Valley Metro (Phoenix)

[Azbusguy]

Are there plans to phase out LNG powered buses? Every new bus I've seen has either been CNG (including the new Articulated Rapids), or Diesel (the new regular service Artics). Being a fueler, I'm really hoping for the day when the last LNG powered bus is gone.

[ABQ RIDE]

1 hour ago, 3we said:

I agree - I think the Tempe Compobus replacements are already in the pipeline, and that would be only 8 replacements. Seems tough that the 60-BRTs are only going to make it to 12 years.

Note that the RPTA was also planning on getting 52 additional Gilligs in FY 2018 as well (presumably to replace the 2006 New Flyer C40LFRs), and remember that Gillig generally doesn't publicly announce orders unlike New Flyer.

Now one thing to wonder is once these Gilligs arrive, I wonder if the RPTA will send the 2008 C40LFRs back to the Mesa yard.  Considering that the RPTA's current Gillig fleet is based at the Tempe yard and is a rather small fleet, it might make sense to keep all the Gilligs at Tempe to keep maintenance costs down.

1 hour ago, Azbusguy said:

Are there plans to phase out LNG powered buses? Every new bus I've seen has either been CNG (including the new Articulated Rapids), or Diesel (the new regular service Artics). Being a fueler, I'm really hoping for the day when the last LNG powered bus is gone.

LNG is going the way of the dodo bird.  Tempe's 2010 L40LFRs will probably be the last LNG buses produced for any U.S. transit agency.  I presume Tempe purchased these as an experiment whether future bus purchases should be CNG or LNG, since it already operated some of the RPTA's 2008 New Flyer C40LFRs at the time these were ordered.  All of Tempe's 40-foot bus purchases ever since have been for CNG buses.

Note that the CNG at the Tempe yard as well as all of the Phoenix yards is actually produced from LNG.  This is the reason why the 2006 New Flyer C40LFRs cannot be fueled at Tempe, since their John Deere engines require CNG from a utility (which only the Mesa yard has), which contain some impurities.

[3we]

29 minutes ago, ABQ RIDE said:

Note that the RPTA was also planning on getting 52 additional Gilligs in FY 2018 as well (presumably to replace the 2006 New Flyer C40LFRs), and remember that Gillig generally doesn't publicly announce orders unlike New Flyer.

I presume Tempe purchased these as an experiment whether future bus purchases should be CNG or LNG, since it already operated some of the RPTA's 2008 New Flyer C40LFRs at the time these were ordered.  All of Tempe's 40-foot bus purchases ever since have been for CNG buses.

Gillig is a private company, so no need to publicize its orderbook or backlog. I haven't seen the 2018 budget yet, so we'll see how that goes.

 

I don't think the city of Tempe would conduct a $3,000,000 fuel experiment; I'm pretty sure its transit people were still sold on LNG.  Remember, it would be Veolia (Tempe Garage) that operated the RPTA C40LFRs, not the City of Tempe.

 

[ABQ RIDE]

Note that Phoenix prior to ordering the 2014 New Flyer C40LFRs did put out an RFP for diesel and LNG buses.  Only New Flyer submitted a bid and the bid was too high and was thus rejected, thus the city hired a fuel consultant, leading to the switch to CNG.

[3we]

At this week's auction, I see 6039, 6041, 6137, 6368, 8003, 8008.

[The XDE60]

1 minute ago, 3we said:

At this week's auction, I see 6039, 6041, 6137, 6368, 8003, 8008.

I knew these XD60's would replace the 2004 D60LF buses.

[Azbusguy]

We had an all hands meeting last week, and they said that starting next month, the 6200's are going to be replaced 10 at a time. They didn't say how often, or from which facility though.

[Ztonyg]

18 hours ago, The XDE60 said:

I knew these XD60's would replace the 2004 D60LF buses.

That's too bad.

13 years is a bit young for Phoenix. Seeing as buses from 1999 are still in service.

[3we]

Actually, 8001-20 are 2003 models.  8008 has about 445,000 miles; neither of the D60LFs are "runners". 6368 is riddled with bullet holes on the left side glass.

