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Seating manufacturers conduct thousands of hours of research and tests, such as static-pull and fatigue testing, and interview countless end-users to produce, what they feel is the latest and greatest in transit seating. Some of the current features being incorporated in the latest models include three-point seat belts, “back-to-back” configurations the use of anti-microbial/bacterial vinyl and stainless steel structures.

Amaya-Astron

Torino and Brasil. Through its partner 4One, Amaya-Astron offers its Torino and Brasil line of transit seats. The line has most recently begun incorporating an optional three-point seat belt much like the three-point seat belts available in everyday commercial vehicles.

“There have been some high profile accidents, and seat belts keep you in the coach and prevent you from being ejected in a crash,” says Dan Cohen, VP of sales and marketing.

Unlike the three-point belts that are commonly used in commercial cars, however, the Torino and Brasil have their seat belts literally built into the seat. These seating systems have passed the European M2 safety regulation for large and mid-sized buses, though in reality, seat belts aren’t even required for passenger seats in buses. Designs and tests are under way for the seats to meet M1, which is similar to U.S. FMVSS 210.

In the past, the Brasil and Torino line of coach seats, designed for 102- and 96-inch-wide buses that embark on medium- and long-distance travel, were not equipped with seat belts. Later, two-point belts, also commonly referred to as lap belts, were introduced to the line, but with little success. The company then quickly shifted to offering three-point belts to respond to high demand. Cohen attributes the rise in demand for three-point seat belts to highly publicized reports of bus crashes and the aging population.

A second feature of the Torino that its makers emphasize is its sleek armrest design. Like a lawn chair, its armrests may be lifted and then folded down, which allows for wider aisle space for quicker loading and unloading of a bus or railcar.

“What’s nice is the shape of the armrest,” Cohen says. “It’s very stylish with a sweeping radius. It operates very smoothly. You just lift the armrest up and then stow it away. Or, you lift it up into place. There are no complicated operations required.”

The Torino’s seat back is another focal point of its design. A contoured and thin structure was created to give maximum leg space and comfort to passengers. “It gives great hip-to-knee room and seat spacing relative to other seats in the market,” Cohen says. “If the back rest is thinner, you’re taking up less space, which means the passenger gets more leg room.”

Made to last, the Torino’s seat back has undergone numerous research tests to ensure durability despite its thin frame. These tests require that the seat back endure pushing and pulling with 150 pounds of weight tens of thousands of times without falling apart or becoming deformed.

 American Seating

InSight. Grand Rapids, Mich.-based American Seating premiered the 2008 edition of its number one selling seat, InSight, at the 2008 APTA Expo. In addition to many other pleasing qualities, the InSight offers what the company says is the largest personal sitting area of any seat available on the market.

“We did more than 1,000 hours of research with key stakeholders throughout the industry,” Marketing Manager Gary Thompson says. “That includes passengers, builders and end-user operators where we observed people riding vehicles and talked to passengers. We really wanted to better understand the needs that exist.”

The seat offers new benefits including an option for higher back support for greater passenger comfort, additional colors and grab rail covers, which can help those who are visually impaired. “Back-to-Back” seats that offer a face-to-face arrangement for passenger interaction can also be requested.

Another new addition to the InSight line has been an enhanced, lighter design for flip-up seats, so that they are more stylish when in raised position for securing someone who is in a mobility aid. “They are attractive, easy to install, as light as possible, durable and incorporate a new mobility aid securement system that features easier, quicker and safer securement,” says Thompson. “We’ve really gotten great feedback from customers.”

The line is also strengthened against vandalism and maintenance issues with advanced technology composite resin, corrosion-resistant materials and no exposed fasteners.

Optional stainless-steel back panels and cut-resistant cushions are also available. The InSight, which debuted in Chicago a few years ago, is now the seat used by major transit authorities across North America, including Chicago; San Diego; Cleveland; Washington, D.C.; and Victoria, British Columbia. Most recently, InSight was adopted for its first railcar application that will be used for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

In addition, the InSight is featured in a new interior configuration tool that allows users to specify colors, fabrics and seating components, and see how these choices will look in a photo-realistic vehicle interior.

