TAKING THE LONG WAY HOME
Transit Windsor test drives big bus
Transit Windsor is taking a big articulated bus — 18 metres (60 feet) long with an accordion-like hinge in the middle — on a month-long test drive.
The bus is being offered up for no charge to numerous municipalities by Quebec-based Nova Bus, in the hope that some will see the merits of a vehicle that can transport about 90 people standing and sitting (and maybe more) compared to the 60 who can ride on a normal 12-metre (40-foot) bus. Transit Windsor already has the bus. The next week or two will be spent training drivers to get them acquainted with the challenges of driving such a long bus, senior manager of fleet and support services Tony Houad said Tuesday. Then the bus will be on the road picking up passengers for about a month.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to move more people in a very efficient way,” said Houad, explaining the articulated bus works best on busy routes on the city’s main arterial roads.
It will start on the 1A between Devonshire Mall and downtown, and will also spend some time on the crowded Dominion 5 servicing St. Clair College and the city-spanning Crosstown 2, which services the University of Windsor. Buses serving the college and university have become packed with riders in the last year, prompting Transit Windsor to add buses to the routes.
Houad said during the monthlong trial, data will be collected on the number of passengers carried, fuel consumption and other factors to see if an articulated bus is worth the investment. A regular bus costs from $575,000 to $600,000, while an articulated bus costs from $800,000 to $850,000. City council approved the tryout on Monday night.
The cost/benefit analysis will be part of a yearlong overall service review of the system, which is aimed at making major changes to get people to their destinations faster. A bus carrying 50-per-cent more passengers may be one possible solution. “Hopefully, if the numbers add up, it can be part of our fleet,” said Houad.