GojiMet86

57 minutes ago, Len90 said:

Anyone know why the last batch of D4500s that went to Academy (212xx) were not solid grey? They are white with the chrome panels and look as if they were originally supposed to go to someone else. 

This is what is on the Wiki:

https://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/New_Jersey_Transit_21001-21367

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Academy Bus was originally slated to receive buses 21277-21334, and in fact had some units delivered in silversides with white paint (including the rear upper panel), but at some point NJT cut Academy's allocation and claimed the remaining buses for themselves. Due to the difference in the changeover point from Academy to NJT between the Winnipeg and Pembina assembly plants, Academy has 21277-21300 and 21303-21306. New Jersey Transit has 21301-21302 and 21307-21334. The first of the NJT buses from this part of the order began running in revenue out of Oradell Garage on October 15, 2021. Academy is scheduled to get some of the 2022 cruiser allocation to make up for the difference.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-plans-move-forward-major-new-expansion-transit-service-brooklyn-and

Governor Hochul Announces Plans to Move Forward with Major New Expansion of Transit Service in Brooklyn and Queens: The Interborough Express

Governor Directs MTA to Begin Environmental Review Process for Transformative New Transit Line  

Would Serve More than 100,000 New Yorkers and Connect to Up to 17 Subway Lines and the Long Island Rail Road, Expanding Access to Jobs and Supporting Economic Development  

Travel Time End-to-End Expected to be Less Than 40 Minutes  

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced plans to move forward with the Interborough Express as part of her 2022 State of the State. Governor Hochul is directing the MTA to immediately begin the environmental review process for this transformative project, the first step in building this major infrastructure investment that would connect communities in Brooklyn and Queens to as many as 17 subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road.   

"It's time to invest in the bold, cutting-edge infrastructure projects that will make a real difference in the lives of everyday New Yorkers," Governor Hochul said. "New Yorkers deserve reliable public transit that connects them from work to home and everywhere in between. The Interborough Express would be a transformational addition to Brooklyn and Queens, cutting down on travel time and helping neighborhoods and communities become cleaner, greener and more equitable."  

"This project would smartly repurpose existing infrastructure to add mass transit and create access to jobs, education, and opportunity for so many residents of Queens and Brooklyn," said MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. "I applaud Governor Hochul's leadership, and we are enthusiastic to work with her, and Federal and State partners to advance the Interborough concept."  

Governor Hochul will direct the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to begin the environmental review process for the Interborough Express. This historic project would use the existing right of way of the Bay Ridge Branch, which is a freight rail line that runs through Brooklyn and Queens, connecting the ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods of: Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights with several new stations in communities not currently served by rail transit.   

If adopted, this new service would improve transit and job access to underserved communities along this corridor that is currently home to about 900,000 residents and 260,000 jobs, and with growth expected by at least 41,000 people and 15,000 jobs in the next 25 years. For many residents along this corridor, crossing from neighborhood to neighborhood is slow and tedious because existing subway lines are oriented towards Manhattan, even as many new work opportunities, schools, and services are located in the outer boroughs. The project would provide critical mobility, creating better links for travel to and from Manhattan as well as key connections among neighborhoods, across boroughs, and opening up new opportunities for reverse commuting into Nassau and Suffolk Counties.      

Each day, more than 100,000 commuters make daily trips within or across Brooklyn and Queens, often relying on buses that get caught in traffic along a tangled and crowded street network. Results from this historic and necessary step could lead to a new service that would provide end-to-end travel time of less than 40 minutes, although most trips would be along shorter segments of the line. This would provide significant time savings for interborough Brooklyn and Queens trips compared with existing transit options.  

In addition to transit service, the existing Bay Ridge Branch corridor can service cross harbor rail freight and would dramatically reduce truck congestion regionally and expand goods movement facilities, thereby fortifying supply chains still struggling to recover from the pandemic. Transportation planners believe that cross harbor rail freight and passenger service on the Interborough Express can work together in concert, which could be a game-changer for the region. To that end Governor Hochul is also directing the Port Authority to complete environmental review for the Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel.

