700-series XE40 - Deliveries & Assignments

[sw4400]

There was nothing in the budget for all-electric buses for 2016, and a bid process must go out for the buses, otherwise Nova and New Flyer(who also make all-electric buses too) have a legal leg to stand on. They can do like Bombardier tried and file an injunction with the FTA(may not be the correct wording, but you get where I'm going) and CTA may be forced to cancel whatever secret procurement they have.

[jajuan]

21 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Well remember that Proterra did visit CTA headquarters.   Perhaps the wrong signs were programmed in, but definitely Prudential/Aon buses. 

Yup Prudential/Aon buses. I actually snapped a pic of one in fact a couple of weeks ago. 

[BusHunter]

6 hours ago, Busjack said:

I'm still not sure why they would have them. But, considering @CTA5750 saw them, especially crazy that one was a FG reading.

Considering someone mentioned the prior demonstration at CTA HQs, could it be that Proterra is letting CTA test them before CTA puts out the solicitation? I don't know, but I don't see any other particular reason why they would have the CTA sign program.

Could be Aon got the demonstrators from CTA hq's, but that would really po me if I was Aon. That would mean they got a used bus. But then again we don't know they could have possibly got a discount from Proterra.

Damn maybe I need to go look for these buses, that would be rather cool to take a shot of one with a cta destination.

[BusHunter]

2 hours ago, jajuan said:

Yup Prudential/Aon buses. I actually snapped a pic of one in fact a couple of weeks ago. 

And you didn't share????

[jajuan]

1 minute ago, BusHunter said:

And you didn't share????

I just haven't had time lately and I forgot I had taken the pics until seeing the posts about it today. I'll try to remember to upload either later tonight or early tomorrow though.

[BusHunter]

16 minutes ago, jajuan said:

I just haven't had time lately and I forgot I had taken the pics until seeing the posts about it today. I'll try to remember to upload either later tonight or early tomorrow though.

Thank you, all this has peaked my curiousity, maybe after work tomorrow I can try to take a trip down there hopefully still in daylight.

[Busjack]

5 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Could be Aon got the demonstrators from CTA hq's, but that would really po me if I was Aon. That would mean they got a used bus. But then again we don't know they could have possibly got a discount from Proterra.

Damn maybe I need to go look for these buses, that would be rather cool to take a shot of one with a cta destination.

It's a lease, so JLL doesn't care. BTW, Aon and Prudential don't own the buildings, just like Guaranteed Hate doesn't own Comiskey Park. Naming rights scams.

One also has to remember that Pace 6323 made all sorts of tours before it showed up at NW, and 15500 was at an APTA  convention.

Again, not that I know why it had CTA signs in this case.

[busfan2847]

14 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Could be Aon got the demonstrators from CTA hq's, but that would really po me if I was Aon. That would mean they got a used bus. But then again we don't know they could have possibly got a discount from Proterra.

Damn maybe I need to go look for these buses, that would be rather cool to take a shot of one with a cta destination.

The one I saw yesterday had "Railway Stations" as a destination.

[Busjack]

59 minutes ago, busfan2847 said:

The one I saw yesterday had "Railway Stations" as a destination.

Possibly ambiguous, but correct.

[jajuan]

Here is the shot I had from a couple weeks ago as promised.

[BusHunter]

11 hours ago, Busjack said:

It's a lease, so JLL doesn't care. BTW, Aon and Prudential don't own the buildings, just like Guaranteed Hate doesn't own Comiskey Park. Naming rights scams.

One also has to remember that Pace 6323 made all sorts of tours before it showed up at NW, and 15500 was at an APTA  convention.

Again, not that I know why it had CTA signs in this case.

Obviously because it was once used as a cta demo  or it wouldn't  have those signs. A good way to check that story out is to see if the interior specs are the same as the demo or not. Chances are they are and that would be too wild of a coincidence to deny.

[jajuan]

1 hour ago, BusHunter said:

Obviously because it was once used as a cta demo  or it wouldn't  have those signs. A good way to check that story out is to see if the interior specs are the same as the demo or not. Chances are they are and that would be too wild of a coincidence to deny.

That point about once being a CTA demo may need to be explained to our friend sw4400 since he seems to be under the impression that there is some sneak happening around the upcoming procurement process for the extra electrics beyond 700 and 701 based on Busjack's post in the general discussion Proterra thread. There are other shots from other members in that thread. I happened to get that rear shot that they didn't get with their pics. 

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, BusHunter said:

Obviously because it was once used as a cta demo 

 

24 minutes ago, jajuan said:

That point about once being a CTA demo may need to be explained

I don't subscribe to the "obviously." I stated my position before. I'll add that the kind of demo there was before only needed a sign like "Proterra Electric Bus." It wouldn't need a full CTA program unless it were being tested on routes. Nobody has reported that and nobody has said they have  actually seen at on Cicero Ave. Only reports (including @CTA5750's) are on Clinton.

