Tag Archives: Orion VII

Bus Photo of the Month: January 2026

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Orion VII 2010-06

Location: Paseo Gilberto Concepción De Gracia at the Covadonga Terminal, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Operator of Vehicle: Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses de Puerto Rico (AMA)
Date of Photo: March 21, 2016

Baby, it’s cold outside!

OK, perhaps not everywhere, as this website gets visits from around the world, but for our visitors from the Northern Hemisphere, for the most part right now, temperatures can be downright frigid.  They’ve certainly been below average for the past few weeks at OTP Headquarters.  So why not feature a photo from a warm weather destination?  This Orion VII was operated by the Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses de Puerto Rico in San Juan, where the high temperature today is 85°F (29°C).  According to the online sources I can find, this Orion VII is still in service as it nears 16 years of age, and there are no buses on order for AMA at the present time.  However, it is safe to assume as the oldest buses in the fleet, these are the next ones to go once newer vehicles arrive.  

For more photos of the AMA buses, please click here.  

Bus Photo of the Month: December 2021

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Orion VII/HEV 6735

Location: East 79th Street & Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: May 8, 2017

With the gradual retirement of the RTS buses that had been a mainstay on the streets of New York for decades, the Orion VII became the most prevalent bus in the Big Apple.  Although the Orion VII is not on the verge of being entirely removed from service, the number of buses in the “original” style of construction is dwindling.  As of this writing, some depots have fewer than 10 buses of this style available for service.  Since the “Next Generation” model of the Orion VII was introduced in 2007 and a transit bus in the United States is typically in service for between 12 and 15 years, it is not surprising to see that the last of the Orion VIIs to be built using the original design are being retired.  

Although the original Orion VII design was quite boxy and not particurily streamlined, I actually prefer it over the “Next Generation” design.  To me, the latter looks like a poor imitation of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro models frequently found in Europe, and just doesn’t look right as a US bus model.  Which one do you prefer?

For more photos of MTA New York City Transit’s Orion VII buses, please click here.