Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The agency originally initially projected 9,100 people would ride the light rail line every day. The line currently averages 15,500 riders daily.

The LFS Artic HEV model ordered combines the ability to handle the highest-volume routes with the quiet, ultra-low emissions hybrid drive. The fuel consumption and carbon footprint of this vehicle is significantly lower than a conventional diesel bus.

Since Monday, attendees and other passengers boosted ridership on LYNX by 148% over a typical weekday. About 250 buses will be used to move nearly 6,000 delegates to DNC events. In Tampa, 400 buses were used to transport 2,200 RNC delegates, but several buses were late for state delegations.

Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority received $3.36 million from the FTA for vehicle upgrades. The funding will pay for up to 42 new vehicles.

The route, which includes stops at Florida Mall and near International Drive, is often used by lower-income employees of Disney, the airport and other tourism businesses to commute to and from work.

John M. Lewis Jr., 43, will bring to Central Florida more than 15 years experience in the transportation industry. Currently, he is the CEO for the Greater Richmond Transit Commission.

Two finalists are John M. Lewis Jr., CEO for the Greater Richmond Transit Commission, and Michael H. Setzer, VP, business development for Veolia Transportation in Cincinnati.

The operations management system for LYNX includes functionality that enables employee sign ups, dispatching of daily activities, timekeeping, yard management and workforce management.

The transportation agency faced a 7-percent drop in funds from the county, which would have forced route cancellations, rate hikes and potentially higher local taxes, officials say.

The Mentor Streets ITS system allows LYNX to track buses in real-time on color-coded, highly customizable maps.