[PAGEBREAK]Freedman seating company

ICS (Integrated Child Seat). One of the newest products for the seating market came from Chicago-based Freedman Seating Company. Slated for the small and mid-size bus transit market, the second version of the ICS has been engineered specifically to fit children who weigh between 22 pounds and 51 pounds and are 33-inches to 49-inches tall. There was a major demand for a slimmer child seat since the first version was an inch bigger than a regular seat and, thus, took up aisle space.

“It’s a product that people really need,” sales manager John Mienik says. “In the past, every child seat you put in a bus took an inch out of the aisle. The new one is smaller than the regular-sized seat, so you can put as many of them in a bus as you want, and you won’t sacrifice any aisle space.”

The new version of the ICS now features a child seat that folds down from the center of a standard high back seat, forming a double fold and a raised seating surface so that a child’s legs can be bent at the knees the way adults sit. The result is a child seat that is much more comfortable than most others in the industry that require a child to sit with their legs completely straight out.

However, the new ICS does maintain some of the same attributes of the original version, including a shoulder belt that adjusts in a matter of seconds. A passenger simply has to look to the top of the seat for a horizontal metal bar and then push the bar in and up or down. The spring-loaded bar makes the process easy and simple.

ICS, in its second version, is also still compliant with the NHTSA regulation governing child seats, FMVSS 213. Its vinyl continues to be removable from the seat with Velcro and thus washable. The vinyl is also anti-microbial and anti-bacterial so that its chemical structure prohibits the reproduction of surface bacteria. Another bacterial-eradicating vinyl offering (Dimensions) developed by CMI Enterprises can also be ordered.

Kustom Seating Unlimited Inc.

Venus. Kustom Seating Unlimited Inc. (KSU), an ISO-9001:2000 registered company in Bellwood, Ill., offers the Venus — a new, compliant alternative for both light rail and bus transit applications. Its main attraction is its 100 percent stainless steel structure that is durable and prohibits corrosion or other damage, as often happens with carbon steel and plastics. “The primary benefit is that it’s long-lasting,” says Gene Germaine, business development manager.

“The practicality of the seat is similar to the majority of the transportation interiors that you’ll see in Europe,” Germaine adds. “It’s very progressive. They spend and utilize mass transit much more extensively [in Europe], so their designs are very practical.”

For the 21st century, KSU has increased manufacturability of the seat to reduce costs without altering the appearance, comfort or safety of the seat. Aesthetically pleasing curvature; enhanced comfort; a lightweight, all stainless steel frame; and a thin European-styled profile provide low system maintenance, with significantly increased system durability.

The Venus’ stainless steel structure is compliant with load, safety, flame, smoke and toxicity requirements. Its modular design provides for numerous configuration options, including longitudinal and/or transverse configurations, one or many passenger placements, and cantilever or pedestal vehicle mounting capability.

The stainless steel components provide today’s operators with graffiti resistance, low maintenance and high durability at a low cost. “Let’s say a vandal uses a sharpie, it can be easily cleaned,” Germaine says. “Whether it’s standard, unintentional dirt, or from a graffiti standpoint, stainless steel is resistant. It has been found in the industry to be the best defense for any type of vandalism, whether it is graffiti or something else.”

[PAGEBREAK]4ONE LLC

Q-POD. 4ONE LLC, a joint venture between USSC Group, Inc. and Freedman Seating Corp., has continued to redefine the transit seating market since the introduction of its euro slim designs featuring the Aries, CitiPro, Mariella and CitiSeat models.

“Our latest development and industry enhancement has been a joint design effort with Q’Straint,” says Ted Dowling, commercial sales director for 4ONE. This new design called the Q-POD, is the first complete ADA system that has thin longitudinal flip seats integrated with a barrier and allows for the unit to be easily adapted to most transit vehicles. New features include: 3-point wheelchair restraint system that is fully integrated into system; a complete occupant restraint system with the shoulder belt integrated into the barrier, eliminating the need to attach any belts directly to the vehicle; time-delay remote release for the rear restraint belts that is also integrated into the barrier; and pre-tensioning bumper system to ensure proper securement of a mobility device.

As the industry’s only totally integrated system, The Q-POD eliminates trip hazards from the floor while allowing the operator to safely secure a mobility device and it’s occupant with minimal effort.