Environmentally friendly vehicles again took center stage on the show floor, while the education portion focused on new technologies and even featured a new track, at the 17th installment of BusCon, held at Chicago’s Navy Pier in September. The 115,000-square-foot exhibit space showcased products from nearly 125 exhibitors and touted more than 65 vehicles in a range of sizes from small vans to cutaways to an open-top double-deck sightseeing bus.

American Public Transportation Association President/CEO Michael Melaniphy discussed the “state of the industry” during his keynote address at an event that also featured the Mid-Size Bus Manufacturers Association (MSBMA) awards and a presentation about the South West Transit Association’s (SWTA) new veteran employment
initiative.

METRO’s Frank Di Giacomo, Starcraft Bus President David Wright, Bobit Business Media President/CEO Ty Bobit, Ralph Kramden and METRO’s Mark Hollenbeck (left to right) took part in the ribbon cutting.

METRO’s Frank Di Giacomo, Starcraft Bus President David Wright, Bobit Business Media President/CEO Ty Bobit, Ralph Kramden and METRO’s Mark Hollenbeck (left to right) took part in the ribbon cutting.

Show floor trends
ROUSH CleanTech unveiled a new propane autogas-fueled shuttle bus converted by its newest preferred industry partner, Green Alternative Systems (GAS).

Using their existing sales and service channel, GAS has partnered to provide installations for ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas fueling systems in the transit, paratransit and commercial ground transportation markets.
“With GAS’s expertise and understanding of the transit, paratransit and commercial ground transportation markets, this partnership will open up a wealth of possibilities for fleets across America,” said Todd Mouw, VP, sales and marketing, for ROUSH CleanTech.

Propane autogas historically costs 30% to 40% less than gasoline and is readily available through a nationwide network of refueling infrastructure, according to ROUSH. The company’s propane autogas fuel system delivers equivalent horsepower, torque and towing capacity compared to gasoline versions of the same models, but emits 20% less nitrogen oxide, 60% less carbon monoxide and up to 25% less greenhouse gases.

Winner of BusCon’s Most Innovative New Technology, Loveland, Colo.-based Lightning Hybrids showcased and hosted ride-alongs of its shuttle bus, retrofitted with a hydraulic hybrid system, which uses regenerative braking to help deliver an up to 40% improvement in fuel economy.

The patent-pending hydraulic hybrid system includes two or three efficient hydraulic pumps, a unique power transfer module, a lightweight accumulator system, a valve block and certified hoses, and a proprietary control system developed in conjunction with National Instruments. At $19,995 for the hybrid retrofit, it provides a two- to three-year payback for stop-and-go drive cycles based on fuel and brake savings, according to company officials.

The Vehicle Production Group (VPG) unveiled its all-new 2013 LX MV-1 model during a large-scale event that featured a host of former Chicago athletes, including “Mr. Cub”

Ernie Banks and former Chicago Bears Keith Van Horne and Calvin Thomas, as well as cheerleaders from the Chicago Bulls and president of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and owner of the very first MV-1 ever manufactured by VPG, Marc Buoniconti.

Wrapped in the stars and stripes, the MV-1 is the only wheelchair-accessible vehicle built from the ground up in the U.S. and is available with a compressed natural gas option. Throughout BusCon, VPG held a sweepstakes where several hundred participants gave their business cards for a chance to win $1,000, with CEO John Walsh choosing the winners during the event.

A hit with many attendees, who wanted to stand on top and check out a view of the show floor, was the Alexander Dennis 36-foot Double Deck Open Top Tourist Bus, which is modeled after the company’s Enviro400 transit bus.

In addition to its 35-foot model, CH Bus Sales displayed the new 30-foot TS30 Temsa. The unique coach features a monocoque design, as opposed to a traditional body-on-chassis, and can seat up to 32 passengers. Both the TS35 and TS30 pair a Cummins engine to an Allison transmission and feature seating with three-point seat belts. The first of the new TS30s are expected to be delivered prior to the end of 2012, with a new 45-foot Temsa set to debut in January.

Additional show floor highlights included three Sprinter vans from Mercedes-Benz with 3-liter BlueTec turbo engines; three different Dallas Smith Corp. chassis with the company’s four-point air-kneeling system; and a large Thor Industries display featuring vehicles from Champion Bus, Goshen Coach and ElDorado National. [PAGEBREAK]

Session highlights
The United Motorcoach Association’s (UMA) Bus & Motorcoach Academy/Clarence Cornell School of Business Track, included the two-part Spader Habits of High Performers session.

