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Boarded My First Nabi's Today


sw4400

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I rarely ever ride the PACE system. This was the first time in about 3+ years. I boarded route 302(bus #6303 going to my destination and 6262 coming back) and route 307(bus #6190). The ride is terrible, my head is still aching from that large pothole we hit on 307 that rattled the bus something serious(typical ride for a NABI). I am, however, jealous of their seating. Those seats are so soft and comfy compared to the CTA. We should get those seats on our next procurement of buses! They also have a TV on these vehicles that give the passengers weather and news info on there. Maybe if the CTA did a little of these upgrades to their fleet, the passengers would be a little more happier. I never seen such happier customers than on routes 307 and 302 today. They came on with a smile and left with one. Some even took the time to talk to the operator for a second and share a quick laugh. This is how public transportation should be, IMO. PACE gets a silver star from me today for comfort and pleasantness of it's operators. The buses are another story, however.

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I've ridden the "BRT" NABI in Los Angeles. Nothing special. The ride quality seemed better than CTA's NABIs, but that could be because the roads out there are better maintained (I don't know that to be a fact, but that could be one reason). I also rode a Compobus when I was out there (since I missed CTA's version).

As for sw's comment about upgrades to CTA's fleet, I don't know if you're referring to the seats, or to the telescreens. If you're talking about the seats, fine (though nice, comfortable seats tend to be a maintenance headache, and if those seats aren't maintained properly, they can be much worse to sit on than the current seats). If you're referring to TTN, then I'll strongly disagree. I finally escaped from Milwaukee last year, where they've had those blasted devices for about four years now (has it really been that long already?). When they work (and my limited experience riding Pace suggests that their TTN system is about as unreliable as they were in Milwaukee), they're an obnoxious annoyance (the volume was too loud, the programming was just crazy, etc.). I don't like being forced to watch (or even listen to) advertising for 20-30 minutes a day.

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The Tribune had a column by a Northwestern professor about how the TVs were too loud. On the 2600 I rode, there was no sound.

The seats are unique to the 6162-6322 and 6600-6684 series (although the 2120s had something similar); Pace is now going to the "fat bottom" seats similar to those in the new CTA buses.

I'm sure that you'll get a retort from pace2322. However, it might also be that the NABIs in South get heavier use and thus wore out faster. sw noted the suspension problems, which others have also.

Also, if you got 6262, it must have been recently moved from North Shore. I haven't seen that series of buses on the 5:30 from Northbrook Court this week. I did see a 2600 on the 4:30 run. Maybe my prediction about North Shore getting the smaller buses, including from Highland Park and West getting some of its 40 footers is panning out (compared to no luck predicting the CTA).

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U didnt ride on 6190 on the 307. Thats one of our junks.

Honestly, the last two were correct with the first two numbers, but perhaps the last two were wrong. I did ride a 62xx and a 61xx(the 62xx had blue paint with the "P" logo at the rear, as did 6303, the 61xx was standard white paint.

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Basically, pace2322 is correct if he is saying that buses in the 6162-6217 range were (at least originally) allocated to South. West originally had buses in the 6218-6248 (white) and 6268-6321 (blue) ranges, but some of the white ones later made it to Joliet and North Shore. North Shore had 6262-6267 and 6322, but as I previously noted, those haven't been seen on their normal run this week, and with North Shore getting 15 2600s, I can buy that they might have been moved. It is very unlikely that a South bus would be moved to West, and pace2322 would know if that happened.

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I have never ridden a Nabi, however, i think the new ones (BRT, and the 42 ft similar style as the BRT they will release this fall) look pretty cool, has anyone ever rode one these.

When I got to the end of this thread I went over to the NABI website

http://www.nabiusa.com/ but I didn't see anything on a 42 ft bus.

Can you shed more light on this?

Gene

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When I got to the end of this thread I went over to the NABI website http://www.nabiusa.com/ but I didn't see anything on a 42 ft bus. Can you shed more light on this?
NABI had an announcement, which is in the 2006 part of the "What's New" portion of its site. We also mentioned Pace getting a demonstration of both the 42-BRT and 60-BRT.
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NABI had an announcement, which is in the 2006 part of the "What's New" portion of its site. We also mentioned Pace getting a demonstration of both the 42-BRT and 60-BRT.

NABI 60fy, 42ft. BRT, One of the most ridiculous looking buses since the Nova LFS. I wil never get used to that styling, I wouldnt be caught dead driving those ridiculous looking buses. The next generation of buses are just getting worse and worse with the designs. First the high floor buses will soon be a thing of the past and now ugly designs. Im getting less and less interested in newer buses. Pretty soon the industry will not be as interesting as it used to be.

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The next generation of buses are just getting worse and worse with the designs.
I guess it is a matter of opinion. I thought that the Orion Vs and Gillig Phantoms were just tin cans, trying to emulate a Flxible Metro. The MANs, conventional New Flyers, and conventional NABIs were metal boxes. I think that the Orion VIs are real ugly, because of the uneven windows and open vents (especially where the transit authority, like Pace, doesn't use black masking around the windows; what is that can you see inside the back vent?). I previously mentioned that an Orion I looked like a 1940s White, except for having bigger windows.

Maybe what now bothers me is that while I like the more streamlined look, the redesigned New Flyers and Next Generation Orion VIs (and for that matter El Dorado EZ Riders) have essentially the same front end, with the Orions not having the projector headlights. Orion still can't figure out how to put louvers over the vents. The NABIs are more extreme, but they are different. I also liked the Optima smiley windshield, but apparently that it typical of a bus from the UK.

I also don't understand why most BRTs (including the New Flyers in Cleveland) have 1950s style fender skits (covers over the wheel openings).

Finally, I might be spoiled by the RTSs and Flxible Metros, but I don't like a bus style that doesn't have flush windows.

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Pretty soon the industry will not be as interesting as it used to be.

We're not supposed to be interested in the industry, we're only supposed to ride buses because we have to. Why does everyone here complain about how the buses look like or how their signs are, be happy we have transit!

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<snip>

I also don't understand why most BRTs (including the New Flyers in Cleveland) have 1950s style fender skits (covers over the wheel openings).

Finally, I might be spoiled by the RTSs and Flxible Metros, but I don't like a bus style that doesn't have flush windows.

How about this as a guess:

Some transit providers have been to market BRT as a low cost Light Rail substitute. In this process they want the riders to feel the buses look like LRVs. Personally, I like buses, streetcars, LRVs and heavy rail trains. I think transit buses such as the New Flyer [revised front], Orion VII [updated version], and the Gillig low floor [operated by Kansas City Metro's MAX] look better than New Flyer and NABI's BRT offerings. I even think the most manufacturer's regular front transit buses look better than their BRT buses.

On the other hand, there is no accounting for taste.

Gene King

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How about this as a guess:

Some transit providers have been to market BRT as a low cost Light Rail substitute. In this process they want the riders to feel the buses look like LRVs. Personally, I like buses, streetcars, LRVs and heavy rail trains. I think transit buses such as the New Flyer [revised front], Orion VII [updated version], and the Gillig low floor [operated by Kansas City Metro's MAX] look better than New Flyer and NABI's BRT offerings. I even think the most manufacturer's regular front transit buses look better than their BRT buses.

On the other hand, there is no accounting for taste.

Gene King

Please insert the word "trying" after the word "been"

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