Academy/Pace operations.....

[Guest]

I was commenting on contractors showing the two messages mentioned more than Pace itself. The Pace drivers seem to like the GO [CUBS SOX BEARS] signs better.

When the RTA was just getting going (it must have been 1976), it ran a commercial, using the Beach Boys song "I Get Around," with a (then new) pumpkin bus rolling its sign.

I spotted some new Pace Bus Stop signs this morning along Touhy ave. by OHare in Des Plaines. Has anyone else spotted any?.

[Guest]

This morning working 606, I spotted Nabi #6646 on the 699 route. I found out when I pulled in we recieved Nabi Nos. 6645 and 6646 on tues.

[MetroShadow]

I spotted some new Pace Bus Stop signs this morning along Touhy ave. by OHare in Des Plaines. Has anyone else spotted any?.

Cottage Grove and Highway 6 (NB stop on route 353).

There are also a bunch out there in Aurora as well.

[Guest]

Cottage Grove and Highway 6 (NB stop on route 353).

There are also a bunch out there in Aurora as well.

I actually like both versions of Pace bus stops. But i guess the new design will do.

[Guest]

Tues. I was assigned the 326 until 1:30pm then I went to work on the 606 for a trip and a half. When I got back to Rosemont another operator took over for me. To get back to Colonials home base my relief driver brought me one of Colonials MCI 102C3 coach buses. I havent driven one before so it was fun opportunity to see what driving a highway coach feels like. It drives really nice, I really enjoyed the trip back to the yard.

[qwantae]

I actually like both versions of Pace bus stops. But i guess the new design will do.

Well I like the old versions better, it looks more colorful with yellow. But we need new ones anyways.

[qwantae]

There are also a bunch out there in Aurora as well.

I bet, because so many route changes went on lately in last couple of years.

[Guest]

Heres some NABI shots I took this morning at NWTC in Schaumburg. #6608 this bus drove really nice , go figure! I was actually waiting for #6609 on the 696 to swap buses.

[andrethebusman]

I cant believe what I spotted today, Pace Orion #2303. It was running on the 270 Milwaukee NB. I guess it was sent back to Northwest. We did get a couple of Academy/Pace buses running again so it probably was sent back to Des Plaines for that reason. Too bad, 2303 was a good bus.

Did 2289-2290 get shipped out?

[Guest]

Did 2289-2290 get shipped out?

They have been shipped over from Pace NW to Academy/Mt Prospect where they currently operate. 2289/90 can usually be found on Routes 606 or 616.

[Guest]

This morning working 606, I spotted Nabi #6646 on the 699 route. I found out when I pulled in we recieved Nabi Nos. 6645 and 6646 on tues.

Yesterday NABI #6641 6642 were added to the Academy fleet.

Academy NABI roster as of 3/10/08

#6604 to #6612

#6641, 6642, 6645, 6646.

[Guest]

I went to Colonial/Academy today, I was looking through the yard, we now recieved NABI #6634. This is the fifth bus weve recieved from Elgin.

[Guest]

quote name='CTA5750' post='5720' date='Aug 27 2007, 12:02 AM']Here is a rundown of equipment currently assigned to Academy/Pace operation, Routes 326,600,606,616,696,699

for those of you who might be interested....

Correct me if I miss one....

NABI 35ft .....

6604 6610 6642

6605 6611 6645

6606 6612 6646

6607 6634

6608 6635

6609 6641

ORION 35/40ft....

2289 2290 2302

2293 2307 2377

2330 2326 2296

2297 2372

2300 2374

2301 2375

As of 5/08

#2304,2308,2316,2373,2376, Removed from roster.

It looks as though the Orion Is will begin to be phased out of Academy. Our Orion fleet has been cut down within the past year. Weve lost 6 Orions now and Im led to believe more will be gone soon. Im noticing NABIs are being assigned more often on the 606 route. Hopefully we'll still get one last push of Orions whether from NS or NW. NW Orions still look in good shape.

[Tcmetro]

? What buses are replacing the Orion I's? NABI LFW, Orion 6, EZ Rider?

[Busjack]

? What buses are replacing the Orion I's? NABI LFW, Orion 6, EZ Rider?

Those that were on their last legs at Academy, 35 foot NABIs.

The maybe 95 throughout the Pace system that weren't on the list of those being sold off (including those still at North, North Shore, Northwest, and South and with contractors), nothing at the moment. Some of them were recently rehabbed. At the moment, there are no pending options for 40 foot buses. Still 82 unexercised options for EZ riders, based on existing sightings of 140 delivered buses and options for up to 222.

[Guest]

Those that were on their last legs at Academy, 35 foot NABIs.

The maybe 95 throughout the Pace system that weren't on the list of those being sold off (including those still at North, North Shore, Northwest, and South and with contractors), nothing at the moment. Some of them were recently rehabbed. At the moment, there are no pending options for 40 foot buses. Still 82 unexercised options for EZ riders, based on existing sightings of 140 delivered buses and options for up to 222.

Its possible that no more Orions will be shipped over to us. Seems like now every Orion that is removed off the roster gets replaced by a NABI 35ft. Were now just about 50/50 between the two models, 14 Orion Is, 14 NABI 35ft. .

[Tcmetro]

Do any of the routes operated by Academy have the ridership for a 40 ft. bus?

So is Pace retiring the Orion I's or just moving them around to other bases/contractors?

[Busjack]

Do any of the routes operated by Academy have the ridership for a 40 ft. bus?

So is Pace retiring the Orion I's or just moving them around to other bases/contractors?

