Here is the news release:
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors approved a budget of $297 million today to purchase 550 new 40-foot transit buses fueledby compressed natural gas (CNG).
In taking the action, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to Metro’s long-term plan to ensure that all facilities and equipment are up-to-date and remain in a state of good repair.
“New buses will provide a safer, cleaner environment,” said Metro CEO Art Leahy.
The new buses will replace buses that are past 12 years of age and 500,000 miles. Those buses will reach their retirement age during fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Some 250 of the buses being replaced are older high-floor buses that are less suitable for ADA accessibility.
The bus procurement is part of Metro’s bus fleet replacement plans for fiscal years 2013-2015. Funding required for the buses is included in Metro’s adopted Long Range Plan and is eligible for bus and rail operation as well as capital expenditures, such as acquisition, labor, contingency and spare parts.
The new buses will be low-floor, CNG-fueled buses with an interior video surveillance system. Improved features called for in the solicitation include technological advancements and longer-life components.
The Board authorized the “best value” approach for the bus procurement in February, which allowed staff to proceed with solicitation of the replacement buses. The procurement contract will be awarded upon Board approval at a subsequent Board meeting later this year.
Categories: Transportation News
I like the new buses but when it’s gets too crowded, people have to get out the bus in order for them to let people out of the bus. also, lots of people just stand on the door when there’s seat available in the back. I would understand if there’s no seat available but i don’t know why people do this because it is so hard for people to get off the bus because people are standing at the door. please fix this and is there a way for the bus driver to turn down the transit tv? because i was coming down from westwood to van nuys and it was so loud that i can’t even hear my own music. please fix this please.
Has Metro looked to how Hong Kong buses uses their mobile TV ads? They mute them and they have closed caption subtitles in both English and Cantonese. TransitTV could learn from that; mute it and run English and Spanish subtitles.
Tell the Transit TV people that. They are advertising on Twitter to let MTA staff know that you like Transit TV… sure they have giveaways but I’d rather have normal conversation than those vapid programs.
I don’t have a problem with TransitTV itself, but I do have a problem with the EXTREMELY loud volumes that its sometimes set at. If you’re listening to a podcast with headphones with the volume all the way up, and still can’t hear it over Transit TV, its time to turn the TV volume down a notch.
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i agree with no transit tv. sometimes it is so loud i can’t even hear my own music.
THERE NO SPACE FOR A BABY CARRIAGE.
WE HAVE TO FOLD EVERYTHING UP AND CARRY EVERYTHING ON BOARD.
CHANGE THIS PLEASE!
Ditto on the no Transit TV, please. Many after-work headaches have been induced by it. I’d rather carry my own entertainment, thank you.
Hopefully Metro bids a contract with the new Millennium Transit Services, LLC with them, as we would like to see the RTS series again.
I hope these are the buses with the wider rear exit doors and the “doorbell” style stop requests. It sounds like a little thing but but of these features make the bus ride much more pleasant. (No “transit tv” would be even nicer.)