstances, they don’t really care too much if there’s a couple late pull outs or if there’s a few vehicles running late. If a certain threshold is exceeded, however, they may need to step in – say, if 25 percent of the pull outs are late. An operations manager dashboard shows this information and can provide email or text-based alerts. These tell the manager if he or she needs to follow up with dispatch. The maintenance department can also reap many benefits from real-time dispatch software. Real-time tools can transmit diagnostic messages, generated on the bus, directly to dispatch and fleet maintenance personnel. Using text-based alerts, maintenance managers can make intelligent decisions about managing buses currently in service to enhance the safety and reliability for riders. How can more responsive dispatch services benefit riders? The most beneficial customer-facing tools are highly visible, realtime departure and arrival times. Real-time passenger information tools like the myStop® mobile app give riders valuable information, in graphical and textual form, that helps them make an informed decision about their transportation options. If the bus is right around the corner, they’ll wait. If it’s going to take 10 minutes to arrive, maybe they’ll get a cup of coffee. They can even set up alerts to notify them when their bus is going to arrive. Having real-time information in the palm of their hand makes riding the bus more convenient and increases customer satisfaction. It’s also important that customer service and riders have access to the same information. If a rider doesn’t have the app or isn’t looking at the correct page, customer service can get that same predictive information and provide it directly to the user. Transit agencies can also get information and alerts out to riders about changes in service, detours, routes or fares. Alice Wilson serves as product manager 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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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Field Test:

Fleetmatics connects with ECS Transportation

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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Field Test:

Fleetmatics ECS Transportation connects with

When the Connecticut operator needed a better way to track vehicles, he turned to Fleetmatics By Richard Tackett

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

or Gene Horne, president of ECS Transportation, Norwalk, CT, a two-minute GPS refresh rate just wasn’t sufficient for his burgeoning school transportation business. For years his company used a simple GPS solution from a different provider, but that provider had been unable to close its refresh window to less than two minutes. For ECS Transportation, which had been serving specialneeds transportation for schools in the Fairfield County School District in Connecticut since 2001, this was a serious liability. “A bus can travel a great distance in two minutes, as any operator knows,” Horne says. “We needed something that could pinpoint our buses exactly with a shorter refresh window. Furthermore, we were looking for a solution that could enhance our fuel-tracking capabilities – something that our previous provider had no way of doing.” ECS Transportation was founded in Stanford, CT, in 1999 as a delivery transportation service with a handful of vehicles. However, in 2001, Horne saw a potential niche in the market – special needs transportation for local school districts. Within five years of undertaking this new service, the company grew to 75 vehicles. “School buses couldn’t really handle this type of service,” Horne says, “so we became fast-growing innovators in the Connecticut market.” busride.com

ECS Transportation currently has 170 employees and 140 vehicles.

Today, ECS Transportation covers a 60-mile radius from its home office. The successful school business now allows the company to do more traditional motorcoach business as well as running corporate employees shuttles for local offices. The company currently has 170 employees and 140 vehicles. The search begins For about six months, ECS explored multiple options for a new vehicle tracking service and Horne wanted a complete solution. It was the specific need for more accurate fuel-tracking that brought ECS to Fleetmatics, whose U.S. headquarters are in Waltham, MA, a fleet management provider founded in 2004 in Dublin, Ireland. The company has approximately 37,000 customers that represent a total fleet of approximately 737,000 vehicles worldwide. “Fleetmatics initially caught our eye initially because of their fuel card program,” Horne says. “With their GPS solution, we’d be able to receive alerts whenever a driver was using the fuel station. The alert would work in tandem with GPS so that we’d know which driver was fueling which vehicle – that’s a big help if you’re worried about anyone stealing fuel.” “ECS Transportation is a pretty typical customer of ours – by that I mean they use our software in a traditional way,” says Todd Ewing, director, product marketing at Fleetmatics. “Their previous GPS provider allowed them to track their vehicles, but they were looking for something more. We knew we could channel their investment to help them also track payroll, fuel, safety and hours of service, and enforce driver compliance with company initiatives.” Horne and the ECS team were very impressed with the initial presentations from the Fleetmatics team, and, after speaking to a few customer references, made the decision to sign up for the Fleetmatics REVEAL product. Fleetmatics REVEAL Fleetmatics’ flagship product is Fleetmatics REVEAL, a cloud-based fleet management and GPS solution. “Fleetmatics REVEAL extracts actionable business intelligence from real-time and historic vehicle data as well as driver behavior data,” Ewing says. “It takes all of these data points and serves it back to our customers in an easy and digestible way. This provides customers total visibility into what’s going on with their fleets. Through that, we’re able to help companies experience increases in productivity, while reducing operating- and fuel costs.”

