roamer Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 7200 isn't on the tracker yet, but i saw it returning to Bellevue Base earlier today.DSC_7733.JPG Today, 01 May 2015, is the first instance I've personally observed on the tracker of 7200 in revenue service. It's currently on the 245 route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
118 Vashon via EXPRESS Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Wow! 2 hours late for the 119? Guess the earlier 116 they did really got messed up with the fire that closed Fauntleroy Way. OBA definitely had wrong information for that bus. It made the 5:45 PM ferry (it did get to the dock later than usual). The 118X (which was assigned an Orion VII again) didn't get to the dock until after the boat had just left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyrs77 Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 Photo from a co-worker, via Facebook. Just arrived a few hours ago, today, Sun 5/3 Prototype XT60, coach 4500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Bus Fan Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 Awesome. Are they going to do same amount of testing as they are doing on the XT40 with this bus? I think they shouldn't if they have the same technology as the XT40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznichiro115 Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 did they run out of small numbers? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamer Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Hah! That was my first thought too. I was wondering if it may be a mistake as it appears that those numbers could almost be the size that they use on the rear of the newer coaches --the DE60LFR's, Orions, XDE's, etc.-- which I think are way too big to begin with. It will be interesting to see if the rest of them will have the big numbers on the sides also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous guy Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Beautiful looking articulated trolley. Interested to see how the interior seating arrangement looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonba Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 The original mockups showed the 60-footers with frameless windows, but unfortunately they were just mockups I guess. Still, I am super excited about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyrs77 Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 did they run out of small numbers? lol All the 4300's that are showing up recently have the big coach numbers on the side windows, also. Must be a new thing. Also taken Sunday 5/3, a friend of mine snapped this picture, heading home from Idaho. XT40, 4310 headed W/B on I-90 through Eastern Washington. This would be #11 being delivered. If you look closely, it appears as if the tires have been deflated quite a bit to give the trailer and cargo better height clearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous guy Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 For transit license plates, I have noticed that a few D40LFs and 2600 DE60LFs are using Washington plates from the 1990's. Were these pulled from retired coaches and reissued to these coaches when they entered service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickycourtney Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 It will definitely be interesting to see what the interior of the XT60 will look like. Specifically I'm curious to see if Metro opted to do any 2+1 seating and optimize the number of forward facing seats like the XT40 coaches or if they opted to install passive wheelchair restraints and jump seats in the front like on the RapidRide DE60LFR coaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickycourtney Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 This fall, King County Metro will spend $35 million to add about 69,000 additional hours of annual bus service to suburban routes. This is in addition to the additional 200,000+ annual service hours added in Seattle by Prop 1. Metro will spend another $54 million to buy new buses and fix up some old ones, in addition to the new buses that Prop 1 will fund. The money is coming from: Higher than projected sales tax - $26.7 million over the biennium General cost savings - $23 million Fuel savings - approx. $21 million through 2017 Fares & unusued Transit Now funds - $9.8 million City of Seattle (Regional Partnership Fund - funds service on transit corridors that carry suburban commuters to work in downtown Seattle and funds partnerships with other cities) - $3.2 million per year for 2 years State of Washington (Regional Mobility Grant - improves service in the SR 522 and I-5 south corridors) - $2.5 million over next four years pending legislative approval The downside is that most of these aren't additional funding SOURCES and they simply provide a one-time injection of cash.Metro plans to use the 69,000 annual service hours as follows... Add additional trips to reduce overcrowding: E Line, 101, 120, 143X, 179, 190, 212, 214, 216, 218, 219, 240, 268, 301X, 312, 372EX Add additional service to improve schedule reliability: 101, 102, 105, 111, 114, 124, 128, 131, 132, 157, 158, 159, 166, 167, 168, 169, 177, 