[Azbusguy]

I was told by my supervisor that the mechanics are having difficulties with the exhaust systems on those. They spend more time in the shop than they do on the road. 

--------------------------

In the past couple weeks: 6244 broke down on the road, so rather than fix it, it was retired. 6239 was rear-ended and suffered extensive damage to the body and radiator and was written off. And last night 6291 was retired. 

[3we]

On 2/23/2017 at 3:42 PM, 3we said:

At this week's auction, I see 6039, 6041, 6137, 6368, 8003, 8008.

 

$700 each for the new Flyers, $500 each for 3 of the NABIs, nobody wanted 6039 (which you could actually drive away).

Two StarTrans Senators got $4000 each......

 

[northwesterner]

On 2/24/2017 at 8:53 AM, Ztonyg said:

That's too bad.

13 years is a bit young for Phoenix. Seeing as buses from 1999 are still in service.

Series 50s are a troublesome engine...

[M. Parsons]

A cutaway bus is probably a lot more useful for a lot more groups than a full size heavy duty transit bus.

[The XDE60]

Here are examples of my future Valley Metro Rail Signs.

I picked stations from Valley Metro's website and my Future Wikia on Valley Metro.

*Btw, there are 9 signs, 8 for individual lines and 1 for multiple lines.

[Azbusguy]

Just found out that 6295 is being retired at end of service today, and 6233 is being retired on Tuesday.

[ABQ RIDE]

Phoenix has just started receiving its 2017 Gilligs FYI.  They are CNG like the 2016s, with no external differences.

[The XDE60]

Just saw (and rode on) bus 5213 on the 44N today.

[PhxCNG]

Hey everyone Im new here, ive been watching the buses mostly from The North yard since 2015, Today I see 6224 is on 106, 6225 on 12, 6229 on 80, 6231 on 7, 6233 -106, 6237-106, 6238-122, 6241-122, 6284-19, 6286-186, 6290-170, 6292 on 170,

I hear 6243 is the worst bus in the city

[Azbusguy]

4 minutes ago, PhxCNG said:

Hey everyone Im new here, ive been watching the buses mostly from The North yard since 2015, Today I see 6224 is on 106, 6225 on 12, 6229 on 80, 6231 on 7, 6233 -106, 6237-106, 6238-122, 6241-122, 6284-19, 6286-186, 6290-170, 6292 on 170,

I hear 6243 is the worst bus in the city

I work as a fueler out of the North Yard. And yeah, 6243 is just about the worst bus. Every night that it gets used. we end up having to push it off the fuel island because it won't start. And I've had to vent the fuel tanks just to put fuel in it every night for a week now.

[PhxCNG]

25 minutes ago, Azbusguy said:

I work as a fueler out of the North Yard. And yeah, 6243 is just about the worst bus. Every night that it gets used. we end up having to push it off the fuel island because it won't start. And I've had to vent the fuel tanks just to put fuel in it every night for a week now.

Do you know how they assign buses on a route or is it random?

[Azbusguy]

It's kind of a mixture. Different types of buses have ranges. LNG buses can go about 240 miles, CNG about 300, and Diesels 500. Buses are assigned based on how long the route is, and how many hours they'll be on the road. For instance, 6284 on 19 is most likely only going from Jefferson Street to Union Hills for 6 or 8 hours. Generally, the 6200's run the short parts of a route.

[3we]

At today's auction, we bid farewell to 8002, 8006, 8009, 8010, and 8017.  8009 went for $500, the others fetched between $2000 and $2300 each.

[Azbusguy]

Anybody know when the 6200's are going up for auction? North facility is getting crowded with all the retired 6200's and 5000's to replace them.

[The XDE60]

Just saw (and rode on) 8087 and 8101 today.

Does anybody have a word on the 2004 D60LF buses?

[wt_enthusiast_photos]

On 2017-03-25 at 7:53 PM, 3we said:

At today's auction, we bid farewell to 8002, 8006, 8009, 8010, and 8017.  8009 went for $500, the others fetched between $2000 and $2300 each.

Do you have a link to the auctions for these buses?