Pace doesn't release ridership reports, but based on what they threatened to cut, the only one that appears to is the 600/606 combo. 326, 616, 696, and 699 certainly don't.

At the moment it appears that Pace is just moving them around, and about 10 of them are out of service. Some of the places where Pace moves them, such as the DuPage County contractor, certainly don't justify a 40 foot bus, and I believe (but I don't know) that eventually they'll get 30 foot ones.

For that matter, I have argued that the 40 foot Orion Is left at NW and NS probably could be replaced with 30 foot buses, since, while NW has heavy routes, it also has 80 some Orion VIs, and has (apparently successfully) run its 4 30 foot buses on routes such as 209/234 and 423.

All of this is speculation, in that:

• All the service boards have ramped up their legislative campaign to get a capital bill.
  
• There seems to be a lot of "off the budget" ways of paying for buses, such as earmarks and CMAQ.
  

Thus, the conclusion can be made that Pace is not retiring the Orion Is now, except for the unusable ones, but anything could happen in the near future. But, as mentioned, there are no outstanding options for 40 foot buses.

[Guest]

Do any of the routes operated by Academy have the ridership for a 40 ft. bus?

So is Pace retiring the Orion I's or just moving them around to other bases/contractors?

Out of the six routes we operate only our Route 606 is the most heavily traveled route by suburban standards that needs 40 foot buses. It can use a 35ft. at some times of the day but not always especially saturdays. We have a couple of 35ft Orions in our fleet but. Pace is slowly phasing out the Orions. But some Orions are still in good shape that they may be around for a while.

[Guest]

We got Nabi #6635 now from Elgin.

Our Nabi fleet as of 5/28

#6604-6612

#6632,6634,6635,6641,6642,6645,6646

#6632 as of 6/6/08

[Guest]

Well, scratch Orion #2377, 2302, 2304, 2330, 2296 from the roster. Orion #2301 will soon be taken off the roster. All thats left at Academy are #2289, 2290, 2293, 2297, 2301, 2307, 2326, 2327, 2372, 2374, 2375. There is talk that Academy will be an all NABI fleet plus the two 35ft Orions. As of right now, no 40 foot buses are expected to replace the Orions for the time being. Expect to see NABIs quite often on all six of Academy's Pace routes. Its really sad to see that Academy's Pace bus fleet is starting to look more NABI than Orions, these buses are finally starting to give out on us. Pace routes #326, 696, 699 are all NABIs. The Orions are kept on Routes 600, 606, 616 with NABIs shuffled in there.

[Busjack]

Well scratch Orion #2377, 2302, 2304, 2330 from the roster, #2301 will soon be taken off the roster, 2293?

Junk, or going elsewhere, like the Wheaton restructuring starting Monday?

[MVTArider]

So how are the NABIs doing? As far as do they run well or do they have a rough ride? I remember riding on a Pace bus, I think it was an Orion 1, back in 2005. It sounded like it was on its last legs but it seemed to run alright from what I remember. I wonder how the NABIs are because in the MVTA fleet we have 6 2001 New Flyer D35LFs (4121-4126). They are still running real nice. Also how are the Orions that are left doing? I miss the old MVTA/The County Connection 1985 Gillig phantoms we had.

By the way, Do Pace buses have the typical fiberglass/plastic/metal seats with the inserts or do they have more comfortable seats? on MVTA all the low floor buses (with the exception of the NF D35LFs I mentioned before) have high backed commuter seating. Of course MVTA mostly has express routes versus Pace which I think has a lot more local type service.

[Busjack]

So how are the NABIs doing? As far as do they run well or do they have a rough ride? I remember riding on a Pace bus, I think it was an Orion 1, back in 2005. It sounded like it was on its last legs but it seemed to run alright from what I remember. I wonder how the NABIs are because in the MVTA fleet we have 6 2001 New Flyer D35LFs (4121-4126). They are still running real nice. Also how are the Orions that are left doing? I miss the old MVTA/The County Connection 1985 Gillig phantoms we had.

By the way, Do Pace buses have the typical fiberglass/plastic/metal seats with the inserts or do they have more comfortable seats? on MVTA all the low floor buses (with the exception of the NF D35LFs I mentioned before) have high backed commuter seating. Of course MVTA mostly has express routes versus Pace which I think has a lot more local type service.

As far as how the NABIs are doing, that's a matter of debate. A driver who used to frequent here said "there junk." He worked at South, which is probably the heaviest division, and had over 85 of them, mixed between 1999 and 2003 models, and only 2 Orion Is.

There was also the trend of getting the 35 foot NABIs out of Aurora and Elgin, and replace them with 30 foot ElDorados. 15 of them ended up at Colonial, but some of them are being used to replace 1992 Ikaruses at West. Others are being used on feeder routes, such as Lisle, and hence only a couple of hours a day.

Pace buses up to 2002 had the plastic shell seats with inserts. The 2003 and 2005 NABIs had upholstered bench seats. The 2006-2007 ElDorados have the "big bottom" seats, with a high back shell, and Pace logos in the fabric inserts. Only the Nova Classics have what would be considered commuter seating, and, of course, the 8 MCIs have motor coach accommodations.

[Guest]

And the NABI invasion continues.......

Today we recieved #6632 from Elgin. Currently, 16 NABIs are assigned to Academy with only 11 Orions remaining on the roster. Today I was assigned #6612 on the 606 route, there were at least 4 other NABIs running on the 606 altogether. The NABIs are quickly taking over the Pace fleet at Academy as the Orions are retiring. Here are a couple of shots I took of #6632 when I pulled in and I also captured a shot of NABI #6241 leaving Rosemont on the #325 with the simplified scheme.