The R32s will continue running:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nycrail/comments/rn0vzj/official_statement_from_new_york_transit_museum/

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Official Statement from New York Transit Museum Director on the R-32 Retirement Runs

After more than twenty months without a vintage train ride, the New York Transit Museum working closely with the MTA was proud and delighted to help bring forward an opportunity to return to the rails and to pay tribute to an iconic moment with the retirement of the R-32s.

While the vast majority of riders and railfans enjoyed themselves this past Sunday, December 19th, unfortunately, the day was marred by acts of vandalism, aggression, foul language and generally unruly behavior. 

Because we know people are traveling from places near and far to take part in these retirement runs - and further because we firmly believe that the acts, however egregious, of a few should not negatively impact the majority of riders, we are going forward with the scheduled runs for Sunday, December 26th, 2021. 

Please note the following:

• If at any time, for any reason the train crew deems it necessary to take the train out of service, they will do so immediately and all future retirement runs of the R32s will be canceled.
• If you destroy something on a vintage train, you are not- in fact- a railfan- you are a vandal and a criminal and will be treated as such.  Accordingly, all acts of vandalism, harassment of train crew members and other inappropriate behavior, will be referred to the authorities for response, up to and including arrest and prosecution.

To honor the legacy of the men and women who made it their life's work to preserve NYC transit history, and our colleagues who continue to keep this city moving, the New York Transit Museum has worked hard to be able to provide these experiences for nothing more than the swipe of a fare card.  And, if we can no longer ensure a safe and fun day for everyone, we will move to a system where all future vintage excursions are restricted and ticketed events. 

We ask the many true railfans and subway enthusiasts in this community to join us in condemning this behavior and invite you to ride the rails on Sunday, and everyday, safely and respectfully.

Thank you,

Concetta Anne Bencivenga
Director
New York Transit Museum

 

According to the VIN, this has a Freightliner MB55 chassis. Could it be something along the line of Hyundai or Isuzu?

IMG_8906 by GojiMet86, on Flickr

The first R32 retirement run was a complete shitshow.

Among the things:

- A map holder and its R32 Retirement poster was stolen.

- Rollsigns were changed (obviously without permission).

- A window was cracked.

- Some guy forced himself into the train and vaped.

- People constantly changing cars through the storm doors (the doors in between cars).

- A light fixture was broken.

- A bench was broken.

Because of all this, the 3 PM trip, and all trips after, were cancelled. The MTA crew are now feeling unsafe.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1472665669040758796

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The R32 Farewell Train is being removed from service for cleaning at 145 St. The following R32 Farewell Train trips will not run: 
Departing 145 St: 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM 
Departing 2 Av: 4:00 PM

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Hello, unfortunately, yes, that is the case. The train is not fit for service. We hope you aren't too inconvenienced by the cancelation. Please know we are very frustrated this had to happen, but it was necessary. ^ML

From other sources on Facebook:

There's a couple of videos on Twitter and FB of security contracted by the MTA pulling people off the train.

The biggest shitshow I've seen by a long mile.

The Caltrain EMU:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=956765631409606&id=210353072717536

Former Amtrak AEM-7 938 in its new Caltrain livery:

https://www.facebook.com/caltrain/posts/4910342348975878

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1470925707438030848

This one is interesting, I wasn't expecting to see MTA Bus get Novas. It does break up the monopoly NFI has with the former Privates.

The R32 is coming back into service for retirement runs!

https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/r32/

END OF THE YEAR, END OF AN ERA
R-32 FAREWELL TRIP
R-32 subway cars are making their final trip, ending 58 years of service in New York City. Please join us to say farewell to this historic fleet. 

ROUTE & SCHEDULE
R-32 Retirement Runs 
Sundays, 10am to 5pm
December 19th and 26th, 2021 and January 2nd, 2022

Final Farewell Run
Sunday, January 9th, 2022, 10am – 6:30pm 

Approximate Schedule for Sundays, December 19th, December 26th and January 2nd:

Departs 2nd Avenue Station on the F line at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm, making all express stops to 145th Street Station on the D line.
Departs 145th Street Station on the D line at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm, making all express stops to the 2nd Avenue Station on the F line.
Approximate Schedule for Final Farewell Runs on Sunday, January 9th:

Departs Brighton Beach Station on the Q line at 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:30pm, making express stops on the Brighton and Broadway Lines to 96th Street Station, via the Manhattan Bridge.
Departs 96th Street Station on the Q line at 11am, 1:30, 4pm, 6:30pm, making express stops on the Brighton and Broadway Lines to Brighton Beach Station, via the Manhattan Bridge. 
Route and schedule subject to change at the discretion of the train crew.

