Category Archives: Bus Photo of the Month

Bus Photo of the Month: June 2021

Posted on by

Marcopolo DL036Marcopolo DL036

Location: Tv. Nestor de Castro, Curitiba, Brazil
Operator of Vehicle: URBS – Urbanização de Curitiba S.A.
Date of Photo: July 18, 2010

On May 27, Jaime Lerner, the former mayor of Curitiba in southern Brazil, passed away at the age of 83.  Lerner was considered to be one of the most influential urban planners.  If you’ve used a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that features level boarding, fare payment prior to boarding, and exclusive right of ways for the buses to travel, that system’s design was influenced by the network in Curitba that Lerner was critical in creating in the 1970s.  

Lerner’s professional training was as an architect and urban planner.  Prior to becoming mayor, Lerner proposed the closing of a major street in the center of Curitiba because of the high pedestrian volumes on that street.  Once appointed as mayor (Brazil was a military dictatorship at the time), Lerner worked to implement the BRT system, as he believed it would be able to improve transportation within the entire city at a larger scale than a more expensive subway system serving fewer areas.  Considering that daily ridership is about 2.3 million people per day in a metropolitan area of 3.4 million people, Lerner was undoubtedly successful in his goals.  By comparison, the Sao Paolo Metro carries about 5.3 million people per day in a city of 12.3 million residents.  BRT systems that take inspiration from Curitiba include the TransMilenio in Bogota, Colombia, Metropolitanio in Lima, Peru, Emerald Express in Eugene, Oregon, the Orange Line in Los Angeles, California, and the Strip and Downtown Express in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Curitiba is also known for its many parks, public forests, and other cultural institutions.  

While traveling in Brazil in 2010, I visited Curitiba, although I did not ride the BRT system.  Given the risks that come with being a solo traveler who did not (and still does not) speak Portuguese, taking a joyride on the transit system in Curitiba was out of the question.  However, I unexpectedly had the opportunity to meet Lerner for a one-on-one conversation lasting about an hour while I was in Curitiba.  I will attempt to share some of the highlights of that discussion as well as a talk I heard him give at the Jerusalem Municipality in 2009 in the next week or so.

For more photos of Curitiba’s Rede Integrada de Transporte, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: May 2021

Posted on by

RoutemasterRoutemaster

Location: Trafalgar Square, London, England
Operator of Vehicle: First London under contract to Transport for London
Date of Photo: May 21, 2008

When you think of London transport, the iconic image of a red, double-decker bus comes to mind.  For many years, these red double decker buses were a mainstay on the streets of London.  Over 2,900 Routemaster buses were constructed, and many are still in existence today.  However, most of them have not seen revenue service since 2005.  In that year, the last Routemasters were retired due to their lack of accessibility.  A “heritage service” was established on two routes to keep about 20 Routemasters in regular service.  These short turns of regular routes ran through Central London and were largely used by tourists.  One of these routes was discontinued in 2014, but the other continued to operate.  In 2019, the remaining heritage route was cut back to operate on weekends and bank holidays only between Easter and the end of September.  Service did not operate in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and last month, it was announced that the service will not resume as the tender has expired and it was not put up for renewal.  

I have been to London twice and consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to ride on the original Routemasters, both in regular service in 2003 and also on one of the heritage services in 2008.  I have yet to visit London since the “New Routemasters” entered service in 2012, but look forward to experiencing a low-floor, handicapped accessible Routemaster the next time I find myself there,

For more photos of London’s Routemaster buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: April 2021

Posted on by

MAN ETB 4037MAN ETB 4037

Location: Pine Street at 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA
Operator of Vehicle: King County Metro
Date of Photo: August 13, 2004

Yesterday, King County Metro announced that it launched the “Infinity Bus.”  Here is an excerpt from the agency’s blog post about its newest vehicle:

King County Metro, the region’s largest transit agency, launched a capstone mobility and engineering achievement in Seattle. The new “Infinity” articulated bus, a roughly 3-mile-long transit vehicle, forms a full loop encircling the completely-redesigned Downtown Seattle Third Avenue Transit Corridor.

 

The Infinity Bus provides service to destinations throughout downtown—as well as connections to other transit services—for employees, residents, and visitors. Third Avenue is Seattle’s most heavily-used transit corridor and moved more than 100,000 daily passengers in 2019.

 

The Infinity Bus embodies Metro’s commitment to sustainability and is part of the agency’s move to a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2040 or sooner. The new 15,840-foot vehicle is trolley-style, allowing it to pull current from overheard wires and be fully electric.

