New Flyer Industries Canada ULC announced the unveiling of SmartRider™ technology — an industry first in fully-accessible level boarding from curb to aisle — on the Xcelsior® heavy-duty transit bus platform.

SmartRider™ is an advanced smart leveling system developed by New Flyer, providing unmatched accessibility using intelligent kneeling with variable-height capability to minimize slope difference between a low-floor ramp and the bus floor.

SmartRider™ uses intelligent technology to kneel and automatically adjust to environmental surroundings, and to offer optimized boarding from the curb to the aisle. It also features New Flyer’s first all-electric wheelchair ramp with a two-degree slope, higher load carrying capability, and an optimized undercarriage for better control and accessibility.

Buses equipped with SmartRider™ can monitor pressure at each wheel enabling faster diagnosis, while also offering advanced chassis control with optimized air consumption. Overall, the system enhances stability, ride, and handling of low-floor transit buses on uneven road surfaces.

New Flyer anticipates SmartRider™ to be available for production on Xcelsior heavy-duty transit buses mid-2019.

The unveiling of SmartRider™ follows on MCI’s 2017 introduction of the new D45 CRT LE, a fully-accessible commuter coach featuring a low-entry vestibule and a low-floor technology designed by MCI and BMW subsidiary, Designworks, which removes the need for a lift and delivers unmatched accessibility for passengers with mobility needs. Since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, transit operators have worked to provide accessible vehicles. New Flyer was the first North American manufacturer to offer low-floor buses in 1988, preceding the ADA.

NFI is the only provider of full suite bus solutions in North America, offering transit, motorcoach, and low-floor cutaway buses, and in 2018, became the first bus manufacturer in the world to sign on to the Shared Mobility Principles for Livable Cities.