[sw4400]

5 minutes ago, Busjack said:

 

I don't subscribe to the "obviously." I stated my position before. I'll add that the kind of demo there was before only needed a sign like "Proterra Electric Bus." It wouldn't need a full CTA program unless it were being tested on routes. Nobody has reported that and nobody has said they have  actually seen at on Cicero Ave. Only reports (including @CTA5750's) are on Clinton.

This I agree with... a demo bus just brought in to show off to CTA should not have CTA signage on the front and side displays(if it's on the front, I'm 99.9% sure it's on the side, too... they work cohesively). Only buses that should have CTA signage should be actual models that are being delivered to CTA for eventual use in-service.

[jajuan]

12 minutes ago, Busjack said:

 

I don't subscribe to the "obviously." I stated my position before. I'll add that the kind of demo there was before only needed a sign like "Proterra Electric Bus." It wouldn't need a full CTA program unless it were being tested on routes. Nobody has reported that and nobody has said they have  actually seen at on Cicero Ave. Only reports (including @CTA5750's) are on Clinton.

Wasn't there a short Proterra demo on some routes that included a brief run on the 8 Halsted a few years back? That particular demo would have indeed required a CTA sign download. 

 

[Busjack]

10 minutes ago, jajuan said:

Wasn't there a short Proterra demo on some routes that included a brief run on the 8 Halsted a few years back? That particular demo would have indeed required a CTA sign download. 

 

That might have been DesignLine. See here.

[jajuan]

8 minutes ago, Busjack said:

That might have been DesignLine. See here.

Oh OK. Well that scratches that thought then. I thought I might have remembered a possible explanation for these Aon electric shuttle buses being seen with CTA destination signs recently.  That company is now known as Environmental Performance Vehicles (EPV) as of January 2014 after the original DesignLine company went into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, as I just learned by the way.

[artthouwill]

A demo is vehicle that is basically shown to operators such as transit agencies or charter/tour operators  so those companies can possibly order their equipment or include them in a competitive bid process.   Sometimes if possible,  a company can operate a demo for a limited time to see if said vehicle will hold up in normal operations. 

I personally drove a demo bus when MCI debuted the Renaissance Model bus.  I picked it up from Hausmann in Desplaines.   My coach had all sorts of problems with the high ride system.   They fixed it and I was able to drive it into the city with no problems.   However the problem arose again over the weekend and that bus never saw the street.   Needless to say that the company chose not to order any at that time. 

I also got to test a Bluebird transit.  Bluebird brought a demo to the company and I , along with the maintenance manager and others went for a spin.  Based on that demo, I would never recommend Bluebird.   At least MCI worked out their kinks .

Having a demo doesn't mean that you will order or consider ordering a vehicle though you could consider.   Usually it's the manufacturer trying to drum up sales by showing the bus off.  Not everyone can get to a Buscon once a year. 

I believe that Proterra knew that CTA has two New Flyer Electric buses and wanted in on a potential bid process and while they were in Chicago,  was able to get some buses leased.  

I  

[BusHunter]

13 hours ago, Busjack said:

 

I don't subscribe to the "obviously." I stated my position before. I'll add that the kind of demo there was before only needed a sign like "Proterra Electric Bus." It wouldn't need a full CTA program unless it were being tested on routes. Nobody has reported that and nobody has said they have  actually seen at on Cicero Ave. Only reports (including @CTA5750's) are on Clinton.

Well just because no one mentioned one was on a demo run doesn't mean it didn't happen or was intended to happen and didnt. Just remember I saw an artic demo for nf in '97 way before nf artics were in chicago. Even rode it on the #152. Of course nf reps were on board for the ride. Sounds to me like Proterra really wants cta to buy its product. You never know they just might. If they can figure out how to outbid nf they could pull it off too.

[sw4400]

41 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Well just because no one mentioned one was on a demo run doesn't mean it didn't happen or was intended to happen and didnt. Just remember I saw an artic demo for nf in '97 way before nf artics were in chicago. Even rode it on the #152. Of course nf reps were on board for the ride. Sounds to me like Proterra really wants cta to buy its product. You never know they just might. If they can figure out how to outbid nf they could pull it off too.

Anything may be possible with the 30 all-electric buses the CTA will procure, my guess is in 2018 with a bid probably put out sometime in 2017. Even NovaBus, with the LFSE, is a possibility.

[Busjack]

5 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Well just because no one mentioned one was on a demo run doesn't mean it didn't happen or was intended to happen and didnt.

But, again these days, either Proterra would have put up a press release or da Mare would have. The DesignLine was not kept secret.

[ChicagoNova]

I finally got the opportunity to ride 701 from 79th/Racine to 79th/Perry this evening.

[XE NewFlyer]

where have these buses gone there not on the tracker anymore

[Aiden Tabucic]

34 minutes ago, XE NewFlyer said:

where have these buses gone there not on the tracker anymore

Only morning rush you can check 701 basically always on route 79

Route 79 79th-711 thats always the Block ID

[XE NewFlyer]

i have checked at that time