| Seeking solutions: New buses may help city's struggling transit ...
Public transit is Lynchburg is struggling with deficits and bus-maintenance problems that often leave paying customers without a reliable way to get to work or to the doctor. But there may be several solutions, both long-term and short-term, that could strengthen a system that many of the city's working poor depend upon. Over the past several weeks, The News & Advance spent more than 20 hours riding nearly every Greater Lynchburg Transit Company bus route, and has interviewed numerous riders. The newspaper also reviewed hundreds of documents detailing maintenance work and costs after filing a Freedom of Information request. Those interviews and documents show that the GLTC faces severe maintenance issues and growing costs to provide service, including rising fuel prices.
UMass Transit adds five new buses
The University of Massachusetts Transit system added five new buses to its fleet in the middle of August, and plans to add another five by the end of the academic year.
The new buses were designed to be more accommodating to disabled passengers and are equipped with wheelchair-accessible ramps.
"On the older buses, passengers had to roll their wheelchairs onto the lifts in the back, and the bus driver would operate the lift. With the new buses, they can just roll on by themselves," said Transit Services manager, Al Byam.
The buses, which were manufactured by Gillig Corp. of Hayward, California, are run by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA). They are blue and orange, seat 40 passengers, and are marked with the new PVTA logo.
"The new buses also have the most fuel efficient diesel engine," said Byam.
The Transportation of the Future, Here Today
In an electric drive vehicle, the torque is supplied to the wheels by an electric motor that is powered either solely by a battery, or an internal combustion engine using hydrogen, gasoline or diesel, or, by a fuel cell. Electric drive technology is used in vehicles ranging from bikes and scooters to forklifts, golf cars, passenger cars, buses and commercial trucks. It is even used at truck stops and shipping ports. Electric drive vehicle platforms include battery, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles. The world is watching with great interest as researchers work to bring zero-emission, hydrogen powered fuel cell cars from the laboratory to the fast lane. But most people board their city buses, or watch their luggage rolling to the airplane without ever realizing that they are already reaping the benefits of electric drive technology.
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