ECS Transportation has served special-needs transportation for schools in the Fairfield County School District in Connecticut since 2001.

The GPS-centric features of Fleetmatics REVEAL include custom reporting, a live map, Geofences and near real-time alerts, helping to enhance fleet efficiency and oversight. All files are stored securely in the cloud and accessible from any computer or mobile device. Driver ID is another key feature of REVEAL. Unique key fobs are assigned to each driver in an operation and key readers are installed in every vehicle with the GPS tracking unit. As a result, drivers switching vehicles don’t cause lapses in oversight or irregularities in reporting. The solution also has near real-time reporting capabilities for vehicle maintenance, as well as the aforementioned fuel card program – which includes reports for fleet fuel purchased, fuel efficiency, lost fuel and carbon footprint. Initial contact and ROI Though the ECS Transportation and Fleetmatics teams had met at a few trade shows, most of the initial contact between the two companies came from calls and web conferencing. It was through these conferences that the Fleetmatics team was able to discern the needs of ECS and formulate plans about how to best fulfill those needs. The entire process lasted a couple of weeks and included web demos of the Fleetmatics product. Fleetmatics probed ECS on a number of questions; something that Ewing says is typical of the company’s exploratory phase with new customers. The Fleetmatics team needed to know what had ECS looking into tracking, and specifically how they heard about Fleetmatics. Before the implementation process could begin, Fleetmatics probed the total number of vehicles, fuel costs per month and the age of the business. “They wanted to see what vehicles we had and what areas we were servicing, and they came up with a lot of suggestions,” Horne says. “Specifically, they made suggestions about payroll for drivers and how it relates to hours of service.” busride.com | BUSRIDE

Fleetmatics’ flagship product is Fleetmatics REVEAL, a cloud-based fleet management and GPS solution.

Ewing says that the Fleetmatics team was particularly interested in personnel issues – did ECS employees fill out a time sheet, or punch a clock? Furthermore, the company was looking for information on what times ECS thought employees should leave and return to the yard, and how ECS was currently verifying the time.

According to Ewing, another major suggestion from Fleetmatics regarded the vehicle safety component of ECS Transportation’s business. “This is an area where we would really be able to show ROI, because of the special-school needs transportation of ECS.” Watch for the second chapter in this three-part series in the October 2016 edition of BUSRide Magazine. Discover the installation and testing process undertaken by Fleetmatics and ECS Transportation.

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

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TransIT Transit Analytics for APC & AVL Data Just Got Real! By Mary Sue O’Melia Figure 2 –Performance by Time of Day

Transit agencies have invested significant time and resources to obtain data from Automated Passenger Counting (APC) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems. Despite this abundance of data, analyses still require that data be exported to Excel spreadsheets for analysis and data discovery. This time-consuming processing is no longer required – Analytics are now available for APC and AVL data! What our clients are telling us - case study Service Planning Analytics can be applied to all types of data, but are especially useful in dealing with the volumes of data from APC and AVL data. Planners can now see graphically what is happening on the street and drill down into the data with a few key strokes. Eric Marx, interim executive director at the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), Woodbridge, VA, stated the objectives and expectations of this organization. “In 2005, PRTC took a major step forward when we became the second agency to purchase TransTrack’s web-based system to consolidate data input and tracking to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and customer service,” Marx said. “We worked closely with the vendor over the years to develop new capabilities and enhancements to further streamline processes. Despite those efforts, most data was still manually collected and then converted to another format for analysis – a labor-intensive and arduous process. We are now working with TransTrack to harness a goldmine of automatically-generated, consolidated data from our recently accepted a $4 million TIGER-funded, state-of-the-art computeraided dispatch and automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) system. With TransTrack’s newly-released Analytics package we’ll get to know our services like never before, automatically highlighting concerns/trends and allowing us to drill-down to uncover root causes. We’ll also be able to analyze boardings, alightings, through loads, and on-time performance from systemwide statistics down to the smallest detail, allowing us to more quickly and accurately adjust service to improve the customer experience and maximize resources.” For FY 2017, PRTC has identified service changes to reduce the operating costs. Future funding scenarios suggest that PRTC must continue to look for opportunities to further reduce costs while minimizing the impact to passengers. Service Planning Analytics A picture is worth a thousand words and easier to understand than multiple tables full of numbers. Sample data is shown below to identify routes for service improvement (Figure 1) and then to drilldown on low productivity routes to identify performance by time of day (Figure 2). Analytics for Schedule Adherence include overall performance charts (Figure 3) as well as schedule adherence by time of day (Figure 4) and run time analyses by route, direction, and day (Figure 5). In the past, all of this data was available in static reports with data Figure 1 – Identify Opportunities for Improvement