It appears some Bombardier HHP-8 will be going back into service as non-functional control units for the Ethan Allen Express. Amtrak has already removed the pantographs from 691 (ex-661).

2 hours ago, Big CJ said:

Academy has a bunch of transit buses running in Orlando, specifically around areas such as Walt Disney World, US 192, and various areas around those places. They appear to be brand new, as they are Nova LFS and Gillig Advantage. 2062 is one known number for the Gilligs and 2162 is another for the Novas. Anyone knows how many they have running down here? Also, I've added a retired coach section, so that we don't have retired coaches in the same roster as the active coaches. I'll also add to the retired transit buses that I have information on, granted very little, like those Grummans Academy got with two digit numbers and former Septa Flxible New Looks. 

Unfortunately, I'm just as clueless as you are. Every year, Academy provides carrier information to the WMATC, so you can see all the buses they currently run. However, it hasn't been updated since last year (presumably due to COVID). Usually we just wait for that list to come up.

Here's the list of vehicles. Academy files under WMATC numbers 456 and 2520.

$6.9 Billion of Second Avenue subway Phase II.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-second-ave-subway-tunnel-gov-hochul-20211124-xdwpezc4mjg5hjy23jxjzl5ezi-story.html

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Gov. Hochul sees light at end of NYC’s long-abandoned Second Ave. subway tunnel during tour with MTA chief
By Clayton Guse
November 23, 2021 7:42 PM

 

New York is about to build the world’s most expensive subway line — a project that’s been in the works for a century. Gov. Hochul on Tuesday toured a long-abandoned tunnel beneath Second Ave. in East Harlem that Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials plan to repurpose for the second phase of the Second Ave. subway.

The tunnel will help extend the Q line from its current northern terminus at Second Ave. and E. 96th St. to E. 125th St. and Lexington Ave. with two new stations in between.

The old tunnel runs between E. 110th St. and E. 120th St., and was dug in the early 1970s. Work stopped in 1974 amid the city’s financial crisis.

Extending the Second Ave. Subway 1.6 miles to Harlem will cost an estimated $6.3 billion, say MTA officials.

That’s $3.9 billion per mile, far and away the highest cost of any subway extension project in the history of the world, according to a study by researchers at New York University’s Marron Institute.

The price does not include the cost to use debt to finance the project, which brings the total bill to $6.9 billion.

The MTA has for more than two years awaited movement by the Federal Transit Administration to approve $3.4 billion to get the project going. Hochul on Tuesday said the money would come soon thanks to the infrastructure bill signed by President Biden earlier this month.

“We think we can get started one year from now,” Hochul said. Acting MTA chairman Janno Lieber said the sky-high price tag was a “bargain.”

“It will serve, when it opens, as many people as the entire Philadelphia subway system,” said Lieber.

“Everybody likes to talk about cost, but you’ve got to look at how many people it serves,” he said. “By the standards of riders, this is an incredibly efficient project, especially compared to everything else that comes before the federal government for funding.”

MTA filings to the feds estimate the construction of the extension will take seven years to finish. If that holds true, trains won’t run beneath Second Ave. in East Harlem until at least the end of 2029.

“I’m doing it in my terms in office, so it’s going to be a lot less than that,” Hochul said. She hopes the project will be speeded up by the controversial “design-build” contracting method the MTA has since 2019 been required by state law to employ.

Under design-build, the MTA consolidates design and construction work into a single contract rather than multiple separate contracts. Its impact on speeding up projects is not yet clear.

Hochul is the ninth governor to hold office since the East Harlem tunnel project broke ground during Nelson Rockefeller’s administration.

Plans to build the Second Ave. subway date back to the 1920s, when private companies ran the city’s subway lines. But it never came to fruition.

