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Valley Metro (Phoenix)


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  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/4/2021 at 9:30 AM, 3we said:

It's showing 6720 on Avondale ZOOM. If true, who would be operating that?

I think Nova looked at a Phoenix bid once, but passed on submitting a bid.

 

I think it was operated by ValuTrans / Total Transit.

I happened to be at an event at the Washington Elementary School District transportation center (and unwittingly realized it was next to where ValuTrans has its buses now). I saw 2-3 D40LFRs still at the garage as well as several 68XX XD40s.

What's odd is the new location of ValuTrans / Total Transit.

The buses are now located at 12815 N 39th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85029 (major cross streets are 35th Ave. and Cactus). It's only 8 minutes (3.6 miles) away from the Phoenix - North bus garage (it seems with the routes it operates it should be closer to the Phoenix - West garage).  

 

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22 hours ago, Ztonyg said:

I think it was operated by ValuTrans / Total Transit.

 

 

I think it was a mistake.  6720 has been running East Valley Express routes since. What will be interesting is what Zoom will use once the remainder of the D40LFRs are retired.

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On 11/18/2021 at 4:54 PM, 3we said:

Phoenix City Council approved funding for the Transit Department to acquire a small fleet of low- or zero-emissions buses (hybrid/electric/hydrogen). Public Transit will acquire up to 20 buses over the next five years for testing in the Phoenix environment.

The Council was scheduled to vote on the Gillig award last night, but that was tabled to the next meeting (that's interesting).

So the back story is that one of the council members wanted to know why this bid did not include zero-emission buses. It was explained that Transit wanted to test new technology buses in the Phoenix heat prior to buying a large fleet. 

Apparently the plan is now to go find an available cooperative purchase contract from another agency to provide for near term replacements. It also plans to move ahead with zero-emission bus testing. The department had originally plan to spend $25 million for the pilot program, but now it's going to request $150 million.

The Gillig contract award has been postponed again until at least late January.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does anybody know if Phoenix will be getting 5692-5695 anytime soon?

From what I heard, while all the 2007 D40LF's have been retired, only a couple have not yet been replaced.

And if true, I would presumably guess they'd be 2022 XD40's, likely running from Transdev-North.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Last night, the City Council approved the contract award to Gillig. The city will order 40 buses this year. It also approved the spending of $150 million on a subfleet of "green technology" buses.

I didn't find any evidence of the city applying for federal grant funding for bus options last year. If it did take any more New Flyers, it would have been off the original order. The original contract (for 40-foot buses) was for 27 orders and 63 options.  It took 19 XN40s and 47 XD40s (the last 30 of which were options).

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13 hours ago, The XDE60 said:

When the City of Phoenix announced that they would be ordering green-tech buses from Gillig, how long would it take for battery-electric charging stations to be constructed at each facility?

No...the Gillig contract is for (up to) 265 CNG or diesel buses. The city will order 40 this year.

There will be a separate RFP for the Green Transit buses, and current plans call for charging/servicing to be done at only one garage during the pilot phase.

 

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12 hours ago, 3we said:

No...the Gillig contract is for (up to) 265 CNG or diesel buses. The city will order 40 this year.

There will be a separate RFP for the Green Transit buses, and current plans call for charging/servicing to be done at only one garage during the pilot phase.

 

Are these 40 expansion buses or am I to take it that 40 C40LFRs will be replaced 1:1 by these buses?

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11 hours ago, Ztonyg said:

Are these 40 expansion buses or am I to take it that 40 C40LFRs will be replaced 1:1 by these buses?

These are "replacement" buses.  But in juggling FTA funding, I wouldn't assume that these would 1-for-1 replace any group of buses in particular. They could replace D40LFs that have already been removed from service.

 

Quote

TransSee lists 3009 in service, does know how high the order goes to and what model it is?

Starcraft Allstar 25.  City has a 5-year contract (NTE $25 million) with Creative Bus Sales to provide many cutaways/vans for circulator/disabled/dial-a-ride services.

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On 2/16/2022 at 7:31 AM, The XDE60 said:

Now that TransSee listed bus 1000 on the ZOOM, pending on model details, will those be the ZOOM vehicles when the final 2007 D40LFR's retire?

Also, how many buses fulfill this order?

Part of me thinks "1000" is actually bus 1643 since that bus has never been correctly tracked, but it has indeed been on route.

On 1/27/2022 at 9:30 AM, 3we said:

Last night, the City Council approved the contract award to Gillig. The city will order 40 buses this year. It also approved the spending of $150 million on a subfleet of "green technology" buses.

I didn't find any evidence of the city applying for federal grant funding for bus options last year. If it did take any more New Flyers, it would have been off the original order. The original contract (for 40-foot buses) was for 27 orders and 63 options.  It took 19 XN40s and 47 XD40s (the last 30 of which were options).

Could this mean we may see electric Gilligs on the road in the next few years?

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8 hours ago, Phoenix Bus Channel said:

Could this mean we may see electric Gilligs on the road in the next few years?

Could be Glllig, could be New Flyer, could be Proterra, or BYD.  It originally planned to test several different models. Now the City plans to throw more money at the project, so it remains to be seen how this will pan out. 

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