178, 179, 180, 190, 192, 193, 219, 221, 232, 237, 242, 245, 255, 257, 269, 277, 309, 311, 316, 355, 601 Preserve routes funded by expiring grants: 164, 168, 907DART Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atomic Taco Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 It will definitely be interesting to see what the interior of the XT60 will look like. Specifically I'm curious to see if Metro opted to do any 2+1 seating and optimize the number of forward facing seats like the XT40 coaches or if they opted to install passive wheelchair restraints and jump seats in the front like on the RapidRide DE60LFR coaches. Definitely no on the passive restraints. They're sold on the Q'UBE 3-Point Securement System. As for the 2+1 it's a possibility--at least in front of the middle axle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickycourtney Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Definitely no on the passive restraints. They're sold on the Q'UBE 3-Point Securement System. As for the 2+1 it's a possibility--at least in front of the middle axle. Any word on why Metro likes the Q'UBE system over the passive restraints? Even if it's faster than the current securement system, the Q'UBE system still requires driver interaction, which takes time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous guy Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Metro will spend another $54 million to buy new buses and fix up some old ones, in addition to the new buses that Prop 1 will fund. Interesting. I did read many pages back in this topic that Metro wanted to tout an "all-hybrid" fleet which included an early retirement of the D40LF coaches, but it sounded like that idea was scrapped. I wonder if this additional funding would either support that idea, or work to replace the retiring buses on a more even ratio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atomic Taco Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Any word on why Metro likes the Q'UBE system over the passive restraints? Even if it's faster than the current securement system, the Q'UBE system still requires driver interaction, which takes time. I don't know what their beef is with the passive restraints, but they emphasized that upper body-abled persons can self-secure with the Q'UBE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickycourtney Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I don't doubt that King County Metro wants an "all-hybrid" or more specifically a hybrid, battery and electric trolley fleet. The question is how long will it take to retire all the remaining diesel powered coaches. Last I heard the diesel Gilligs are on the way out, the D60HFs and the oddball D60LF coaches are scheduled to be retired in 2016 and the D40LF coaches are scheduled to be retired between 2017 and 2020. That being said I get the feeling that some of those retirement dates will get pushed back as Metro adds more service faster than they can order new coaches. I've actually been riding on the D60LF a lot recently (for some reason they're frequent flyers on the 26/28) along with the D40LF coaches and I don't mind them. They're a bit noisy compared to the hybrids, but they're still quite comfortable. On the other hand I won't be too sad to see the D60HF coaches go. I'll miss those high seats over the wheel wells, but they're thunderously loud, uncomfortably warm during the summer and the high floor design & wheelchair lift slow down boarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonba Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Riding the D60HFs is nice - they are smoother than the D40LFs... but the noise... The exterior noise of D60HFs is incomparable to that of a new coach. They are on par with garbage trucks, while new coaches are quieter than some pick-up trucks people drive. I live on a street which sees a decent amount of D60HF and D40LF traffic and can't wait for them to go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayayess1190 Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 The D60HF's are my favorite buses in Seattle. The M11 in them is so loud, I love it! I was recently in Seattle and rode 2557 on the 8 and some of the hills near downtown brought the bus to a crawl. The same with the D40LF's and hills. I also like them, am a fan of Voith in New Flyer's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous guy Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I'm a fan of the whiny Voiths in the D40LF coaches, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonba Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I never understood people's fascination with vehicle noise and their desire to make things noisier (e.g. tuned cars). Noise pollution contributes to cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, hearing problems, sleep disturbance and of course, stress: http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/04/why-city-noise-is-a-serious-health-hazard/391194/ It may be cool to hear engine noise, but the only place this is appropriate is a race track. Either way, luckily all the old clunkers are going and the newer the buses the quieter they are. We'll eventually get to serially manufactured battery-electric buses and cars and