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LEA came for their buses today. 3118 and 3135 were towed, while 3147 was driven off. 3117 was to be driven off, but it didn’t want to go faster than 35mph. They take them to Ohio where they are either sold (I don’t know who does the selling, as LEA apparently just buys and tows them), or parted out and scrapped. A couple buses they bought have already been scrapped at Omnisource in Toledo.

 

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^End of the standard floor era. Thank you Phantoms and D60s, it's been a wonderful ride.

My very first photos for both types, taken in 2008. Wish I had gotten into photos a couple years earlier, but if you take pictures you still need to start sometime:

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The mileage on the shop queens 7290/7291 is like 1/3 -1/2 of the mileage on a lot of the 2012 73xx Gillig HEVs :lol:

Also looking at mileage, the 71xx 2008 Gillig HEVs are getting up there!

 

Thanks for sharing :)

 

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9 hours ago, Spirits Transport said:

Plymouth metrolink in Saint Paul?

I'm not sure if they're supposed to be using the Plymouth buses for non-Plymouth transit uses. However in past years I have seen them used occasionally on training runs in St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Roseville, and once saw one working the DELTA employee shuttle.

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On 11/23/2021 at 1:44 PM, hp2ena said:

Fresh roster update from Metro Transit. All D60s retired as of October. Metro Transit is officially the last agency in the United States and Canada to operate high floor articulated buses. Bus List 11_19_21 DPA Request.pdf

I’m curious. Where would one find such PDF’s like this one?

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11 hours ago, Spirits Transport said:

I’m curious. Where would one find such PDF’s like this one?

I did a data practices act request. Metro Transit is a public agency, and all public agencies, cities, counties, states, and public transit agencies in MN, as well as nonprofits and companies who receive public, state, and federal funding, are subject to what is the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Chapter 13 of Minnesota Statute. The statute says most things the government agency creates are available to the public. This includes fleet rosters, maps, charts, salary information, pre-recorded voice announcements on transit vehicles, etc.

However, they are not readily available. You have to ask the person who is the responsible authority (generally, whoever leads the agency). Many agencies have responsible authorities who delegate the handling of public records requests to what is called a designee. All requests should go to this designee. 

Metro Transit's designees are their PR people: Howie Padilla and Laura Baenen. To make a request, fill out this form on page 11 of this PDF and send it to [firstname].[lastname][at]metrotransit.org. 

Public Records Requests for the Met Council can be found at this link: https://metrocouncil.org/About-Us/Publications-And-Resources/Data-Access-Procedures.aspx

Although they can charge fees (25¢/page or for the time the person has to spend to retrieve the data for you, depending on agency), I have never been charged. Yet. 

Public Records Requests for Greater MN transit agencies, as well as Jefferson Lines and Land to Air Express, can be done through MnDOT through this form: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/information/datapractices/index.html

For all agencies, you do not need to provide your name or contact information to make a request. But keep in mind you'll need a place (not necessarily a place associated with you) to let them know where you would like to receive the data. I mostly do my requests through e-mail.

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Happy post-Orange Line opening day! Was on the first run into Burnsville. They sent out 8110, which apparently had litter dating back to when it was on the C Line. Wish we could have had a meet up, would like to put faces to fans that I otherwise didn’t think exist much out here. It appears they are running 40s on the route right now.

Also, the 8700s returned to service yesterday. 8707 was the first one out and the first one in. 

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Nice to see the 8700's coming back!

C Line assignments have been all over, it would be nice to see it running with a consistent group of the ABRT spec units again. I'm guessing the Gilligs running on it may have been partly due to icy conditions. I noticed Orange had 3 8000's on it this morning.

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The remainder of the 2003 D60s and the last 3 Phantoms on property have been retired and listed for auction this morning:

List of D60s

List of Phantoms

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46 minutes ago, Spirits Transport said:

I’ve notice there’ve been more 40’ Gillig’s on the 80

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Looks like the 80 (and 323) are run by First Transit now. 

 

22 hours ago, bristolian said:

A few more photographs from today at Shingle Creek garage.

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Those look like 3200s as well. Looks like all retired.

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On 12/6/2021 at 11:30 AM, hp2ena said:

The remainder of the 2003 D60s and the last 3 Phantoms on property have been retired and listed for auction this morning:

List of D60s

List of Phantoms

LEA got them all except for 3128 and 1053. 3128 was bought by Jones Auto. 1053 was bought by a private owner over in Mpls.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

So based on what I've heard from the Met Council over the past several months, it looks like there's a distinction between Metro Transit running service and MTS contracting out routes to operate. It appears MTS does not directly contract with Metro Transit to operate any routes.

I'm wondering if any of the 60xx, 61xx, 600xx, and 602xx series pages that are nested under MTS should be moved such that they are under the Metro Transit name? Same with the 60036-60039 and 60044 series, which actually should be merged because they were part of the same order. And perhaps the units that Metro Transit lost to MTS/First Transit should be under MTS? 

What are the history behind the coaches? I think some of them were actually bought by the Met Council and operated by contractors, then transferred to Metro Transit when the Met Council wanted to consolidate operations, around the time the 275/288 and 467 were moved to Metro Transit? 

What do y'all think? 

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I think it might be better to just combine the MTS and the Metro Transit pages, given how many of the MTS buses are simply transferred over from Metro Transit and how the Council owns both fleets.

Technically speaking, MTS and Metro Transit are separate divisions of the Metropolitan Council; however, Metro Transit does all the route/network planning and some of those routes become contracted through MTS. Historically, there were mixed MT/MTS operated routes or those that changed between direct and contracted operations, and more increasingly there has been more fleet transferred back and forth. It seems that MTS hasn't had its own 40-foot order since the D40LFs in 2006. Cutaways and 30-footers are all MTS exclusive though. 

Even more technically speaking, all regional buses are owned by the Metropolitan Council (even MVTA, SWT, MG, Plymouth). That's why some retired SWT transit buses were put into MTS service, because it's relatively easy to do so. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I agree the coaches and 60036-60039, 60044 make sense to be noted as the Metro Transit fleet. 60036-60039, 60044 were initially operated by Lorenz on the 62, 80, (weekend 25? maybe one other route?) before their contract ended in 2014. The buses were then transferred to Metro Transit for their increased vehicle needs due to the Green Line connecting service expansions. The interiors on them are different spec, with plastic seat backs and no plexiglass by the rear doors. Not sure about 275/288, but I recall the 467 was at one point 'contracted' to Metro Transit. IIRC First and Metro Transit bid on it and it was awarded to Metro Transit as the operating cost was lower. This may have had something to do with it serving Lakeville or the funding source at the time.

Also;

Zero-Emission Bus Transition Plan Final plan from the 1/24/22 Transportation Committee.

 

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