MARTA Upgrades (Atlanta, Chamblee: promotional, buy, construction)

[cqholt]

MARTA plans aggressive steps to expand sustainability efforts - SaportaReport

[fourthwarden]

MARTA has been looking at possibly using electric buses. The website for the Proterra Catalyst (the bus that was demonstrated) says that the buses can be charged within 10min, which would actually make a decent amount of sense for the buses used as spokes from rail stations.

Bus pulls in, charges for 5-10 min while passengers load, then leaves, either ending its route at another rail-station, or another transit station, or even just a charging station at the bus' terminal stop. It charges for another 5-10 min, if even needed, then returns to its starting location.

I used their calculator on their website, looking at the 16 Nobel as an example. ~9 Miles, 19 daily trips per bus, 40min travel time, 20 min dwell time = $415,000 in savings to CNG (so they say). These buses are ~$1 Mil. a pop, but, when you include the lifetime savings, come close to the $572,000 of a new New-Flyer 40ft Excelsior bus. In fact, it's cheaper to buy the electric buses in the long run (~$428,000 with lifetime savings, assuming they're accurate)

As a side note, X-Flyer makes an electric version of its 40ft buses that work in a similar way, but use similar bodies / platform designs as a chunk of the existing fleet.

So, the problem, as it usually is, is the start-up cost. It's more expensive upfront to buy the buses and convert / add extra facilities for charging, but saves money over time.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

MARTA has been looking at possibly using electric buses. The website for the Proterra Catalyst (the bus that was demonstrated) says that the buses can be charged within 10min, which would actually make a decent amount of sense for the buses used as spokes from rail stations.

Bus pulls in, charges for 5-10 min while passengers load, then leaves, either ending its route at another rail-station, or another transit station, or even just a charging station at the bus' terminal stop. It charges for another 5-10 min, if even needed, then returns to its starting location.

I used their calculator on their website, looking at the 16 Nobel as an example. ~9 Miles, 19 daily trips per bus, 40min travel time, 20 min dwell time = $415,000 in savings to CNG (so they say). These buses are ~$1 Mil. a pop, but, when you include the lifetime savings, come close to the $572,000 of a new New-Flyer 40ft Excelsior bus. In fact, it's cheaper to buy the electric buses in the long run (~$428,000 with lifetime savings, assuming they're accurate)

As a side note, X-Flyer makes an electric version of its 40ft buses that work in a similar way, but use similar bodies / platform designs as a chunk of the existing fleet.

So, the problem, as it usually is, is the start-up cost. It's more expensive upfront to buy the buses and convert / add extra facilities for charging, but saves money over time.

What we are forgetting is the cost of maintenance and training the existing staff to work on electric motors.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

What we are forgetting is the cost of maintenance and training the existing staff to work on electric motors.

Like I said, start-up cost. Once that gets established, then it should still be cheaper in the long-run. After all, electric motors are much more simple than internal combustion.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Like I said, start-up cost. Once that gets established, then it should still be cheaper in the long-run. After all, electric motors are much more simple than internal combustion.

I would love to see E-buses.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I would love to see E-buses.

Well you could use Skype!

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by bu2

Well you could use Skype!

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by Tirrells

I just take Uber. http://nowaytaxi.com/uber We aren't in Atlanta enough and I hate waiting.

Cool beans? Given the increased frequency soon to come to MARTA's buses, it may soon be quite compatible time-wise to take the bus within the city. Along certain corridors, of course.

[cqholt]

MARTA's marketing director, Jennifer Wright, says the transit agency is launching the GPS-targeted advertising on buses this week.

“It could be programmed so that you're driving on the bus getting towards a Starbucks,” Wright said, and “the ad could say, ‘Starbucks has, you know, whatever coffee special offer,’ or whatever this promotion is.”

The advertisements will play over the onboard speakers and also show up on the bus marquee.

MARTA expects the ads to bring in $450,000 over a five-year period.

MARTA Rolls Out Location-Based Advertising On Buses | WABE 90.1 FM

[cqholt]

MARTA showed off some potential upgrades to it's bus fleet during the Avondale TOD groundbreaking ceremony. https://www.facebook.com/MARTAtransi...54749972253114