New Flyers (1000) In Service.

[Busjack]

The Transit Operations Report for the Sept. board meeting (the first I've seen that wasn't a Powerpoint) gives some information about the rate of receipt of New Flyer and Optima buses. (Note the name on the "From" line. Also, note that the New Flyer order is back to 450.)

Also, interesting is:

Even though we are currently receiving new bus equipment, 34% of the bus fleet is beyond the industry standard for useful life (12 years). That number will increase to 57% next year.

And, if trends on assigning buses don't change, that will be 100% at 74th and close to that on non-express routes from 103rd and NP.

P.S. The 34% number would be about 680 buses of the 4400 and 5300 series, which would indicate that about 265 are already off the roster (I assumed that the 15 4900s already are). Considering what ones probably retired with the receipt of the NABIs, that about adds up. My calculation for 2007 would be about 43%, not 57% (475 4400s, 330 6000s and 65 5800s, but deduct some wrecks), either indicating some 5300s will hang around (despite what Frank said, but as rmadisonwi indicated), or they have difficulty doing math.

[rmadisonwi]

The latest roster shows 309 Flxibles, 466 RTSs, and 10 Orions, for a total of 785 buses over 12 years old. The total fleet is 2107, so that would be about 37%.

If you assume that the total fleet size will stay the same, then 57% of 2107 would be 1200 buses. Add 328 Flxibles and 59 old New Flyers, and you get 387 more buses over 12 years old, or a total of 1,172. That, of course, assumes no deliveries and no retirements, which will not be the case. Therefore, the percentage must be lower than 57%, unless there's a large fleet of 11-year-old buses hidden away somewhere.

It's possible that the number could have been a typo. It is conceivable that 47% of the fleet could be 12 years or older.

[sw4400]

The next wave of New Flyers appears to be going to North Park. Walking north on Lincoln, I saw bus #1382 heading south as a "North Park Instruction Bus".

[rmadisonwi]

Are there actually signs programmed that say "North Park Instruction Bus?" I've only seen them say "Instruction Bus."

Bus 1382 would be a Chicago Garage bus, and Chicago Garage, as noted in another post, will be doing extra service on Lincoln. So, the sight of 1382 on Lincoln as an "Instruction Bus" would make perfect sense, without indicating any change in fleet assignments.

[sw4400]

Are there actually signs programmed that say "North Park Instruction Bus?" I've only seen them say "Instruction Bus."

The LED sign said "Instruction Bus" as did the paper sign in the window, but the run number began with a "P".