The abandoned tunnel Hochul toured is dusty, rusty and tattered — and it’s not the only one. The MTA in 1974 also stopped work on another Second Ave. tunnel between 99th and 105th Sts. that Lieber said will also be repurposed.

Another tunnel built by the city under Canal St. in Chinatown for the Second Ave. subway was also abandoned — but changes to the line’s plan mean it’s no longer needed.

The Second Ave. subway’s construction was approved in 1967 when New York voters OK’d $2.5 billion of bonds to pay for transportation improvements.

At the time, city and state officials planned for the line to run along Manhattan’s East Side up into the Bronx. If MTA officials ever make good plans for the line’s final two phases, the line would one day stretch from 125th St. to Hanover Square in the Financial District.

The money approved in 1967 was also supposed to pay for a set of double-decker East River tunnels, one of which now carries the F line between Manhattan and Queens. The other tunnel is being used for the MTA’s East Side Access project to bring Long Island Rail Road trains into a new station beneath Grand Central Terminal, which is expected to open to the public in Dec. 2022.

 

A base order of 6 NFI battery-electric XE40 for NICE, with options for up to 30 more.

https://www.newflyer.com/2021/11/new-yorks-nice-orders-up-to-36-zero-emission-xcelsior-charge-ng-transit-buses-from-nfis-new-flyer/

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New York’s NICE orders up to 36 zero-emission Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ transit buses from NFI’s New Flyer
NICE becomes New York State’s seventh agency to purchase New Flyer zero-emission buses

St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA – November 17, 2021: (TSX: NFI, OTC: NFYEF) NFI Group Inc. (“NFI” or the “Company”), a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, today announced that its subsidiary New Flyer of America Inc. has received new contract from the Nassau Inter County Express (“NICE”) for six battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™40-foot transit buses. The five-year contract includes options for up to 30 battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ 40-foot transit buses.

With the order, NICE becomes the seventh agency in New York State to purchase zero-emission buses from New Flyer. NICE is the local bus system serving Nassau County, parts of western Suffolk County, and eastern portions Queens, New York, providing over 20 million passenger trips per year.

“NFI is steadily increasing its EV presence on the east coast, and this is directly due to aggressive zero-emission leadership and action by transit agencies across New York State,” said Paul Soubry, President and Chief Executive Officer, NFI. “NICE is an established leader in sustainable mobility and continues to build momentum. Since 2015, NFI has delivered 115 low-emission compressed natural gas buses to NICE. Together, through the transition from low to zero-emission mobility, we’re building cleaner, quieter, more livable communities across Long Island – with the added benefit of each EV delivering up to $125,000 in maintenance savings and up to $400,000 in fuel savings over its 12-year vehicle lifespan. This is smart mobility in motion.”

New Flyer’s Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ battery-electric buses provide up to 525kWh of power and 250 miles of range on a single charge. Introduced in 2021, the Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ bus incorporates three distinct technology advancements, including high-energy batteries that extend range up to 13%, advanced protective battery packaging for easy install and simpler serviceability, and a new lightweight electric traction drive system with up to 90% energy recovery. For more information, visit newflyer.com/ng

“Nassau Inter-County Express has selected New Flyer as our new battery-electric bus vendor,” said Jack Khzouz, Chief Executive Officer, NICE. “We plan on deploying these energy-efficient vehicles for the launch of our new bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which will provide Nassau County with zero emissions travel between new lifestyle and employment centers. They will help NICE improve accessibility and connectivity within Nassau County.”

 

I always saw this company in the wiki as a coach company, but I wasn't aware it's also a railroad.

So this is a completely different service from GO Transit or VIA Rail?

Looks like the CRLVs are back in service.........for Disney 

3048, 3049, and 3050 are being converted to battery-electric:

This one is operated by a New Jersey jitney company called Express service. It's a Ford E450 chassis.

EDIT: It appears to be an Ameritrans 285. Can anyone confirm?

IMG_4961 by GojiMet86, on Flickr

11 hours ago, DCTransitFilms said:

It could be a demo somewhere or at Altoona. I still don't got a VIN or any license plate for it yet. 

