BC Transit - Vernon Regional Transit System

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

On a personal note ... I'm enjoying moving up to driving the Nova out on the highway ... nice change of scenery

Including the scenery on the bus too!?!?

So you are no longer a Dennis Dart Captain? Guess you gotta change your Avatar and message to Nova Captain!

Edited September 18, 2010 by MBTA9244-9640b

[9924]

Including the scenery on the bus too!?!?

Oh no, I keep my eyes on the road at all times

So you are no longer a Dennis Dart Captain? Guess you gotta change your Avatar and message to Nova Captain!

I was thinking more of "Nova Admiral" I still have three runs a day on the Dennis though, but its just a quick hour and a half so I can live with that

[9924]

Just a quick update ...

We had an Enviro 500 double decker "on loan" from Kelowna last Friday (Oct 22) for some test runs in town and on the 90 run. Personally, I don't see us getting a double decker but as always there are rumours in the air.

Unfortunatly I was sick that day so I didn't get a chance to see which unit number it was.

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

Just a quick update ...

We had an Enviro 500 double decker "on loan" from Kelowna last Friday (Oct 22) for some test runs in town and on the 90 run. Personally, I don't see us getting a double decker but as always there are rumours in the air.

Unfortunatly I was sick that day so I didn't get a chance to see which unit number it was.

Wow! That would have been cool!

Is the ridership high enough on the 90 to justify a DD?

Chris Cassidy

[9924]

Wow! That would have been cool!

Is the ridership high enough on the 90 to justify a DD?

Chris Cassidy

Personally I dont think it is yet. Don't get me wrong, it is a very busy run, mostly University students of course and there are a couple of trips a day where we're pushing a good 70 people per trip so its very crowded at times. The other trips we'll have about 10 - 30 people per bus. I think its more of a safety issue having so many standees at highway speeds, especially in the winter.

Not to mention that the ridership does die off when school is out and there is really no other run in our system that would justify the use of a DD let alone clearance issues on most of the in town runs.

It would be cool to have one, but I'm not holding my breath on it .... lol! It would make more sense just to get a couple of more runs through out the day and then it would be able to utilize another Nova in town as schedule/ridership dictates.

[MCW Metrobus]

I don't suppose there's a possibility that Kelowna Transit could run a trip or two on the 90 with a DD if needed?

[9924]

I don't suppose there's a possibility that Kelowna Transit could run a trip or two on the 90 with a DD if needed?

One day maybe, but of course there are the usual Municipal hurdles as well as Union issues that would need to be addressed.

Would be great to see Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon all to put in buses and start a valley wide commuter express bus with hourly services between downtown Vernon, Oyama, Winfield, YLW, UBCO, downtown Kelowna, Westbank, Peachland, Summerland and downtown Penticton.

[9924]

This past Wednesday (November 10th) finally saw the official ground breaking ceremony of your new yard/garage which is scheduled to be completed by January 2012 ...

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similk.../107602213.html

Our current yard/garage has been our home since 1981 and the new yard is overdue.

[9924]

9273 will be off the road for awhile due to a MVA ....

http://www.chbcnews.ca/Series+accidents+Hi...7537/story.html

... pick up lost control, jumped the concrete island and hit the front of the bus ... driver and passengers were OK.

First snowfall and the idiots on the road are even bigger idiots

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

9273 will be off the road for awhile due to a MVA ....

http://www.chbcnews.ca/Series+accidents+Hi...7537/story.html

... pick up lost control, jumped the concrete island and hit the front of the bus ... driver and passengers were OK.

First snowfall and the idiots on the road are even bigger idiots

Any idea what will replace it?

[9924]

Any idea what will replace it?

9272 and 9276 will have to do with no spare until its fixed ... don't know if we'll be getting another bus from another property as a spare.

[9924]

Having re-read the news article, it stated the bus was northbound which is inncorrect ... the bus was on its way to the college which is southbound. The pick-up truck was coming down the hill (northbound). The area where it happened is prone to many accidents ... the speedlimit goes down from 90km/h to 70km/h and has a downgrade going into a curve ... of course BC road engineers are complete geniuses and they deem in smart to put concrete islands (about the height of a standard curb or sidewalk) on a highway which more or less acts as a ramp and catapults vehicles into oncoming traffic. Seen way too many accidents on Hwy 97 caused by such a ludicrous feat of engineering stupidity.

[CV92]

9272 and 9276 will have to do with no spare until its fixed ... don't know if we'll be getting another bus from another property as a spare.

Was that 9th Dart you got a couple months back just a 3rd spare for the local fleet?

