How does Metro pick which bus to buy?

<<Sounds of bus driving>>

Narrator Says:

They play a huge role in keeping our region moving.

<<Sounds of bus driving>>

Narrator Says:

King County Metro buses transport an average of 358,000 riders every day, and riders count on those buses for safe and reliable service.

In order to keep providing excellent bus service, Metro must have buses that run well and are fuel-efficient. And that starts with buying the right bus.

Along with quality, Metro also must weigh the interests of greenhouse gas reduction and cost efficiency when looking at which bus to buy.

All these factors go into the bus purchasing process.

Last may, Metro entered into an agreement to purchase up to 515 new buses over the next five years, to help fulfill the goals of the Transit Now initiative passed by voters in November of 2006.

The first 22 buses are set to arrive in the spring of 2008.

All 22 will be hybrid-electric, and will be added to the fleet of 214 articulated hybrids that are already a part of Metro’s fleet.

These new additions will continue Metro’s commitment to reducing the greenhouse emitted by its buses.

King County Metro Vehicle Maintenance Manager Jim Boon Says:

Some of the things that we look at when we're getting ready to purchase new buses is what are the emerging technologies that are available in the marketplace that we can integrate into vehicles.

That's what led us to when we went into hybrid electric we looked at it for several years and bus was one of the first places it was used and the later on it started to migrate into trucking and it's just now getting into the utility fleets and getting into larger SUV-type vehicles so that kind of an effort is ongoing all the time we're either watching the trade journals talking to the vendors talking to the sub-suppliers and we're also doing a lot of demonstrating of components and equipment.

<<Sounds of bus driving.>>

Narrator Says:

A Metro bus has a lifespan of about 12 to 14 years, and this underscores the need to buy a quality product.

So, how does Metro make sure it decides on the right bus?

This is an ongoing process.

If a bus looks like it might meet Metro’s service needs, the rubber meets the road and the bus is put through rigorous testing on the streets.

Transit Maintenance Analyst Todd Gibbs Says:

The first thing we're going to do is test the ability of the bus to hold freeway speeds, with a full load on, we're going to use a 3.5% uphill grade, on Interstate-5.

We've got the bus loaded with 130% of a seated load, we're using water ballasts to do that, and what we'll do is start at the bottom of a grade at a known speed, typically 50-55 mph, and then find out what speed it is at the top of the hill, and whether the bus can actually hold up with traffic.

<<Sounds of testers talking>>

Transit Maintenance Analyst Todd Gibbs Says:

This bus here, we're working with a newer Gillig bus, that has a very small engine to go along with the hybrid package, we're making sure that the performance characteristics of this smaller engine will meet our needs.

But then also we're trying to look at issues such as the longevity of the engine itself, maybe the small engine will work for us, maybe it will require an overhaul mid-life, or maybe it will require two overhauls, and those are the things we're looking at.

Narrator Says:

Metro is looking at making its next purchase after the bus purchase arrives in the spring of 2008. It will begin receiving buses for its Bus Rapid Transit routes in 2010, establishing one of the four corridors each year until 2014.

The design of these so called ‘RapidRide’ vehicles is still in the works, but designers at Metro have seen concepts like this New Flyer bus.

After the initial delivery of 22 hybrids in the spring of 2008, Metro is planning to order a total of more than 330 buses by 2013, helping Metro meet the growing demand for reliable public transportation in King County.