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Pittsburgh Transit Blog
Topic Started: Aug 27 2009, 06:50 PM (21,959 Views)
Jayayess1190
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80 longer buses in works for Port Authority

The DD50 Neoplan An460's will be gone next year! :'(

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The Port Authority is preparing to order 80 new buses to replace worn-out vehicles and add to its fleet of longer articulated buses that accommodate more passengers.

A committee of the authority board approved the $41.5 million order on Wednesday. It will be paid for mainly with federal capital funding that is intended to keep the nation's transit fleets in a state of good repair, authority CEO Steve Bland said.

That and a previous order from June will expand the number of articulated buses from the current 50 to 85, helping eventually to ease crowding that has occurred on several routes since last month's service cuts, Mr. Bland said.

New buses from the earlier order should start to arrive in August, authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said.

The 60-foot-long articulated buses have 53 seats, compared with 37 in the conventional 40-foot buses, authority officials said.

Since service hours were cut by 15 percent in March, several bus routes have experienced severe overcrowding, with drivers skipping stops because there is no room for more riders. That has occurred most frequently on the 61- and 71-series routes; the P1 and P2 East Busway routes; and on P12 Holiday Park and O12 McKnight Flyer, Mr. Ritchie said.

How the new buses will be deployed has yet to be determined, he said.

In June, the authority ordered 28 regular-size buses and 25 articulated coaches for $33 million. The newest order is for 45 regular-size and 35 articulated vehicles.

The buses will replace vehicles that have been in service for 12 years or more and have exceeded 500,000 miles of travel.

When the second order arrives late next year, the authority will remove 25 older articulated buses from service.

The overall size of the fleet, 810 vehicles before the March service cuts, has been reduced to 780 at present and will fall to 700 by the end of this year, Mr. Ritchie said.

The purchases will substantially improve the average age of the bus fleet, reducing maintenance costs and fuel consumption, he said.

The authority board's Performance Oversight Committee meeting also heard that the $523.4 million North Shore Connector project is now 91 percent complete and on track to begin service in March.

The connector will extend the Light Rail Transit system to new stations at PNC Park and Heinz Field and provide a new Gateway Center station, Downtown.
Edited by Jayayess1190, Apr 21 2011, 10:12 AM.
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Rail_Guy 8202
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The southern delco northern de reporter
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Jayayess1190
Apr 21 2011, 10:11 AM
80 longer buses in works for Port Authority

The DD50 Neoplan An460's will be gone next year! :'(
So how many overall buses will be coming in over the next few years?
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Jayayess1190
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Bus Guy 8202
Apr 21 2011, 11:46 AM
Jayayess1190
Apr 21 2011, 10:11 AM
80 longer buses in works for Port Authority

The DD50 Neoplan An460's will be gone next year! :'(
So how many overall buses will be coming in over the next few years?
28 Advantage's this summer
25 New Flyer D60LFR's in the fall
45 Advantage's in 2012
35 New Flyer D60LFR's in 2012

Total of 133 buses.
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septa105R5
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So the initial order of artics from the last report was for expansion; now this new order is for replacement of the 1998 Neoplan AN460 and for more fleet expansion to relieve overcrowding on some routes?
Edited by septa105R5, Apr 21 2011, 12:18 PM.
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Jayayess1190
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septa105R5
Apr 21 2011, 12:17 PM
So the initial order of artics from the last report was for expansion; now this order is for replacement of the 1998 Neoplan AN460 and for fleet expansion to relieve overcrowding on some routes?
Yes, PAT had the option to order more New Flyer's after the initial 25. And yup, the DD50 Neo's will be gone in 2012 while the DD60 Neo's will hang around.
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septa105R5
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Thanks for the info friend.
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Nabi60SFW9620
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I may squeeze in a ride on at least one of the 2005 Neoplan AN460s to see how they are compared to SEPTAs and WMATAs AN460s. And maybe even some of the Gillig Advantages. As well as the T. I am planning to leave out around 5:40am to head to Pittsburgh and hope to be there before 11am. But that will depend on traffic and how many times Ill have to pull off of the turnpike. And I should be able to have Friday afternoon and evening as well as all day Saturday in Pittsburgh. Sunday. I havent decided for sure if I will just head straight home after checking out of the hotel or if I plan to roam Pittsburgh any before heading home. I do plan to eat at the original Primanti brothers that weekend for lunch. Either Friday or Saturday. Im leaning towards Friday. And dinner I plan to eat casual dining downtown if possible.
Edited by Nabi60SFW9620, Apr 22 2011, 06:32 AM.
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Nabi60SFW9620
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I just noticed the part of South 27th Street with all of the stores and restaurants. Does anyone know the name of that area? Im thinking about squeezing that in during my weekend in Pittsburgh. And which ever night I am on my own for dinner I do intend on going to the Cheesecake Factory. I may sit at the bar at this one just like I do in Towson.
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Jayayess1190
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Nabi60SFW9620
Apr 22 2011, 01:38 PM
I just noticed the part of South 27th Street with all of the stores and restaurants. Does anyone know the name of that area? Im thinking about squeezing that in during my weekend in Pittsburgh. And which ever night I am on my own for dinner I do intend on going to the Cheesecake Factory. I may sit at the bar at this one just like I do in Towson.
This area is called the SouthSide Works. There is the Cheesecake Factory, a movie theater, plus other stores and restaurants. There are bus routes that connect it to downtown and Oakland if you didn't want to drive.
Edited by Jayayess1190, Apr 22 2011, 02:19 PM.
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Tritransit Area
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I wish the 52 ran with the Streetcars to serve Southside Works...what a destination!
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