If push came to shove and they had absolutely no alternative apart from canceling service would a Dart be able to handle winter highway driving? Or would it be more logical for them to just snag a Nova from Kelowna for a day?

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

If push came to shove and they had absolutely no alternative apart from canceling service would a Dart be able to handle winter highway driving? Or would it be more logical for them to just snag a Nova from Kelowna for a day?

I don't think a Dart could handle the road, never mind the passenger loads

Chris Cassidy

[Joyce]

I think no one can tell you exact number about that.

[9924]

Was that 9th Dart you got a couple months back just a 3rd spare for the local fleet?

If push came to shove and they had absolutely no alternative apart from canceling service would a Dart be able to handle winter highway driving? Or would it be more logical for them to just snag a Nova from Kelowna for a day?

To be honest, we wouldn't really have an option at present however there was one trip back in the summer that was done with a Ford Polar ... mind you, the passenger loads in the summer are a lot lower than during school lol!

We have used a Dart on the Armstrong/Enderby route a few times and 9934 and 9904 were the only two units that could manage to get up to 90km/h. Hwy 97 to Kelowna is quite hilly and there are 3 hills where even the Nova will slip down to to 60-70km/h for a minute or two. The Dart might hit 90km/h on the downhill but would be down to 30km/h or less on the uphills .... yikes .... lol!

As for the passenger loads ....

I don't think a Dart could handle the road, never mind the passenger loads

Chris Cassidy

As for my shift, there is no way I could do the 400pm trip back to Vernon ... I average at least 60 on that run. The 700am, 800am to UBCO and the 500pm back to Vernon are also extremely busy averaging 40 - 70 passengers per run.

The rumour is that we are supposed to be getting an MCI on loan until 9273 is back. I'm pretty sure we'll be getting a loaner and hopefully it'll be something other than a Nova so I can add something new to my logbook

I'll post once it arrives.

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

The rumour is that we are supposed to be getting an MCI on loan until 9273 is back. I'm pretty sure we'll be getting a loaner and hopefully it'll be something other than a Nova so I can add something new to my logbook

I'll post once it arrives.

If Vernon gets an MCI I bet a trip to the Interior might need to be scheduled

Chris Cassidy

[MCW Metrobus]

If Vernon gets an MCI I bet a trip to the Interior might need to be scheduled

Chris Cassidy

I concur. Except I don't have the time...

[9924]

If we do manage to score an MCI, I doubt it'll see much action, it'll probably only be on the road if one of the Nova's need to stay in with a problem.

Here's a pic of the damaged 9273 in today's paper ...

http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similk.../110248509.html

[9924]

Still no spare for us so as my Nova had to go in for service yesterday afternoon ... I had the pleasure of using one of our 30' Darts (9904) on my 500pm and 700pm trips down to UBC0 - I managed to hit 85km/h on the downhill and about 80km/h on the levels (speedlimit is 90km/h) so that wasn't too bad, it did a bit better on the uphills than I thought it would and managed to maintain just under 50km/h ... all in all I was only running about 15min late at the end of my shift.

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

Still no spare for us so as my Nova had to go in for service yesterday afternoon ... I had the pleasure of using one of our 30' Darts (9904) on my 500pm and 700pm trips down to UBC0 - I managed to hit 85km/h on the downhill and about 80km/h on the levels (speedlimit is 90km/h) so that wasn't too bad, it did a bit better on the uphills than I thought it would and managed to maintain just under 50km/h ... all in all I was only running about 15min late at the end of my shift.

A Dart at 80km/h sounds like the sketchiest thing out there

Chris Cassidy

[CN7059]

A Dart at 80km/h sounds like the sketchiest thing out there

Chris Cassidy

They're not that bad actually. (From a passenger's point of view anyways). Cowichan Valley transit has mostly darts, and they're fine going out to Lake Cowichan or down to Mill Bay.

[9924]

They're not that bad actually. (From a passenger's point of view anyways). Cowichan Valley transit has mostly darts, and they're fine going out to Lake Cowichan or down to Mill Bay.

Most of our passengers don't like that Darts up here

Anyways, 1989 MCI Classic #940 arrived from Duncan yesterday and is awaiting plates .... happy, happy, joy, joy I'll make sure to take some pics when shes in service.

[323 Surrey Ctrl Stn]

Most of our passengers don't like that Darts up here

Anyways, 1989 MCI Classic #940 arrived from Duncan yesterday and is awaiting plates .... happy, happy, joy, joy I'll make sure to take some pics when shes in service.

Now, someone needs to crash another Nova so the Classic will see service!

Chris Cassidy

[MCW Metrobus]

I could feel in my bones that a trip to Kelowna was needed...