 

Responding to commuters wanting to travel at different times of day and not only during traditional rush hour periods, the Infinity Bus is designed to deliver highly-frequent—constant, actually—service. The bus offers arrivals and departures at all times, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

So if you haven’t figured it out yet, this was an April Fool’s Day joke, so you won’t be seeing any photos of the Infinity Bus on Oren’s Transit Page anytime soon.  So instead, I am offering a photo of a bus that actually ran in Seattle at one time, a MAN electric trolleybus that was retired in 2007.  I haven’t been to Seattle in over 12 years, so I am pretty confident in saying that none of the buses I photographed there on my prior visits are still in service.  I certainly hope to (and expect to) visit Seattle again someday, even if there won’t be an Infinity Bus to check out on my next visit.

For more photos of King County Metro buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: March 2021

Posted on by

Gillig Advantage Trolley Replica 922Gillig Advantage Trolley Replica 922

Location: Central Avenue at 6th Street, Saint Petersburg, FL
Operator of Vehicle: Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
Date of Photo: March 13, 2019

Yesterday, I wrote about advertising wraps on transit vehicles and how reactions to them in the transit enthusiast community can be mixed.  If there is one topic on which there is a certain amount of consensus, it is the general derision for buses that are made to look like trollies.  While there may be a certain aesthetic charm and appeal to the population at large with these vehicle designs, transit fans tend to prefer authentic trollies, streetcars, and trams over buses such as these.  The bus featured here is manufactured by Gillig.  Basically, Gillig offers a version of its standard Advantage low floor bus that is “[o]utfitted with solid oak seats, “brass” stanchions, cupola lighting, and cow catcher.”  Agencies that purchase these trolley replicas generally operate them on tourist oriented services.  In PSTA’s case, they advertise four “trolley routes” on their website where these vehicles can be found.

What do you think of trolley replica buses?

For more photos of Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: February 2021

Posted on by

New Flyer XDE40 7225New Flyer XDE40 7225

Location: 16th Street, NW at Hemlock Street, Washington, DC
Operator of Vehicle: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Date of Photo: January 25, 2016

The Washington, DC area got its first measurable snowfall since 2018 this past weekend.  If you’re a winter weather lover, the nation’s capital has not been a great place to be in recent years, with the daily high temperature in excess of 32 degrees Fahrenheit for nearly two years.  That also means if you like getting or seeing transit photos dashing through the snow, you’ve been out of luck (at least in the DC area).  With this past weekend’s storm, there were finally a few inches of measurable snow in the WMATA service area to photograph vehicles in, if that is how one wished to spend his or her Sunday snow day.  (Those in Philadelphia, New York, and other points to the north and east have even more snow to photograph, but fewer transit vehicles to see running through it, as service was significantly curtailed as a safety precaution.)  Given the circumstances, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight a photo taken during the last really big snowfall in the District of Columbia.  In 2016, a blizzard dumped over two feet of snow in the DC area, forcing the suspension of all WMATA bus and rail service for two days on January 23 and 24.  This photo was taken when service resumed, albeit on a limited basis with many routes remaining suspended and many of those that were able to operate being detoured at points along their routes, on January 25.  

For more photos of WMATA’s New Flyer XDE40 buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: January 2021

Posted on by

NovaBUS LFX Artic 5006NovaBUS LFX Artic 5006

Location: South Congress Avenue at West James Street, Austin, TX
Operator of Vehicle: Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro)
Date of Photo: January 23, 2020

I’d recommend that any visitor to Austin, Texas take some time to walk through the South Congress neighborhood.  It is an eclectic shopping district that definitely contributes to the “Keep Austin Weird” vibe promoted by small businesses in the city.  One of the attractions of the area is the unimpeded views of the Texas State Capitol building from along the length of the avenue, and for transit fans, this means it is easy to capture the Capitol building and the other parts of the downtown skyline in any photos taken in this area.  Furthermore, one of the two MetroRapid routes operated by Capital Metro serves this corridor, so the photo opportunities come frequently.  

For more photos of Capital Metro buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: December 2020

Posted on by

Gillig Advantage 6325Gillig Advantage 6325

Location: Stanwix Street at Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Operator of Vehicle: Port Authority of Allegheny County
Date of Photo: December 1, 2019

You’ve probably heard this before, but we are supposed to be preparing for a holiday season like no other this year.  However, a number of transit agencies are planning to go ahead with celebrating the Christmas season this year as they usually do or with some modifications in place.  For example, the CTA Holiday Train and CTA Holiday Bus will operate in Chicago but without passengers.  MDOT MTA’s Holiday Bus will be operating as usual, and per tradition, anyone who manages to catch it will get a free ride.  However, some traditions are on pause this year, such as the New York City Transit’s operation of its vintage train along 6th Avenue.  

