University buys new Tiger Transit buses

TRANSPORTATION

Ten hybrid buses and 50 diesel buses are making their way to campus this semester.

BROOKE FUCITO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

New Tiger Transit buses hit the road

By EMERY LAY

Campus Editor

The familiar sight of orange Tiger Transit buses is being phased out this semester in favor of bigger and brighter buses. The new buses are already serving routes around campus and beyond, with new ones arriving weekly from California from bus manufacturer Gillig.

The University is launching 36 buses into service the first week of the fall semester, according to Chris Harris, transit operations manager. These will not fully replace the current diesel fleet of 70 until the beginning of October. Twelve buses will be stored in a lot by the University’s RO parking until the third week of September when they undergo camera and tracking technology installation.

“We had a little bit of an interruption because there was a diesel recall, but [Gillig] worked the building schedule so we that we didn’t have any ofthe buses coming in any later than the end of August,” Harris said.

None of the buses in the University’s fleet have been affected by the recall, Harris said.

In total, Auburn will be host to 10 hybrid electric buses and 50 diesel ones once all buses have been delivered. All are 35-foot buses, matching the size of the current ones. Additionally, four smaller buses will be received to replace the old smaller buses.

“We normally run 57 buses during the fall,” said Don Andrae, retired director of transportation services. “That means 20 of them will still be the older buses.”

The hybrid electric buses are operating electrically on the central campus area. They do not emit any fumes or noise while on campus. Additionally, their diesel engines will cut off any time the bus stops while it is not on central campus grounds, much like a hybrid car.

Harris said the University carried out a trial run of the buses the last week of the summer semester to positive feedback from students and local business owners.

“We’re getting a lot of good response,” Harris said. “Students are liking them and we’ve got some of the general public liking them.”

The buses feature both front and back doors, making it a smoother and quicker transition for passengers to enter and exit the bus. While the buses will continue to halt at every bus stop, there will no longer be a wait. Pull cords are implemented to serve as indicators for passengers to use when they want to get off. This system should cut down on transit times, making transportation faster for students, Andrae said.

“There are several positive impacts that the buses will have on the efficiency of the transit operation,” he said. “When the cord is pulled it alerts the driver that a stop has been requested.”

There are audio announcements to alert riders of the next stop on the route and a visual display of the next stop will be added before fall 2023.

“The first day I think [the alerts] scared a few folks because they’re not used to the buses talking,” Harris said.

The visual displays were created with the audibly impaired in mind.

Both the hybrid electric and diesel buses have an accessible ramp at the front door that folds out to accommodate its passengers. The buses also conveniently lower several feet on the front end when passengers are loading, accommodating the elderly and physically disabled to make for an easier entrance.

The buses will be wider, making for a significant increase in standing room on each bus. Old buses were limited to a capacity of 40 passengers maximum, but new buses will now allow up to 50.

Each bus is equipped with charging stations for phones as well as WiFi. As a custom touch, the seats have blue blacks with an interlocking AU on each one. Finally, bike racks will still be available to hold up to two bicycles on the front of every bus.

Harris said students’ transition to the new buses should be seamless as they will still use the DoubleMap app.

“There’s a couple of stops that are a work in progress because the new buses can’t necessarily get there, but we’re working with the property owners to make things happen,” Harris said. “Nothing is going to change day one.”

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