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An article from the Columbus Dispatch is full of information regarding the Central Ohio Transit Authority: http://www.dispatch....es-on-road.html COTA will add 62,000 hours of service, hire 28 more bus drivers and begin a move to a natural-gas-powered fleet in the coming year. The 2013 budget, approved yesterday by the Central Ohio Transit Authority’s board of trustees, also includes a new website that will be smartphone friendly. The new Cota.com could launch by late summer, said spokesman Marty Stutz. In the future, that website could allow riders to track buses in real time. . . COTA will expand the schedules on existing routes and increase pickup frequency, but it will not add routes, said Doug Moore, COTA’s vice president of planning and development. . . The coming year’s budget includes 30 new buses fueled by natural gas. Over the course of 12 years or so, COTA plans to replace its entire fixed-route fleet of more than 300 diesel buses with natural-gas models, Stutz said. The new buses are more expensive; $470,000 each as opposed to $431,000 for a diesel bus. A federal grant will pay the difference in price next year. ----------------------------------------------------- http://www.cota.com/...s%20Minutes.pdf This document says that in February 2012, the COTA Board of Trustees approved a five-year contract with Gillig, LLC for the purchase of heavy-duty transit coaches, spare parts and training. The resolution also authorized the first year purchase of twelve, thirty-five foot (35’) buses and eighteen, forty- foot (40’) buses. These will be delivered in 2013.

http://www.fleetsand...ets-in-lincoln/ Lincoln’s StarTran has ordered five 35-foot CNG-fueled New Flyer buses – with Hexagon Lincoln fuel cylinders – which are to be delivered in June to enter service this summer. The agency intends to order eight more, as well as 11 paratransit vehicles to be CNG-fueled. When all 24 are in service, nearly a third of StarTran’s 75-vehicle fleet will be CNG-fueled, confirms manager Mike Davis. StarTran plans to introduce a new color scheme and logo when the CNG New Flyers arrive.

I got an email from Translink today (after I complained about how slow the NovaBus hybrids were on the 144) and I got this reply/confirmation that Translink's new order of NFI XN40s will be operating out of Hamilton Transit Centre, so Burnaby/New Westminster bus watchers keep your eyes peeled.

The MTA Maryland has long been a diesel fuel propelled organization like many others. But like Washington Metrobus, Ride-On, New York MTA, and Boston's MBTA they chose alternative sources to be environmentally friendly, save on fuel consumption, and price of cost-per-mile on buses. Like many who alternated diesel with CNG fuel has have success for the past years. I believe the MTA Maryland is choosing not to study that alternative because of the LNG project that fell through with the Flxible Metro D "LNG" model in the mid-1990s. We know now that liquefied gas can easily evaporate and not recommended for anyone who has no experience behind the helm. Since then natural gas has stepped-up to be efficient and properly handled, as well, more technological studies behind it. The MTA Maryland is ready to make the next big step with the Red Line project completion around 2019-21 and to propell Baltimore from the underdog position to the recognized household names. Alternative fuel source definitely stands out from the regulars and can prove efficient to the city.

Hello, as many of you know, the LACMTA has a giant collection of NABI 45C's and about 20 40C LFW's, which are made of composite material. However, NABI wasn't LACMTA's first compobus option, it was Northrop Grumman. I posted this on the Los Angeles MTA thread already, but I think posting this here was a good idea too. Only a small batch was made but Imagine if this was everywhere today... http://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Northrop_Grumman_Advanced_Technology_Transit_Bus On the left, you'll see the difference http://www.chaffeeyiu.com/photo/mta/gateway2.jpg Close up http://www.chaffeeyiu.com/photo/mta/mta-9801.jpg Passenger side http://www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/north/grf_north_14.html Collision Testing http://www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/north/grf_north_15.html Engine: Detroit Diesel series 30