I tried to give it a go and see if there was anything. I took a look at the license plates for 4500-4599 to take a look at patterns.

4587        2021    5FYD8FV16MC075546    B 52310
4586        2021    5FYD8FV14MC075545    B 52311
4585        2021    5FYD8FV12MC075544    B 52312
4584        2021    5FYD8FV10MC075543    B 52313
4583        2021    5FYD8FV19MC075542    B 52314
4582        2021    5FYD8FV17MC075541    B 52315
4581        2021    5FYD8FV15MC075540    B 52316
4580        2021    5FYD8FV19MC075539    B 52317
4579        2021    5FYD8FV17MC075538    B 52318
4578        2021    5FYD8FV15MC075537    B 52319
4577        2021    5FYD8FV13MC075536    B 52320
4576        2021    5FYD8FV11MC075535    B 52321
4575        2021    5FYD8FV1XMC075534    B 52322
4588        2021    5FYD8FV18MC075547    B 52323
4589        2021    5FYD8FV1XMC075548    B 52326
4590        2021    5FYD8FV11MC075549    B 52327
4591        2021    5FYD8FV18MC075550    B 52328
4593        2021    5FYD8FV11MC075552    B 52329
4597        2021    5FYD8FV19MC075556    B 52330
4595        2021    5FYD8FV15MC075554    B 52331
4592        2021    5FYD8FV1XMC075551    B 52333
4596        2021    5FYD8FV17MC075555    B 52334
4598        2021    5FYD8FV10MC075557    B 52335
4504        2021    5FYD8FV1XMC075047    B 52352
4505        2021    5FYD8FV11MC075048    B 52353
4507        2021    5FYD8FV1XMC075050    B 52354
4508        2021    5FYD8FV11MC075051    B 52355
4510        2021    5FYD8FV15MC075053    B 52362
 

The 4590s have license plates are around the same range: B52327 through B52335. B52332 is missing.

Typing in B52332 gives me 5FYD8FV13MC075553. That's likely 4594, since MC075552 is 4593 and MC075554 is 4595. Most off the plates B52335, and B52324-B52325, are older buses with new plates. B52356-B52360 are 5537-5541.

B52361 just spits out a Ford van.

If 4599 was built directly after 4598, then it would most likely be 5FYD8FV12MC075558.

I receive no "historical records" on autocheck for MC075558, while if I plug in 5FYD8FV10MC075557 or other 4590s I get multiple records.

https://www.amny.com/transit/gov-kathy-hochul-takes-first-lirr-to-grand-central-a-year-ahead-of-east-side-access-completion/

LIEAST211101 by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr

Governor Hochul and MTA Leadership Take LIRR Ride Direct to Grand Central by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr

Governor Hochul and MTA Leadership Take LIRR Ride Direct to Grand Central by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr

Governor Hochul and MTA Leadership Take LIRR Ride Direct to Grand Central by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, on Flickr

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Test run: Hochul takes first LIRR ride to Grand Central a year ahead of East Side Access completion
By Kevin Duggan

Posted on October 31, 2021

The concept of a Long Island Rail Road trip to Grand Central Station is no longer a trick, but rather a “real treat” that New York commuters will finally begin to enjoy next year, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. 

On Halloween Sunday, Oct. 31, Hochul rode the first passenger Long Island Rail Road train into a new station deep below Grand Central Terminal — marking a milestone in the long-delayed East Side Access Project set to open to the public next year.

Hochul took a test train with transit and union leaders from Jamaica, Queens, to the new tracks about nine stories below Madison Avenue and 46th Street around 8 a.m. Sunday, and the trip took about 27 minutes. 

“This is how I celebrate Halloween, I come out and say this is a real treat for the New York City region and Long Island,” Hochul told reporters during a press conference after alighting. “This is the greatest region on the earth, and it deserves to have the best transportation networks as well.”

The $12 billion transit infrastructure expansion is scheduled to wrap by December 2022, offering a new 350,000 square-foot concourse — a little more than seven football fields big — and four new platforms with eight tracks underneath Grand Central for the LIRR.

