Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

Production of the 40-foot Xcelsior hybrid buses is anticipated to begin in early 2013 and will be manufactured and assembled bumper-to-bumper in New Flyer’s St. Cloud, Minn. manufacturing facility. All buses are expected to be delivered by the end of the summer 2013.

Expected to reduce travel times, increase reliability and potentially provide more space for customers throughout the vehicle. It will also leave more room at the front for those customers who are paying with cash and those with valid proof of payment who need to use the wheelchair lift or the bus kneeling feature.

Funds provided by the California Transportation Commission. The Central Subway plans tie directly into future high-speed rail service at the 4th and King station. It will also be three blocks from the Transbay Transit Center, the planned terminus for high-speed rail.

The San Francisco Muni, which no longer pays overtime costs to replace drivers who call in sick, has had to cancel 35 to 45 bus runs each weekday.

Also launched special section of its website to share photographic archive images, historic information and a calendar of events at which the SFMTA centennial will be featured.

Any car caught illegally driving in or parking in the city's transit-only lanes will be subject to fines of up to $115.

Ed Reiskin, the city's public works director since 2008, has no transportation agency experience, but has a reputation as a top-notch manager.

Nathaniel Ford is one of the candidates being considered for the position. Muni is also looking to local rather than national talent to replace Ford, in part to save money.

The contract — the largest construction package for the project — was awarded to Barnard Impregilo Healy, in the amount of $233,584,015.00. The extended light rail line is expected to carry 65,000 passengers daily by the year 2030. The project will be in revenue service by 2018.

The new fare collection equipment to be installed in nine Muni Metro stations this fall has been used in cities around the country and the world, such as London and Atlanta.