Kansas City Area Transportation Authority

[neoartic7101]

Rumor had out that the kcata wanted to check out other buses than gillig. Welp, today, seen a WMATA DE42LFA & a Nova LFS demo in downtown kc today. I will try to get there and get pictures. I was in my car and couldn't get pictures.

[MAX BRT]

!!!

I don't get demo-ing an LFA or any other bus that is no longer available.

[PUB Transit]

!!!

I don't get demo-ing an LFA or any other bus that is no longer available.

Secondhand Purchases?

[Andru]

It may not be for KCATA, it would appear that the APTA Bus & Paratransit Conference is being held in KC May 4-7. It's possible the buses are in town for the conference.

[neoartic7101]

Welp, that answers my question, then. That is why WMATA sent up a DE40LFA. Got to go bus hunting now.

[MAX BRT]

Welp, that answers my question, then. That is why WMATA sent up a DE40LFA. Got to go bus hunting now.

Good luck with the hunting. Its all very interesting.

[neoartic7101]

My friend known as the DON OF ALL BUSES has pics.

By the way, I think I saw a 2014 gillig LF CNG, I'M GOING HUNTING!

its in the refile scheme, not the decal Missouri Gas Energy scheme that S194 &S195 has.

[neoartic7101]

Okay, it was a new CNG. S199. I rode it on the 38 Meadowbrook to Vivion-Antioch Park and Ride. There are eight 40ft CNG buses #4400-4407 and seven new 30ft buses numbered S196-S202.

Foaming.... and 8 more more coming this fall.

http://www.kcata.org/news/kcata_adds_more_compressed_natural_gas_buses_to_fleet

[neoartic7101]

Since I cannot edit, some editing to the KCATA wiki needs to be done....

S196-S202 2014 Gillig LF 29ft CNG Cummins-Westport ISL-G 250hp/ Allison Gen IV B400R5

4400-4407 2014 Gillig LF 40ft CNG Cummins-Westport ISL-G 280hp/Allison Gen iV B400R5

[neoartic7101]

S199 on the 38 Meadowbrook 5/6/14. Very new. 4400 miles on it. Video I made today.

[MAX BRT]

New buses rule

[neoartic7101]

New buses rule

Yes they do. Now you got to make a visit soon and we can fan The Metro and the Jo, as well as check out the construction of the new streetcar, the Main Street Line.

[MAX BRT]

The ATA now has a fleet of 17 compressed natural gas buses and will receive eight more next month. The transit agency hopes to add 15 new buses to its fleet every year.

Last week was "the official start of the compressed natural gas era for transit in Kansas City,”

“Today we fueled our first CNG bus officially from this fast-fill station,” he said. “We are looking forward to converting our entire fleet to compressed natural gas over time.”

PS Hello to neoartic7101!

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article1309024.html#storylink=cpy

[neoartic7101]

The ATA now has a fleet of 17 compressed natural gas buses and will receive eight more next month. The transit agency hopes to add 15 new buses to its fleet every year.

Last week was "the official start of the compressed natural gas era for transit in Kansas City,”

“Today we fueled our first CNG bus officially from this fast-fill station,” he said. “We are looking forward to converting our entire fleet to compressed natural gas over time.”

PS Hello to neoartic7101!

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article1309024.html#storylink=cpy

They are the 29ft versions, S203-S217. The paint scheme is slightly different on these as well, in the rear. Same with S196-S202 and 4400-4407.

I love riding these CNG buses. Very fast takeoff.

Here are some pictures I found of S194 and S195, may b e a re-post.... but also have 4403 and the Johnson County Connex (rte 556) Gillig BRT 29ft. I know, the Jo is not the KCATA, but the KCATA NOW manages operations of the Jo-Johnson County Transit. Plus, the Jo will be receiving CNG buses as well, piggybacking off of the KCATA (Johnson County is still responsible for purchases of buses, and will still be contracted out and operated by First Transit).

[Detroit Diesel 6V92TA]

Here is a picture of an ex AC Transit NABI 40-LFW, now operated by the Johnson County Transit, serving the Johnson County area and the Kansas suburbs of Kansas City, also a pic of a 2011 Gillig LF 30ft with the white destination sign. Does anyone know who that sign is made by?

Do you know how many Ex-AC Transit 1999 NABI 40-LFW's Johnson County Transit got?

[neoartic7101]

Do you know how many Ex-AC Transit 1999 NABI 40-LFW's Johnson County Transit got?

They recieved 3, but they are long gone and retired now, unfortunately. The Jo installed a rear HVAC in those as well.

[Detroit Diesel 6V92TA]

They recieved 3, but they are long gone and retired now, unfortunately. The Jo installed a rear HVAC in those as well.