Figure 3 – Schedule Adherence Summary

Figure 4 – Schedule Adherence by Time of Day

Figure 5 – Run Time Analysis

presented in tabular format. The Planner was required to print volumes of paper to review in conjunction with a route map and schedule. Then the data was summarized and reformatted so the Planner could “tell the story” to support recommended changes. With analytics, the Planner can use a series of tabs and filters to walk through the analytical process. Conclusion Service planning and schedule analyses just got easier! As an industry, we still have a ways to go in terms of analytics (e.g., predictive analytics). But recent accomplishments are a big push in the right direction. Data analysis doesn’t have to be so difficult and time consuming. Planners can now spend less time on compiling data and more time on analyses, problem solving and implementation. Mary Sue O’Melia is president of TransTrack Systems®, Inc., a business intelligence solution that transforms volumes of data into meaningful information for transportation managers and executives to use in planning, strategizing and ensuring optimal performance. Visit TransTrack Systems® at www.transtrack.net.

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The vision behind the vehicle

By Kim Yoder Regional Sales Manager ARBOC Specialty Vehicles, LLC

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

housands of buses are sold in the United States and Canada each year, whether to transit agencies, churches, assisted living communities or theme parks. There are many factors that are considered when deciding which type of bus will fit each specific need the best and, therefore, will best serve the needs of the customer. Often, these factors include cost, the type of service to be offered, passenger capacity and fuel source. When considering a low-floor versus a standard-floor bus with entry steps and a wheelchair lift, there are a few more contributing factors: safety, speed of operation and, most importantly, the dignity of those who will utilize the vehicle. The original low-floor cutaway was designed with all of those things in mind, but with a special emphasis on passenger dignity. So how does that translate into the design of the vehicle? First, consider the boarding process. A standard-floor bus requires the driver to exit the vehicle and walk to the lift doors, typically located at the back of the bus. Then, he or she opens the doors and lowers the lift to the ground. At this point, the passenger is positioned on the lift and the process of raising them

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A ramp allows passengers with wheelchairs to board a bus without assistance.

into the vehicle commences. After reaching floor height, the driver must enter the vehicle through the entrance door in order to assist the passenger into the wheelchair placement. The tiedown process is completed and the lift doors are finally able to be closed. Altogether, up to five minutes has passed. By utilizing a ramp, manufacturers are able to eliminate the wheelchair lift. This simplifies the boarding process for wheelchairs immensely. The ramp is deployed from the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat in a mere 10 seconds and the driver simply assists the passenger into the vehicle. The ramp is stowed in another 10 seconds and the doors are closed as soon as the passenger is inside. Again, the tiedown process is completed and the driver is able to continue to their destination. Altogether, this process takes one to two minutes. The ramp allows everyone to use the same entrance door, which creates a sense of equality among all passengers. Due to the front entrance door, wheelchairs are most commonly placed behind the driver and the entry door rather than being forced to the rear of the bus, which potentially results in a large space between them and other passengers or the driver. Sitting in the front, they no longer feel sequestered, but rather a part of the ambulatory passengers. It is an added luxury that they get to experience the best ride in the vehicle due to their position between the axles. Consider passengers who use walkers or canes. As the population continues to age, there is an emphasis on providing ways for those around us to maintain their independence. Rather than having to stand on the wheelchair lift and be raised into the bus or risk taking the stairs, they are able to enter the vehicle on their own. The low-floor bus with 1:6 ramp angle enables them to use their mobility device without any assistance, which renews their sense of dignity and independence.

A ramp allows everyone to use the same entrance door, which creates a sense of equality among all passengers.

Scheduling trips to the doctor or the store becomes much more accessible for many when low floor transportation is available. There is a greater effort put into making these trips for someone with disabilities, which is often forgotten. Making accessibility as easy and safe as possible should be the main effort of all public transportation manufacturers. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has set the tone for breaking down societal barriers. The shift to make laws that benefit and protect those with disabilities started in the 1970s in an effort to bring the very best quality of life to those with disabilities or limited mobility. With every alternative today, it remains true that a low-floor bus still maintains the level of safety and integrity busride.com | BUSRIDE

Complete with the tiedown process, loading a wheelchair-using passenger onto a low-floor bus takes approximately two minutes.

