Sarasota County Area Transit

[Big CJ]

Okay, time for me to usher in more information this time for SCAT in South Florida. Before I get into anything big, let me start with SCAT's preserved bus. The bus is 6403 (ex-1125 from City of St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System), a 1964 GMC TDH-4519. A picture of this bus does exist on the internet by the way.

The Orion Is built in 1993 use Detroit Diesel Series 92 engines and likely Allison HT transmissions. I found a video showing all three of these buses in action along with the Orion Vs.

The 1991s (30 footers) most likely used the same engine and transmission setup. The 1994 Orion Vs also used the Detroit Diesel Series 92 engines and the same Allison transmissions the Orion Is have. The Orion Vs are numbered 9401-9407 and just like 9301-9303, they were also 35 feet long.

SCAT also had 1997 35 foot Gillig Phantoms numbered 9720-9730 (around 12 of these were built, so I'm not sure if it's 9731 or 9719). These buses used Cummins M11 engines and Allison B400R transmissions.

The Orions and the 1997 Phantoms used American Seating 6468 seating and have wheelchair lifts. I'm not sure what destination signs they used, but the Orion Is, Vs, and the 1997 Gillig Phantoms were retrofitted with TwinVision destination signs (likely the TwinVision Amber LED). I'm not sure what destination signs they used before being retrofitted.

This is all for now. Hope this helps improve things for that page.

[Turbo19]

Okay, time for me to usher in more information this time for SCAT in South Florida. Before I get into anything big, let me start with SCAT's preserved bus. The bus is 6403 (ex-1125 from City of St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System), a 1964 GMC TDH-4519. A picture of this bus does exist on the internet by the way.

The Orion Is built in 1993 use Detroit Diesel Series 92 engines and likely Allison HT transmissions. I found a video showing all three of these buses in action along with the Orion Vs.

The 1991s (30 footers) most likely used the same engine and transmission setup. The 1994 Orion Vs also used the Detroit Diesel Series 92 engines and the same Allison transmissions the Orion Is have. The Orion Vs are numbered 9401-9407 and just like 9301-9303, they were also 35 feet long.

SCAT also had 1997 35 foot Gillig Phantoms numbered 9720-9730 (around 12 of these were built, so I'm not sure if it's 9731 or 9719). These buses used Cummins M11 engines and Allison B400R transmissions.

The Orions and the 1997 Phantoms used American Seating 6468 seating and have wheelchair lifts. I'm not sure what destination signs they used, but the Orion Is, Vs, and the 1997 Gillig Phantoms were retrofitted with TwinVision destination signs (likely the TwinVision Amber LED). I'm not sure what destination signs they used before being retrofitted.

This is all for now. Hope this helps improve things for that page.

I'll get to it when I get to it, and not a second sooner.

_{So this weekend most likely.}

[Big CJ]

I see what you did there. I'd love to help you out, but I have to wait until I get the rights to edit on the wiki.

[Turbo19]

I see what you did there. I'd love to help you out, but I have to wait until I get the rights to edit on the wiki.

Minor edits done for now: http://cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Sarasota_County_Area_Transit#Roster

[Big CJ]

Nice job Turbo.

[Turbo19]

Nice job Turbo.

Don't mention it.

[Big CJ]

This probably has nothing to do with anything, but is there a way to tell the difference between a Luminator MatrixMax and Vultron destination signs?

[ctrabs74]

This probably has nothing to do with anything, but is there a way to tell the difference between a Luminator MatrixMax and Vultron destination signs?

I believe the Luminator MatrixMax scrolled from left to right while Vultron signs scrolled from top to bottom.

[Big CJ]

I believe the Luminator MatrixMax scrolled from left to right while Vultron signs scrolled from top to bottom.

Thanks.

[szem]

I believe the Luminator MatrixMax scrolled from left to right while Vultron signs scrolled from top to bottom.

Depends on the model. Second generation Vultron signs are side-scrolling. The destination sign controller on the interior will have a red analog display with mechanical dial wheels.

[Big CJ]

Depends on the model. Second generation Vultron signs are side-scrolling. The destination sign controller on the interior will have a red analog display with mechanical dial wheels.

When was the second generation Vultron signs made available?

[szem]

When was the second generation Vultron signs made available?

No idea, but I do know that USF's model year 2000 SLF230s (units 2262-2265) had them.

[alexb320]

I spotted 1701 driving southbound on I-75 on 5/29/2017 near Lake City, Florida. More than likely arrived on Scats property today. 

Surprising to only see one. I assumed that when Gillig delivers new buses, they generally convoy in groups of 2 or 3. Especially on larger orders like Scats 1701-1720 bus order. 

[alexb320]

I spotted 1717 driving southbound on I-75 mid-June. My guess is that all 20 buses have been delivered.

Also, 13 buses have been placed in the Tampa Machinery Auction for August 2017.

Buses in the auction are: 5004, 5104, 5204, 5304, 5404, 0606-0608, 0612, & 0901-0904.

This means all the Phantom's are retired, as 12 of the 13 2001/2002 buses were sold to Jatran, MS and 4101 was sold at auction in March 2017. The oldest buses in SCAT's fleet are now 2006 model Gilligs.

