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Santa Barbara MTD


sdlinguist

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MTD has just begun testing a Nova LFS artic for a month on its overcrowded 15X and 24X lines, and they are interested in purchasing three artics in the future. It's not clear whether they already have their sights set on Nova in particular, but if they do, it would be an interesting return to the manufacturer after ordering some of the earliest LFSs in 1998-2000 (and then ordering exclusively from Gillig for the next decade).

Article:

http://www.independe...ve-big-problem/

And here's a link to the MTD wiki page, for convenience:

http://cptdb.ca/wiki...ransit_District

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  • 4 weeks later...

It would be cool to see some artics in SoCal that is not NABI

Agreed, as much as I think Nova Buses are ugly, atleast it's something else besides a NABI 60 BRT. The 60 BRT is played out. In fact, if MTD buys these buses, I'm taking a trip to Santa Barbara just to ride them.

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  • 1 year later...

After testing the Nova Artic it looks like MTD bought 3 of them.

9. ADDENDUM TO PURCHASE ORDER WITH NOVA BUS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THREE (3)

ARTICULATED BUSES - (ACTION MAY BE TAKEN)

Staff recommends that the General Manager be authorized to execute the attached Addendum to Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District’s (MTD) Purchase Orders 9114 & 9115 to include the proposed

“Buy-Back Clause”.

http://www.sbmtd.gov...rd%20Packet.pdf

Then there is this article saying Summer 2013 delivery:

http://www.noozhawk....e_overcrowding/

So San Joaquin isn't the only one running Nova LFS artics. Did SBMTD receive their artics?

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After testing the Nova Artic it looks like MTD bought 3 of them.

http://www.sbmtd.gov...rd%20Packet.pdf

Then there is this article saying Summer 2013 delivery:

http://www.noozhawk....e_overcrowding/

So San Joaquin isn't the only one running Nova LFS artics. Did SBMTD receive their artics?

For all the Santa Barbarians who may be lurking this board ... is this true?

~Ben

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  • 10 months later...

Just want to bump this thread and say SBMTD finally received their Artics and that they are now on the road as of this week serving line 15X. Saw 1001 and 1002 this morning hauling SBCC students to campus. Look pretty cool, will have to try and snap some pics but so far I have only seen them before 8am when I am driving in to campus.

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Just want to bump this thread and say SBMTD finally received their Artics and that they are now on the road as of this week serving line 15X. Saw 1001 and 1002 this morning hauling SBCC students to campus. Look pretty cool, will have to try and snap some pics but so far I have only seen them before 8am when I am driving in to campus.

Thank you. Would love to see pics!

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I wonder if SBMTD will get any complaints about the high position of the bike rack obstructing the driver's vision like the Toronto Transit Commission did. In the photo, the basket on the bike must obstruct the driver's vision somewhat. Thanks for posting the photo, by the way.

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I am uploading video now. No idea on the bike racks, if it flags in a board packet I'll post it.

Initial impression is MTD really pinched those pennies to buy these. Compared to the Nova demonstrator three years ago these have less padded seats (same ones the current Gillig fleet are equipped with), pull-chain instead of buttons for stops, standard instead of flush-mount windows, no insulation-blanket thing inside the flex section of the bus, steel instead of alloy wheels, different HVAC (no idea if better or worse), no rear window, cheaper looking seat divider walls, halogen headlights. Drivetrain sounds louder and different, my guess is MTD went with the B500R trans for service continuity with the rest of their fleet. Makes sense, but a shame at the same time as the ZF equipped demo bus just felt and sounded so much smoother and just that many dB quieter that it really seemed to make a difference.

This is the first MTD bus I have seen equipped with surveillance. It's been talked about to death in the various packets I've read and this might just be them finally implementing it first on their shiny new buses as I believe board meeting minutes have mentioned they are finally ready to roll this out, along with being nearly ready to roll out their AVL system.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 years later...

 

According to BYD,  the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District will soon be rolling out 14 BYD  K7 electric buses --30 footers. They have already received 11 of the 14. The buses have a range of more than 140 miles and a capacity of up to 42 passengers.

http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12395322/byd-announces-new-electric-bus-deliveries-to-santa-barbara-uc-san-francisco

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