I forgot to tell you to not worry about this question. Someone found an auction for me and I found 3 other auctions. Turns out 4 of them went and I got the VINs and original AC Transit fleet numbers on the wiki now. Still, thanks for posting your picture as I would have never found out about them.

[neoartic7101]

Well found some 2015 Gillig LFs, highest fleet number I found was 4513 today while at work, so I have to head downtown when I have free time and make a count. So far, 14 40ft CNGs in service. Not sure about any 30 footers, though.

[neoartic7101]

the new vision of transit in Kansas City, RideKC. May have to start a new blog once the process is complete. The Jo, IndeBus and Unified Government of Wyandotte County Transit will be re-branded as well. Local service will be RideKC Bus, MAX will be RideKC MAX and of course RideKC Streetcar, so as more updates come, I will ask the admin if a new blog can be created for the new regional transit system.

[MAX BRT]

Sounds like great news. The regional and unified approach to transit works best. Thanks for the update from the heartland. I loved KC when I got to visit once!

[neoartic7101]

front shot.

courtesy of KC Streetcar. And the Jo has a D4500 as well. The Jo photos courtesy of Johnson County Transit. The MCI is used for route 710, the K Connector connecting Overland Park, KS to the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS. Can't wait to see what the commuter buses will look like.

[Buzz2kb]

Hi! I've finally made a visit to Kansas City last week, and noticed that KCATA is indeed an 100% Gillig LF/BRT property outside a fleet of cutaway used on MetroFlex duties and on lowest ridership routes/day of week. Before posting pictures on my spottings, I'd like to raise a few question on KCATA's bus operations:

1. Has bus S133, the 2007 Gillig LF 29ft. that was hijacked back in 2010 been retired or returned to service?

2. Why does KCATA maintain an unusually big fleet of baby low-floor buses (at either 83 or 84 buses) for a metropolitan transit agency of its size? Is it due to maneuverability issues with many streets in Kansas City or more about labor issues?

3. Why does KCATA assign different sizes of buses during different days of the week in most routes? Is it a ridership or labor issue?

PS: From my observations at the agency's WebWatch real-time bus tracker, here's the variation in bus sizes for routes with at least 6-day a week service:

7-day 40ft. services: 24, 71, 101, 173, Main Street MAX and Troost MAX (The last two undoubtedly due to dedicated fleets).

6-day 40ft. services: 31, 39, 47 and 129

5-day 40ft. services: 25, 28, 54, 108 and 142

6-day 29ft. service: 175

5-day 29ft. service: 105

The routes with fewer than 7 days of 40ft. bus operation uses 29ft. Gillig LF's for the rest of the week (either Saturday only for route 28, Saturday and Sunday or Sunday only). Likewise, route 105 uses a cutaway on Saturday and route 175 does the same on a Sunday.

4. Does KCATA has the biggest 29/30ft. heavy-duty bus fleet in the country?

5. Is it a KCATA tradition to number 29/30ft. buses in a S-prefixed sub-fleet?

6. Why is KCATA operationally polarized between 40ft. and 29/30ft. buses without the need of 35ft. buses?

Now to my pictures!

Bus 2233 is numerically the last of the 2002 Gillig 40ft. LF.

Bus 2300 is numerically the first of the 2003 Gillig 40ft. LF.

Bus 2417 is numerically second-to-last of the 2004 Gillig 40ft. LF. Note the silver front LED sign that had become stand only from 2011 buses onward.

Buses 2601 and 2702 are examples of 2006 and 2007 deliveries of similar buses. Notably, KCATA did not adopt particulate traps until their 2008 delivery of S-series buses and 2010 delivery of the 4000-series 40ft. buses.

Buses 4000 and 4100 are numerically the first buses of the 2010 and 2011 deliveries of diesel 40ft. buses. As the final diesel 40ft. buses, does anyone know if the 4100's are EPA-2010 buses or not? Thanks!

Buses 4402 and 4514 are examples of 2014 and 2015 deliveries of 40ft. CNG Gillig LF. Bus 4514 is probably the last bus of the 2015 delivery.

S127 is numerically the first of KCATA's huge fleet of Gillig LF 29ft, and the S127-S136 batch is the only batch of such buses not equipped with particulate traps.

S159 is numerically the last of the S137-S159 series of 1-door buses. Does anyone know why KCATA specify 1-door configuration for this batch of buses? Thanks!

S181 and S190 are virtually identical EPA-2010 diesel buses equipped with silver LED signs, except that S181 is a 2011 bus while S190 is a 2012 bus. Notably, S181 is numerically the last of the 2011 batch, which is the 2nd biggest batch of the 29ft. buses at 22 buses: S160-S181. (Only the batch of 1-door buses is larger at 23 buses, but the 2011-12 EPA-2010 diesel buses do form the biggest subgroup of 29ft. buses at 34 buses combined).

