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Minneapolis "t" Buses....


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A couple of thoughts:

I haven't been up to the Twin Cities since 2006, but the video footage didn't look anything like Route 10 to me. Also I couldn't tell if that was the main garage on 7th or Nicollet garage.

As far as the bus is concerned, I love the interior and the fact that there are no hopper windows. Not a fan of the wrap, but hey, if it's worth a free ride, what can I say? I know that if CTA awards a new contract for 40's to New Flyer, the CTA will muck up the look of the bus. It is stylish, but livery (and certain options like hopper windows) can ruin the appearance of a bus (for instance I hated the big sliding windows on the Gillig Phantoms up there, I've seen better looking ones with the rental car companies).

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A couple of thoughts:

I haven't been up to the Twin Cities since 2006, but the video footage didn't look anything like Route 10 to me. Also I couldn't tell if that was the main garage on 7th or Nicollet garage.

The pictures were taken at Northtowm Mall Transit Center.

Not a fan of the wrap, but hey, if it's worth a free ride, what can I say?

The wrap is to promote the Advanced engine and hybrid technology.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Siemens S70 was revealed to the public on Wednesday Oct. 10, 2012 at Target Field Station. The new Siemens S70 LRV # 201 and the repainted Bombardier Flexity Swift LRV # 104 was displayed for the public and press. The LRVs are painted in the new METRO brand.

My camera broke so these pictures was with my cell phone.Siemens S70 LRV #201

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Siemens S70 was revealed to the public on Wednesday Oct. 10, 2012 at Target Field Station. The new Siemens S70 LRV # 201 and the repainted Bombardier Flexity Swift LRV # 104 was displayed for the public and press. The LRVs are painted in the new METRO brand.

My camera broke so these pictures was with my cell phone.Siemens S70 LRV #201

Oh she is a beautiful thing.

The question I have is that will the Green Line get a new number along with the 55/Blue Line?

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  • 2 months later...

Does the "T" have Nova's now?

Nope, although who knows for future orders. These 7 LFX (40') are the MVTA's. They are painted in the METRO scheme that future BRT lines and the LRT cars will also use.

7300-7332 (I believe) are in service and based out of East. They will primarily run on slower local East routes like the 64, 68, 71, and 75.

MVTA is currently conducting meetings regarding service changes in relation to Metro Red.

Major Green Line construction is complete. Hanging overhead and then testing of the new cars on the line will begin in the spring. Saint Paul Union Depot had its official reopening back in December. Jefferson Lines and Amtrak will transfer their operations there in the coming months.

Here are a couple photos from the past months:

8204045529_a8bce3893b_t.jpg 8275656561_180c30ff36_t.jpg

On the bus fan side, The Phantom population is slowly disappearing. Expected of course, but still it's getting harder to find Phantoms in great quantity anymore outside of rush hour. At the rate things are going I'd say 2016 is going to be the last year you'll see the Gillig Phantom in fixed route transit service in the TCM*.

*Contractor operated service being a possible exception.

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Nope, although who knows for future orders. These 7 LFX (40') are the MVTA's. They are painted in the METRO scheme that future BRT lines and the LRT cars will also use.

7300-7332 (I believe) are in service and based out of East. They will primarily run on slower local East routes like the 64, 68, 71, and 75.

MVTA is currently conducting meetings regarding service changes in relation to Metro Red.

Major Green Line construction is complete. Hanging overhead and then testing of the new cars on the line will begin in the spring. Saint Paul Union Depot had its official reopening back in December. Jefferson Lines and Amtrak will transfer their operations there in the coming months.

Here are a couple photos from the past months:

8204045529_a8bce3893b_t.jpg 8275656561_180c30ff36_t.jpg

On the bus fan side, The Phantom population is slowly disappearing. Expected of course, but still it's getting harder to find Phantoms in great quantity anymore outside of rush hour. At the rate things are going I'd say 2016 is going to be the last year you'll see the Gillig Phantom in fixed route transit service in the TCM*.

*Contractor operated service being a possible exception.

When I asked my question I didn't realize that was an MVTA bus illustrated on the

web page [the LRV type livery fooled me]. So indeed there are Nova LFX buses in the

greater area. Thanks much! :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Metropolitan Council RFP 12P227 for a base order of 184 40' transit buses with options for 221 additional has been issued.

Details:

Base order is for 114 diesel and 60 hybrid diesel-electric for Metro Transit, and 10 diesel for MTS.

Options are for 176 diesel and 45 hybrid diesel-electric, options may be used by the Council for Metro Transit, MTS, or other regional providers, or assigned, sold, or transferred.

Bids are due March 1st at this time, with an expected award date of June, pilot bus due in January 2014, and first order delivered by August 2014.

Document holders so far include transit vehicle manufacturers New Flyer, Gillig, Nova Bus, NABI, and Designline. Other interested parties are American Seating, and Mobile Climate Control.

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Metropolitan Council RFP 12P227 for a base order of 184 40' transit buses with options for 221 additional has been issued.

...

Technical questions (just out of curiosity):

Does the Metro Council procurement process interact with the multistate contract (cited as SF MUNI piggybacking on a Minnesota contract), or it it independent?

Is Metro really charging to download the specs? With the way several of us hit to CTA site today, CTA could have made some change.

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Technical questions (just out of curiosity):

Does the Metro Council procurement process interact with the multistate contract (cited as SF MUNI piggybacking on a Minnesota contract), or it it independent?

Is Metro really charging to download the specs? With the way several of us hit to CTA site today, CTA could have made some change.

Different contract.

On the procurement page click "View Plans"

It will be interesting if New Flyer or NOVA win it. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a Gillig contract, keeping pretty much the entire 30/40 foot fleet homogeneously Gillig.

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If only Chicago and its burbs could come together like this rather than bicker and squabble over whether one is getting transit at the expense of the other and have the silly squabbles over which agency (CTA or Pace) does what on either side of the city limits line.

To the extent that the Mayor of Apple Valley was cooperating with some other entity, political relations are too strained in the Chicago area for any suburban mayor to cooperate with Chicago, which is viewed as Daley or Emanuel trying to shove something down the suburbs' throats and making the suburbs pay for it. Of course, Illinois has too many political subdivisions.

About the best you can expect is Skokie being the grantee for the Oakton station on CTA property.

Of course, the other difference is that Minnesota has the Metro Council, through which projects must be managed. All we have is the impotent RTA, about about all the suburbs care about RTA transit oriented development grants is to use one to to have a consultant say something about van parking near the Metra station and redeveloping a shopping center 4 blocks from it.

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