The iconic Beaux-Arts train hub has been limited to Metro-North Railroad trains and subways, and LIRR commuters have to detrain at Penn Station or other stations in Brooklyn and Queens.

The new terminal is 140 feet below Park Avenue and straphangers will have to descend 182-foot long high-rise escalators between the concourse and the mezzanine.

Trains come in from the Harold Interlocking — North America’s busiest passenger railroad intersection in Queens — through an East River tunnel at 63rd Street, construction of which started more than 50 years ago — all the way back in 1969 under then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller.

The project stalled for decades but was revived in the 1990s and construction started on both sides of the East River in 2006.

“People have been talking about East Side Access for generations,” said MTA acting Chairperson and CEO Janno Lieber. “Now it is close to becoming a reality.”

Lieber took over the project when he became the agency’s head of construction and development in 2017. 

Earlier this month, the MTA’s 21-member board green-lit the creation of a new subsidiary with fewer than 10 staff to oversee the revenue from 25,000 square-foot of private retail in the space, while unionized LIRR workers will still conduct train operations, according to the board’s monthly meeting documents. 

Before Sunday’s ceremonial debut, MTA workers rode the very first test trains through the tubes last week, according to an agency spokesman.

East Side Access promises to increase LIRR capacity going into Midtown Manhattan by 45% and shave off about 40 minutes off commutes roundtrip.

Pre-pandemic, the MTA estimated the new facility would serve some 162,000 riders, but many office buildings in Manhattan’s business district remain largely empty due to more remote working options and a resurgence of COVID fueled by the Delta variant earlier this year.

Coronavirus infections are down to 1.38% across the city, according to the latest data, Hochul predicted that commuters will return in greater numbers by late 2022 thanks to the additional transit option and increasing vaccination rates in the Big Apple, which stand at 67% as of Oct. 31.

“By the time this is done and people see that they can have a much better commuting experience than they had pre-pandemic, that’ll also be an enticement to say ‘I’m going back to my job in Midtown,'” said Hochul. “In a matter of one year, I really believe that there’ll be a dramatic sea change in people’s attitude about where they want to do their work and it will be back in the city.”

 

The MTA will be taking over the SIM23 and SIM24 next pick:

https://www.nyctransitforums.com/topic/29211-mta-bus-operations-fleet-depots/?do=findComment&comment=1109250

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SevenEleven

Posted 5 minutes ago
 

The SIM23 and 24 will be operated out of Charleston Depot next pick, subject to approval by the MTA Board. 

Some 3000s are being transferred to Charleston at the moment to make service and will be replaced when the option order of the Prevosts are delivered. 

 

Truly super duper important news from The Onion:

https://www.theonion.com/greyhound-to-send-chimps-on-pioneering-bus-trip-from-bu-1819579895

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Greyhound To Send Chimps On Pioneering Bus Trip From Buffalo To Atlantic City

5/03/17 3:22PM

Interstate Voyage Seen As Step Toward One Day Placing Humans On Route

DALLAS—In order to assess the viability of the route for potential travel by human beings, Greyhound officials announced at a press conference Wednesday a mission that will send a pair of chimpanzees on a pioneering 457-mile overland bus trip from Buffalo, NY to Atlantic City, NJ.

Greyhound researchers said that the adult chimps—named Kip and Dottie—would depart at 6 a.m. from the Metro Transportation Center in downtown Buffalo and, with luck, arrive seven hours and 20 minutes later at the Atlantic City bus terminal, an unprecedented journey that will reportedly push the animals to their physical and mental limits.

“For years, we’ve dreamed of putting this extraordinary voyage within the reach of humans, and soon we will be one step closer to making that dream a reality,” said Greyhound spokesperson Andrea Gipson, explaining that data gathered from the mission will be invaluable in terms of developing the techniques and technologies an eventual human crew will require. “We’re still years away from mankind being able to endure a trip of this nature, but, if successful, what we learn from this undertaking will be crucial in opening up a bold new era of travel.”

“It’s remarkable to contemplate,” added Gipson. “Even sending animals on a trip like this was once unthinkable.”