See link for auction details and pictures: https://www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=129317

[Buzz2kb]

21 hours ago, alexb320 said:

I spotted 1717 driving southbound on I-75 mid-June. My guess is that all 20 buses have been delivered.

Also, 13 buses have been placed in the Tampa Machinery Auction for August 2017.

Buses in the auction are: 5004, 5104, 5204, 5304, 5404, 0606-0608, 0612, & 0901-0904.

This means all the Phantom's are retired, as 12 of the 13 2001/2002 buses were sold to Jatran, MS and 4101 was sold at auction in March 2017. The oldest buses in SCAT's fleet are now 2006 model Gilligs.

See link for auction details and pictures: https://www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=129317

What's the matter with this agency?  Retiring 8-year old baby Gillig hybrid's?!  Even Palm Tran and LYNX (Orlando), the previous worst offenders in retiring relatively young heavy-duty buses usually keep theirs for at least 10 years.  Also, can anyone explain why is Sarasota retiring hybrids in favor of more clean diesel buses? Thanks!

[alexb320]

So a very interesting, sad thing I found.

Scat has just sent its 1964 GMC TDH-4519 #6403 to auction for this weekend. This bus was apart of Scat's historic fleet, but I guess they decided they no longer want to keep maintaining it. It's definitely sad to see because not a lot of Florida Transit agencies keep older buses for historic purposes. Hopefully this bus can find a good home.

https://www.proxibid.com/aspr/5-08216-Trucks-Buses-Seller-Sarasota-County-Area-Transit-1964-GMC-CLASSIC/42094815/LotDetail.asp?lid=42094815&rts=/asp/searchadvanced_i.asp%23searchid%3Dnone%26type%3Dlot%26search%3Dbus%26sort%3Drelevance%26view%3Dgallery%26length%3D100%26start%3D101%26refine%3D%26category%3Dall%2Bcategories#topoflot

 

Also, in other news, Scat also auctioned off in the April auction buses #0602, 0604, 0611, and a 2001 Freightliner Trolley bus.

[Buzz2kb]

Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) is one of the first transit agency outside South Florida I have fanned on, back in June 2005.  Back then, I was still able to spot a handful of Orion buses in active service, like Orion I 9301 and Orion V 9406,  Also attached here is a May 2006 shot of 9406 at the Venice Train Depot.  All other pictures are taken at the downtown Sarasota station unless otherwise stated.

Starting in 1997, the agency turned to Gillig Phantoms and remains loyal to the manufacturer ever since.  Bus 9727 was built new with a dot matrix headsign when new and featured the previous SCAT logo.  It was pictured in this configuration in Venice in May 2009.  By  May 2009, it was retrofitted with a LED headsign.  It was pictured in North Port .  Also pictured on the same day was bus 9729 featuring the current SCAT logo on a white base livery.  Another picture is bus 9729 in white livery and fitted with dot matrix headsign, pictured in 2005.   

The next 13 similar buses ( eight 2001 buses and five 2002 buses) were inexplicably numbered with the year of delivery placed as the last two digits of a fleet number (as opposed to the 1991-97 buses and 2006 buses onward).  They were both the first buses built new with LED headsigns and the final buses delivered in SCAT's previous white with yellow and orange stripes livery.  Bus 3701 was the first of these and was pictured at Sarasota Square Mall in 2009.  I have pictured bus 3801 in both yellow/orange stripe livery at Venice in 2006 and in its mostly white guise in downtown Bradenton (in neighboring Manatee County) in 2009.  It and bus 4001 were operating a joint route with Manatee County Area Transit/MCAT (more on that agency in a upcoming post) between Sarasota and Palmetto (north of Bradenton).  Bus 3801 is also one of the dozen (in fact all but one) of these 2001-02 buses sold to Jackson, Mississippi.  On the other hand, I have also featured the only bus that was not included in this sale, 4201, on the same joint route in Bradenton in 2005.  Finally, bus 4502 was pictured back in 2005 as well.

In 2004, SCAT introduced its first five low-floor buses in the form of 35ft. Gillig Low Floor with fleet numbers ending with -04.  They were SCAT's final buses to be numbered this way.  All were delivered in overall white with only SCAT logo added.  Bus 5004 was the first of them and was pictured in September 2008 carrying the current SCAT logo,  Ironically, bus 5404 (the final bus of these), was pictured in 2005 carrying the previous SCAT logo.

SCAT then introduced 10 Gillig BRT 35ft. hybrid buses in 2006 carrying an immensely eye-catching livery, as exemplified by bus 0605 spotted on a Sunday combination service in 2008 (Both its parent routes has since gained Sunday service).  They were supplemented by a pair of conventional Low Floor buses featuring frameless windows.  Bus 0611 was spotted on the last surviving combination route serving South County (Venice/North Port) in 2008, while bus 0612 was spotted on one of the parent routes for that combo service in 2009 outside the Westfield Southgate shopping center (Now Westfield Siesta Key), the same general area as where bus 0605 was pictured.