needed for those using public transportation. Once physical barriers to mobility are removed, psychological barriers disappear as well. Safety is another hot button for all bus operators, whether public or private. With a low-floor bus, many of the items that frequently cause accidents or possible injury when loading and unloading the vehicle are eliminated. The absence of stairs in the low floor removes the tripping hazard when entering or exiting the vehicle and the ramp negates the possibility of chairs rolling off the wheelchair lift. Lifts are often referred to as “scary” and are known to cause passengers to feel like they are on display when loading and unloading, particularly from the street or sidewalk in a public transit application. Maxine, a resident of Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis, MI, appreciates the feeling of security that comes with the ramp. “There’s no comparison [between a lift and a ramp], because the ramp is so much better,” she says. “I’m always afraid of the lift. Passengers with limited mobility are able to board the bus confidently without having to worry about stumbling.” Passenger comfort and speed of operation both benefit when a lowfloor bus is employed. When utilizing the ramp, passengers using mobility aids are able to load much more quickly (typically three times faster) than those using a wheelchair lift. Passengers can usually board on their own, eliminating the need for the operator to go through the painstaking and time-consuming process of using the lift. Studies have shown that three passengers can be loaded into a low-floor bus in three minutes, while it takes approximately nine minutes to load the same 44

BUSRIDE | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER . 2016

three people into a standard-floor bus. Because of the time savings and the single entrance door for all passengers, the temperature of the low-floor bus cabin is maintained, while the standard floor bus temperature fluctuates considerably. This is an especially important factor in extremely hot or cold temperatures and contributes to the comfort and, therefore, overall satisfaction of the passengers on board. With both the lift and entrance doors open for an extended period of time, the extremely hot or cold air, snow, or rain enters the vehicle and creates an unpleasant experience for everyone. Fleet operators will also appreciate the time savings from a cost standpoint. Time equals money in many cases and the low floor offers transit agencies the ability to service more customers in a shorter amount of time with higher productivity due to the speed of loading and unloading their passengers. In a fixed-route situation, the need to budget as much time for potential ADA pickups is lessened. In some situations, fewer vehicles for route service are required because of the time savings. Less idle time for the vehicle also means a decrease in fuel costs, one of the biggest expenditures that fleets incur on a daily basis. Whether transporting a mother with a stroller, a young child in a power chair who is accompanied by a service dog, or a group of teenagers with their surfboards headed to the beach, a low-floor bus provides not only convenience and safety, but especially the dignity and sense of normalcy that everyone desires. It’s not just another bus or simply a means of transportation – there’s a vision behind the vehicle. busride.com

Indian Trails honors three drivers Indian Trails, Inc., Owosso, MI, has honored its million-mile safe drivers for 27 years, recognizing nearly 30 individuals who have gone the distance without an avoidable accident. Prevost welcomes this year’s elite group to the BUSRide Safe Driver Hall of Fame, beginning with the three below. In October, BUSRide will recognize three more Indian Trails Million-Mile honorees. In 1976, Phillip “Al” Kline was looking for a mechanic position at Indian Trails. But at that time, the company was only hiring drivers, so Kline signed up. He reached his first million miles in 1998 and hit the 2 million mark in 2014. “When I started, I was full of excitement at the opportunity to travel throughout North America,” he says. “Now I am very content with a regular run in Michigan.” Regardless of the itinerary, what Kline likes best about his 2 million miles is the time he has spent getting to know and interact with his passengers. “It’s heartening to learn there are lots and lots of good people out there,” he says. Following his Army stint in Vietnam, Carl Briggs began a career in retail sales. Then, 27 years ago, Briggs jumped from retail onto a motorcoach as a rookie driver for Indian Trails. He hit his 1-millionmile mark in 2014. During the school year, Briggs shuttles Michigan State University students. Each summer, he transports charter groups throughout scenic northern Michigan. “My favorite part of this job is the trust Indian Trails places in me,” he says. “I also appreciate the independence I feel being out on the open road.”

Since 1977, Luis Garcia has driven school buses, transit buses and motorcoaches, However, in 1990, Garcia joined the ranks of Indian Trails full-time. He drove charter groups and, beginning in 2007, helped operate the company’s Bronco Transit, a campus shuttle service for Western Michigan University students. As an instructor for Indian Trails, Garcia constantly stresses to new drivers the importance of holding oneself to a high standard of alertness: “You never want to become too complacent or overconfident.” Garcia credits the Indian Trails dispatchers and mechanics for their help in keeping him and his passengers safe on the road. That, coupled with the Golden Rule helped him reach “million-mile safe” status in 2014.

From left to right: Luis Garcia, Carl Briggs and Al Kline.

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