In Pittsburgh, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has had a custom of decorating several buses for Christmas (and occasionally for other holidays as well), and one of those decorated buses is featured here.  The wreath and candy canes on the bike rack and the reindeer horns on the rear view mirrors aren’t the only decorations, the rear of the bus and the interior are decked out as well (see below).  However, it appears Pittsburgh’s holiday custom is among those that will not be observed this year.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions that are observed by a specific transit agency?  Share them in the comments below.

Gillig Advantage Interior
Gillig Advantage Interior
Gillig Advantage 6325

For more photos of Port Authority of Allegheny County buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: November 2020

Posted on by

Gillig Phantom 3212Gillig Phantom 3212

Location: 2nd Avenue at Broad Street, Seattle, WA
Operator of Vehicle: King County Metro
Date of Photo: August 3, 2007

On Friday, October 23, 2020, King County Metro retired the last of its diesel buses.  At the time that the first of its “1100 Series” Gillig Phantoms was delivered, there were 1,100 buses in the King County Metro fleet, all of which were diesel powered.  The one featured in this photograph was among them.  Fast forward to today, and with the retirement of the last Gillig Phantom, the KCM fleet is now made up entirely of diesel electric hybrids, electric trolleybuses, or electric buses such as Proterra Catalyst and BYD K9 models.  It is one of the largest bus fleets in the United States that does not have any vehicles to only be powered by diesel.  King County Metro is aiming to have the entire fleet consist of zero-emissions vehicles by 2040.

For more photos of King County Metro buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: October 2020

Posted on by

New Flyer XN40 2992New Flyer XN40 2992

Location: Hayes Street at 18th Street, Crystal City, VA
Operator of Vehicle: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Date of Photo: March 24, 2019

In just a few weeks, there will be a second BRT system operating in the DC area.  On October 14, Montgomery County will launch FLASH on US 29 in Maryland, connecting Silver Spring, White Oak, and Burtonsville.  So while Metroway, a bus rapid transit line connecting Crystal City to Alexandria in Virginia will no longer be the only BRT route in the DC area, it can always claim to be the first.  

Metroway launched on August 24, 2014.  The route stops at designated stations with level boarding, distinct canopy designs, and real time countdown clocks.  However, fare payment is still made on board the buses.  While Metroway buses use dedicated roadways for a portion of the route, there are other segments where they operate in mixed traffic.  The route originally launched with NABI 42 BRT buses, but since December 18, 2016, New Flyer XN40 buses such as this one have served the route.

FLASH will be operated by Ride On and will feature things that Metroway lacks, such as off vehicle payments and bike racks inside the buses rather than on the front.  So not only will the DC area be getting a second BRT service, it will also be introduced to some additional BRT features that are not present in the area just yet.  

For more photos of WMATA’s New Flyer XN40 Buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: September 2020

Posted on by

Orion I 387Orion I 387

Location: East Avenue at Tower Road
Operator of Vehicle: Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit
Date of Photo: December 2, 2005

Much has changed for transit systems in terms of levels of service provided, routes, schedules, and more since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year.  This is especially true for a transit system that primarily serves a college town, such as TCAT in Ithaca, NY.  TCAT’s Fall 2020 service plan includes an interesting quirk where an old route has been partially revived nearly 15 years after its discontinuation.  Prior to January 2006, Route 84 operated between Collegetown and the B-Lot on Cornell University’s campus.  At that time, the 84 was discontinued and replaced by a modified Route 50 and a new route, the 54.  The 50 and 54 were replaced by during the 2010 Transit Development Plan by the 51 and 53, and those routes have basically remained as is since that time.  However, in order to provide additional capacity on routes serving Cornell’s campus (which is open for in person learning this fall), a new circulator route was created to operate between Collegetown and Central Campus, and it will be known as Route 84.  While it won’t extend all the way to the Vet School, what was old is new again, at least to some extent.

In addition to the differences in alignment between this version of the 84 and its predecessor, the bus seen operating the 84 in this photo from 2005 will not be serving the 2020 version.  This Orion I bus was manufactured in 1989, featured a single panel sliding front door (and was not wheelchair accessible), and was retired in 2007, not too long (relatively speaking) after the 84’s previous incarnation was discontinued.  Given the current makeup of the TCAT fleet, the new 84 is likely to be served primarily by Gillig Advantage low floor buses, which weren’t even a part of the fleet in early 2006.

For more photos of TCAT’s Orion I buses, please click here.