Utilizing its work as a UMA 20 Group provider, the Spader Group identified many of the habits that make successful operators “high performers.” The two-part session discussed many of those tendencies to help attendees attain better organizational performance.
Meanwhile, John Keys of JKeys Solutions was joined by the UMA’s Victor Parra and Ken Presley to discuss how public transit systems and private bus operators can work together to meet the mass transit needs of the public, especially with some of the new provisions in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) transportation authorization bill.

During the “Alternative Fuels, Making the Right Fuel Choice for Your Operation” panel session, various representatives, including ROUSH’s Todd Mouw, Clean Energy’s Joanne Hayes, and the Center for Bus Research and Testing’s David Klinikowski, discussed the benefits derived from using natural gas, propane and/or biodiesel as well as the infrastructure and maintenance costs involved.  

The “Discover the Next Generation of Technology” panel session featured representatives from three companies — GreenRoad, REI/ETA Transit Systems, and Eaton’s Vehicle Controls and Sensors Business Unit — discussing the benefits of some of their products and the impact technology is having in improving the operator experience and vehicle reliability. The group also fielded several questions from the audience and discussed how feedback received at shows including BusCon plays a part in the development and improvement of their products.

Additional sessions covered topics including bus procurement standards, bus operator simulator training, accessible transportation requirements and designing buses in a high-tech world. [PAGEBREAK]


Public transit industry
During the Wednesday morning General Session, Halsey King discussed the Bus Service Enhancement program, while Walt Diangson gave a presentation introducing the SWTA’s Operation Vets in Public Transportation (OVIPT) program.

OVIPT is a public-private partnership that will offer recent veterans
opportunities for transportation-specific job development training and job referral services within the public transportation industry, including training, preparation and testing for commercial driver’s license or Automotive Service Excellence certifications.

The SWTA — a non-profit, regional public transit association comprised of eight states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas — will partner with public transportation service providers, industrial suppliers, local government, military transition programs, and the transitioning service men and women for the program.

APTA’s Melaniphy provided the morning’s Keynote Address, discussing the state of the industry, including the passage of MAP-21 and the role the transit industry played in helping to shape the bill thanks to its unprecedented role in President Barack Obama’s long-term plans.

“We fought for years to get a seat at the table, and now, we are at the table,” he said. “This is a sea change, and we are all a part of it.”

Melaniphy added that while the bump in federal funding in MAP-21 shows the value of public transportation, it is important for both the public and private industries to reach out to their local congressperson to explain what it is they do, particularly with all the new faces set to take their seats when the new session begins in January.

“We have to influence our next bill,” he said, before adding that now is the time to begin that work, since MAP-21 is set to expire in 2014.

Melaniphy also spoke about the growth in public transportation ridership, including six consecutive quarters of increases; the high success rate for public transit ballot initiatives; and the need for increased training and workforce education.

Meanwhile, the MSBMA recognized the top 10 transit agencies with the most mid-size buses in their fleets. On hand to present the awards was Past President of the MSBMA and Champion Bus President  John Resnik.
Mid-size buses are defined as passenger-carrying motorcoaches, built on a cutaway or rail chassis or on monocoque construction; under 40-feet in length; and having a gross vehicle weight rating of Class 7 (33,000 pounds) or less.

Chicago area-based Pace Suburban Bus was the top agency with more than 1,400 vehicles. The award was accepted by Executive Director TJ Ross. Additional transit agencies honored included Phoenix, Ariz.-based Valley Metro; Detroit’s Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation; Orange, Calif.-based Orange County Transportation Authority; and Dover, Del.-based Delaware Transit Corp.               

An industry association of the NTEA, MSBMA was formed in 1993 to improve professionalism, safety and product quality in the mid-size bus industry. The MSBMA provides a forum for its members, in which they can interact and exchange information with other mid-size bus manufacturers from around the country on important technical matters and issues, including the latest chassis product information, chassis manufacturer quality programs, compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, FTA regulations and development of MSBMA Recommended Practices.

BusCon 2013 will return to Chicago’s Navy Pier Sept. 10 to 11 before moving in 2014 to Indianapolis’ Indiana Convention Center Sept. 15 to 17.

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