While I was not able to picture either S194 or S195, the 2013 pilot CNG buses, here attached are 2014 CNG bus S199 and identical 2015 bus S207.

Cutaway 1412 was the only one I've pictured, as most of the cutaway services are 5-day only, and the MetroFlex routes are notoriously hard to spot (they have no fixed time points and are not tracked under WebWatch).

For the MAX buses, bus 3509 belongs to the pioneer batch (and one of the first Gilig BRT's produced), while bus 3531 belongs to the 2010 group of diesel Gillig BRT's. Bus 3520 is the only hybrid bus I was able to picture.

Finally, I have the fortune to picture the red Ride KC MAX branded bus 3503 in action.

All pictures are taken at the 11th St/Grand Blvd/12 St corridor or the 10th & Main Metrocenter (KCATA's speak for transit center) in downtown Kansas City, Missouri except buses S127 and S207 (taken at Kansas City, Kansas) and buses 1412 and 3503 (at the end-of-line of route 175 and Troost MAX at Bannister Rd. & Drury Ave.)

My KCATA gallery is available at here, and Hope that you'll enjoy my spotting.

[neoartic7101]

the S prefix has been used since I first moved to KC in 1995. And the 4100 series buses are the EPA 2010 model. As for why the 2008 LF 29ft had one for, I have no clue, thought it was a bad idea, IMO. About the 30ft fleet, there was a certain article in Metro magazine, t there was a reason why, plus lie torso and better cost efficient to run 30ft buses.

Also, S160-181 are 2011 buffers andS182-S193 are 2012 vehicles. Some of the 2004 vehicles and all other vehicles will be painted in the RodeKC Bus blue scheme, and ALL BRTs will be painted in the RideKC MAX red scheme.

[Chris H]

the S prefix has been used since I first moved to KC in 1995. And the 4100 series buses are the EPA 2010 model. As for why the 2008 LF 29ft had one for, I have no clue, thought it was a bad idea, IMO. About the 30ft fleet, there was a certain article in Metro magazine, t there was a reason why, plus lie torso and better cost efficient to run 30ft buses.

Interesting KCATA finds that running a 30ft bus is cost efficient. St. Louis Metro saw the opposite and retired all of the 21xx-23xx series Gillig Phantom 30fts last year. The Phantoms were replaced with 35ft LFs, which Metro says its running costs are more efficient.

[Buzz2kb]

On 9/13/2015 at 1:05 PM, Buzz2kb said:

7-day 40ft. services: 24, 71, 101, 173, Main Street MAX and Troost MAX (The last two undoubtedly due to dedicated fleets).

6-day 40ft. services: 31, 39, 47 and 129

5-day 40ft. services: 25, 28, 54, 108 and 142

6-day 29ft. service: 175

5-day 29ft. service: 105

The routes with fewer than 7 days of 40ft. bus operation uses 29ft. Gillig LF's for the rest of the week (either Saturday only for route 28, Saturday and Sunday or Sunday only). Likewise, route 105 uses a cutaway on Saturday and route 175 does the same on a Sunday.

Just a small correction first: Route 39 is actually a 5-day 40ft. service. (29ft. Gillig LF's on both Saturdays and Sundays).

Now comes bonus pictures for two cutaway agencies in the Kansas City Metro area:

IndeBus is the current operator of five Independence, Missouri local bus routes (1 of those extending into the Blue Ridge Crossings shopping center at Kansas City) formerly operated by KCATA. Its fleet consists of larger Ford F-Series cutaways numbered in the 100's and smaller Ford E-Series cutaways in the 300's.

Here attached is the entire contingent I've spotted on the Saturday before Labor Day. Buses 102 and 104 are the F-Series buses and buses 301, 303 and 304 are the E-Series. All but 301 on the Yellow route (pictured outside Truman Presidential Library) were pictured at the Independence Metrocenter.

A question here though, what did KCATA use on their Independence routes while they still had them? Thanks!

Meanwhile, Unified Government Transit of Wyandotte County operates 5 Kansas City, Kansas (KCK) local bus routes (1 of which has peak-hour trips extending into downtown Kansas City, Missouri operated by KCATA). Its routes are numbered in the 100's and 110's to fall in line with KCATA's routes in the area (all routes in these two series except routes 108, 109 and 110); and it is a weekdays-only agency with the 6-day (routes 104, 105, 106 and 107) and 7-day (route 101) serving KCK all operated by KCATA. Its fleet is solely consisted of propane-powered Ford E-Series cutaways (Note the promotional wordings on the side of bus 004 attached here and the black diamond at the lower right rear of all buses). Its buses are either plain white (buses 007 and 008 ), white with dark green/black stripes (buses 004 and 020) or in a rather cool Ride KC wrap (bus 005).

Although cutaways may not be of interest of many people here, I still hope you'll enjoy my additional reporting on the Kansas City Metro transit scene.