noise levels in cities should go down significantly. I can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Bus Fan Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 This fall, King County Metro will spend $35 million to add about 69,000 additional hours of annual bus service to suburban routes. This is in addition to the additional 200,000+ annual service hours added in Seattle by Prop 1. Metro will spend another $54 million to buy new buses and fix up some old ones, in addition to the new buses that Prop 1 will fund. The money is coming from: Higher than projected sales tax - $26.7 million over the biennium General cost savings - $23 million Fuel savings - approx. $21 million through 2017 Fares & unusued Transit Now funds - $9.8 million City of Seattle (Regional Partnership Fund - funds service on transit corridors that carry suburban commuters to work in downtown Seattle and funds partnerships with other cities) - $3.2 million per year for 2 years State of Washington (Regional Mobility Grant - improves service in the SR 522 and I-5 south corridors) - $2.5 million over next four years pending legislative approval The downside is that most of these aren't additional funding SOURCES and they simply provide a one-time injection of cash.Metro plans to use the 69,000 annual service hours as follows... Add additional trips to reduce overcrowding: E Line, 101, 120, 143X, 179, 190, 212, 214, 216, 218, 219, 240, 268, 301X, 312, 372EX Add additional service to improve schedule reliability: 101, 102, 105, 111, 114, 124, 128, 131, 132, 157, 158, 159, 166, 167, 168, 169, 177, 178, 179, 180, 190, 192, 193, 219, 221, 232, 237, 242, 245, 255, 257, 269, 277, 309, 311, 316, 355, 601 Preserve routes funded by expiring grants: 164, 168, 907DART I am glad that KCM recovered so fast with the worst tax to fund transit. Why didn't they restore the service cuts (charges) of September 2014 to bring back those services? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickycourtney Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I totally agree with you antonba. I've never understood the obsession some people have with loud things, especially loud buses. It's one thing to visit a city for a few days and enjoy the D60HF's... it's another thing entirely when you have them driving by your apartment every 15 minutes in the summer (when everyone has their windows open, since most don't have A/C). I was actually going to make a joke about D60HF's and garbage trucks... but on my walk home a garbage truck passed by and it was a LOT quieter than the D60HF. As a passenger, I'm much more concerned about the creature comforts and interior arrangements of transit buses. The D60HF's are actually very comfortable and have a good seating arrangement, but honestly I'd rather have a quieter bus, A/C, and faster loading times with low floors and a wheelchair ramp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavalamp Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 Why didn't they restore the service cuts (charges) of September 2014 to bring back those services? KCM allocates service according to its Service Guidelines. The September 2014 service cuts were to the lowest-performing routes, while the service additions proposed for this fall would be to those routes identified as most needing additional investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous guy Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I totally agree with you antonba. I've never understood the obsession some people have with loud things, especially loud buses. It's one thing to visit a city for a few days and enjoy the D60HF's... it's another thing entirely when you have them driving by your apartment every 15 minutes in the summer (when everyone has their windows open, since most don't have A/C). I was actually going to make a joke about D60HF's and garbage trucks... but on my walk home a garbage truck passed by and it was a LOT quieter than the D60HF. As a passenger, I'm much more concerned about the creature comforts and interior arrangements of transit buses. The D60HF's are actually very comfortable and have a good seating arrangement, but honestly I'd rather have a quieter bus, A/C, and faster loading times with low floors and a wheelchair ramp. Out of the current fleet, the D60s can't be beat in terms of seating arrangement, leg room and overall comfort. The enclosed, high floor ride just feels more premium overall. Of course, the D60 does suffer on warmer days, where the interior can trap in heat like an oven. Sitting in the back is very noisy, and of course the aforementioned noise pollution when these coaches pass by local neighborhoods. And while there is plenty of front facing seating, when the coaches are in crush capacity, these coaches feel like they have a much more cramped aisle way in comparison to the low floors. In regards to why I like the sound of the Voith transmissions, the whine IMHO is a bit reminiscent of the sounds emitted from the Renk Doromat from the MAN coaches. Again, noise pollution is a con for those living within the routes path, as you can hear a D40LF coming from quite a distance away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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