Gipson went on to say that during their mission, Kip and Dottie would face challenges including extreme discomfort and lengthy periods of boredom occasionally interrupted by moments of acute aggravation, not to mention frequent car sickness brought on by the harrowing interstate trek. Throughout their trip, their mobility will reportedly be extremely hampered by seats that recline just an eighth of an inch and that will force the chimps to get what little sleep they can in a nearly vertical position.

“We will monitor Kip and Dottie’s vital signs closely to see how the harsh conditions of the journey through the bleakest reaches of Western New York and upstate Pennsylvania affect their well-being,” Gipson said. “As our nearest biological relatives, chimps are the ideal test subjects to gauge how our own species might react when exposed to exceptionally stressful conditions such as the constant smell of warm egg salad or a flat tire occurring just 20 minutes into the trip.”

Greyhound’s ground team in Dallas will reportedly observe the effects the journey will have on the chimpanzees by equipping them with a handful of scratch-off lottery tickets in order to monitor the possible degradation of the animals’ visual acuity and hand-eye coordination. Sources told reporters that the chimps will also be provided with one large bag of circus peanuts apiece to analyze changes in critical thinking as measured by how effectively they ration the treats until the bus reaches the refueling station at the halfway point—a Roy Rogers in New York’s Southern Tier region.

According to researchers, the chimps will be outfitted in a standard uniform of sweatpants and flip-flops, with the addition of special sensors to record the the body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure of the animals as they are exposed to temperature extremes from sitting for hours in constant sunlight streaming through unshaded windows and being blasted by frigid air from broken air-conditioning vents directly overhead.

“Kip and Dottie have undergone months of exhaustive training so that their reflexes are in peak condition to contend with floors that are simultaneously sticky and slick with spilled 7-Up,” Gipson said, referring to one of the unique phenomena that occur on such journeys and nowhere else known to science. “But as much as we can do to prepare them for this trip, there are still many, many unknowns. Will they be able to mentally withstand a flickering overhead TV screen, the volume of which will for no reason get higher and lower at random intervals? And while we’ve prepared for at least one extended highway breakdown, what about significant delays? How will the animals cope with a toilet that backs up 20 miles into the trip?”

Continued Gipson, “The reality of the situation is, once the bus hits the I-476 ramp, the chimps are very much on their own.”

Greyhound’s methodology has come under scrutiny in the past, most notably after 1999’s New York-to-D.C. disaster, in which a dog named Chief was killed when his 55-seat vehicle skidded into a wall of the Lincoln Tunnel just 17 minutes after departure.

Nevertheless, officials remained optimistic that this latest research mission would yield results that would bring humanity ever closer to Western New York/coastal New Jersey bus travel.

“We envision a future in which any person can purchase a low-cost bus ticket and be gambling their life’s savings away within just a half-day’s travel,” Gipson said. “And believe it or not, we’re even confident that one day, a dental receptionist from Cheektowaga will be able to attend a rowdy, drunken bachelorette party and already be on her way home within 24 hours, filled with intense shame and regret, and periodically vomiting into a plastic bag she acquired at a souvenir shop on the Atlantic City boardwalk—and Kip and Dottie will have no small part in that momentous achievement.”

“Unfortunately for them, there’s only enough fuel in the tank for a one-way trip,” Gipson added.

 

What's up with the funny numbering scheme? At first glance some orders start off odd-numbered but then turn fully sequential. The 2008 NABIs start of sequential then become even-numbered.

NJT will be going with New Flyer for its electric bus purchase:

2110-69BUS STOCK PROGRAM: PURCHASE OF EIGHT (8) ZERO-EMISSION BUSES – Authorization to enter into NJ TRANSIT Contract No. 20-058 with New Flyer of America for the purchase of eight Zero-Emission 40 foot Buses to be operated at the Newton Avenue Bus garage, including spare parts, at a cost not to exceed $9,429,947, plus five percent for contingencies, subject to the availability of funds.

Saw this on the forums.

Nassau NICE bus 2041 is visiting the MTA's Zerega facility. I wonder if the MTA is taking a look at Gillig......

45 minutes ago, Chris.A said:

They could have also renumbered the last 2016 model to #2004 and have the new bus get that number. Have the sequence flow smoothly.

There is still a sequential flow.