The agency also operates 11 Chevy/Glaval cutaways on lower-ridership routes, chiefly the South County locals, as illustrated by cutaways 0614 pictured at Venice, 0616 in downtown Sarasota and 0619 in North Port, all in 2009.  Apparently, cutaways from 0617 onward carry a newer frontal fascia.  

Finally, SCAT also operated an unknown number of trolley replicas acquired from MCAT for its route 18 to Longboat Key.  One of those was T207 pictured in 2009.  Also attached here was MCAT's 43150, which series I believe T207 came from.

By now, SCAT's fleet is chiefly made of 2014-2017 Gillig Low Floor 35ft. buses, together with the 2011-built 29ft./35ft. BRT hybrid buses and a short-lived fleet of 40ft. BRT commuter buses.  All these were delivered after I have moved to Mississippi for my current job.  Here is my SCAT gallery:

Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT)

[Mitsubishi Fuso 6512]

On 8/2/2017 at 10:56 PM, alexb320 said:

I spotted 1717 driving southbound on I-75 mid-June. My guess is that all 20 buses have been delivered.

Also, 13 buses have been placed in the Tampa Machinery Auction for August 2017.

Buses in the auction are: 5004, 5104, 5204, 5304, 5404, 0606-0608, 0612, & 0901-0904.

This means all the Phantom's are retired, as 12 of the 13 2001/2002 buses were sold to Jatran, MS and 4101 was sold at auction in March 2017. The oldest buses in SCAT's fleet are now 2006 model Gilligs.

See link for auction details and pictures: https://www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=129317

On other day, I saw One rare unit (06XX) 2006 Gillig BRT HEV 35' was exported to Nassau, The Bahamas by a Private Owner for the first time and it has the Bahamas green and white license plate number NP 455 with the bike racks removed and destination signs not working. It was featured at the 2019 Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Parade. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Sarasota_transit_gillig_brt_hybrid.JPG

[Glennwood Road Ent.]

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/07/29/scat-bus-involved-crash-near-intersection-53rd-ave-w-14th-st-w/

Unit 1604 was involved in front end accident hitting Chevy Malibu from last week. Hope anyone in the Chevy Malibu or the bus driver got injured and the Gillig bus needs new front end parts including the windshield. 

[HR2012TPA]

A few recent things to note:

1) SCAT Sarasota has been rebranded as Breeze Transit
2) It appears that the Bay Runner trolley was discontinued after only a few months in service. Plans for a trolley connecting downtown Sarasota & SRQ Airport is currently in the works though.
3) Most of the Breeze fleet comprises of the 2014, 2016, & 2017 35' Gillig Low Floors, all diesel. The trolley services have operated Hometown Manufacturing vehicles (I think Streetcar or Villager models).
4) The shorter-lived 40' Gillig BRT suburbans were sold off to Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) in 2018 due to SCAT's 2019/20 service reduction plan, which wound up being accelerated due to the Covid lockdowns. Several routes throughout Sarasota County were eliminated - with some being replaced with contracted on-demand van service. Bus # 1106X (renumbered as 1106 under HART) recently caught fire & was retired.

[Glennwood Road Ent.]

On 9/29/2023 at 6:58 AM, HR2012TPA said:

A few recent things to note:

1) SCAT Sarasota has been rebranded as Breeze Transit
2) It appears that the Bay Runner trolley was discontinued after only a few months in service. Plans for a trolley connecting downtown Sarasota & SRQ Airport is currently in the works though.
3) Most of the Breeze fleet comprises of the 2014, 2016, & 2017 35' Gillig Low Floors, all diesel. The trolley services have operated Hometown Manufacturing vehicles (I think Streetcar or Villager models).
4) The shorter-lived 40' Gillig BRT suburbans were sold off to Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) in 2018 due to SCAT's 2019/20 service reduction plan, which wound up being accelerated due to the Covid lockdowns. Several routes throughout Sarasota County were eliminated - with some being replaced with contracted on-demand van service. Bus # 1106X (renumbered as 1106 under HART) recently caught fire & was retired.

And Unit 0604 (2006 Gillig BRT HEV 35') is now owned by a Bahamian private owner (which is my customer) and later converted it to party bus in running condition. I saw the bus few months back not too far from my workplace and the unit number inside the bus. 

[HR2012TPA]

All of the 2006 BRT hybrids (600-series) have been long gone now, with a few units going to charter companies in around the Disney area.

[Glennwood Road Ent.]

6 hours ago, HR2012TPA said:

All of the 2006 BRT hybrids (600-series) have been long gone now, with a few units going to charter companies in around the Disney area.

Does it include 0900s and few 1100s HEVs (29 and 35ft) as well 

[HR2012TPA]

45 minutes ago, Glennwood Road Ent. said:

Does it include 0900s and few 1100s HEVs (29 and 35ft) as well 

Yep! The only active buses now are the 1400s, 1600s, and 1700s.

[HR2012TPA]

Per Tarton Chew on Facebook, Breeze is getting a new batch of 35' Gillig LF diesels. He is delivering # 2306. Not sure how many they ordered.

 

Perhaps some of the 1400s are going to be put into contingency status.