USF Bull Runner Bus System

[HARTride 2012]

Originally Posted by Szemeredy

Reminds me of the NABI BRT.


Blue Bird Ultra Low Mass (LMB) are the ones that are squared off in the front.



4007 is my favorite bus out of the lot, so I'll be sad to see it go. And since I'm one of only a few that are checked out on Gilligs right now, I probably won't get much quality time with it before it leaves.

The other style of Blue Bird low floor we have is the Ultra Low Floor (ULF). These will be sticking around for quite some time. 3004 is a prototype model and is used as the student driver CDL trainer, since it's got ALL the little quirks that you would find on other buses in the fleet (cassette-style ramp, shift order, capable of 70+ MPH speeds, etc).



(Image source)

The LMBs look so sleek and modern. It will be sad to see them go.

The ULFs I believe are the same model buses that Pasco County (PCPT) has in their fleet.

[Szemeredy]

Originally Posted by HARTride 2012

The LMBs look so sleek and modern. It will be sad to see them go.

The ULFs I believe are the same model buses that Pasco County (PCPT) has in their fleet.

The Ultra LMB (we refer to it as LMLF) is extremely rare in the US, as it did not meet the Buy American requirement for federal funding (European chassis). The only transit services that I know of that have them are airports and universities. I want to say UCF is the only other place you can find them in Florida.

Ultra LMBs are ridiculously fast buses due to their light weight (9500kg). They accelerate like a car, even at crush load. The downside to that light weight is that you have to take extra care at higher speeds, as the air ride suspension will make the bus bob up and down like a boat going through five foot waves when you hit imperfections in the road. This is generally a non-issue during normal operation, as the only roads we go above 35MPH on are McKinley Dr., Bougainvillea Ave. and 50th St. (which are all in good condition).

Ultra LFs are very similar in terms of acceleration, but they don't bob as much as the LMB due to having additional mass on the suspension. These met Buy American, so there's quite a few agencies that run them. The design was killed off around 2007 after Cerberus Capital got their hands on both NABI and Blue Bird, wanting both companies to focus on their primary markets (transit buses and school buses, respectively).

As for PCPT, their fleet is very similar to ours in terms of bus composition minus the old cutaways. A few differences in vehicle lengths and options, but they've followed a very similar path with their bus acquisition.

[Saavedra_LuisR]

Good thing that they brought those bigger buses, it was much needed at the C route during peak hours.

[HARTride 2012]

I agree. I have not seen the Gilligs in action yet because I don't have day classes on the Tampa campus this term. Next term, I will though.

[Szemeredy]

Originally Posted by HARTride 2012

I agree. I have not seen the Gilligs in action yet because I don't have day classes on the Tampa campus this term. Next term, I will though.

They haven't been out much. 1119 is the only one on the road right now, and usually only during Midday/PM Peak for training purposes. 1120-21 and 1123-24 will be on route starting the first week of spring classes.

If anyone goes photograph hunting, these are general bus assignments during weekdays for the spring:

A: Startrans HF
B: Blue Bird HF
C: Gillig LF, Blue Bird LF, Thomas LF
E: Startrans HF
D: ElDorado LF, Thomas LF
F: Glaval HF, Thomas LF

Between Semesters/Weekends/Late Nights: Startrans HF, Glaval HF, Blue Bird HF

These won't be 100% accurate all the time, since bus assignments can change based on vehicle availability.

[Szemeredy]

The 2011 fleet waits patiently for its introduction...



(1120 wasn't in the yard... for shame)

It's difficult to get a picture of the two charters, as it seems like they're always on the go. Apologies for the quality.

[HARTride 2012]

Great photos!

I've seen the MCI coach pull onto campus. Definitely different to see bigger buses in the system.

[Szemeredy]

4007 and 4008 have been retired. RIP

[HARTride 2012]

:/

[Jasonhouse]

Anyone know if they will start offering service to CAMLS?

[Szemeredy]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

Anyone know if they will start offering service to CAMLS?

Unlikely. We'd be duplicating service that is better handled by HART's MetroRapid Green line (starting in 2013), which will have stops served directly by or located in close proximity to all Bull Runner routes except for F (A, B, C and E all stop near Palm and Fletcher, while D travels directly to UATC). On the other end, Marion Street Transitway is just a few blocks away from CAMLS. In addition, HART routes 5, 6/6LTD and 18 all pass through USF and serve Marion Transit Center, which provides direct shuttle service to and from CAMLS via the In-Town Trolley.

Anyway, I spent some quality time on one of the Gilligs this evening. It's refreshing to stuff 40 passengers onto a C Route bus and not have anyone standing in the aisle. I'm still not entirely used to how strong the engine retarder is compared to other buses, but the stop request system is much better than anything else in the fleet and I can load and unload much faster than usual - and these three things make a world of difference when your passengers are college students that charge in the front door as soon as you open it and like to request stops a couple intersections in advance or 50 feet from the stop. The passengers are not entirely used to riding it yet, as they're not familiar with the card reader location and will still walk the entire length of the bus to get off (even with the back door open).

[Szemeredy]

A rough count of the Fall 2011 passenger data puts us at over 650k passenger trips over the last four months. That's a 15% increase from last year and puts us on track for a record year. B, C and D all saw sizable ridership increases. F route is in good health after the first semester of operation, with ridership numbers comparable to on-campus routes (keep in mind the numbers are skewed a little bit in F's favor due to weekend service). A and E have seen a small drop in ridership along Sycamore due to the introduction of F service on 50th, with losses partially offset by additional passenger trips elsewhere on the two routes.

I want to say that we'll see additional gains during the Spring 2012 semester. With the introduction of the Gilligs, C route should become more desirable and attract additional passengers. We also have a bunch of new drivers joining the team over the winter break, which will allow us to run maximum bus counts on all routes throughout the day (lower ridership routes occasionally get shorted a bus during the mornings due to the way student driver class schedules worked out for the fall semester).

Here's a breakdown of route ridership by percentage of total:

[HARTride 2012]

Very impressive for Route C. Even when I started going to USF, I quickly realized just how busy that route is.

[Szemeredy]

1120 has been unleashed upon unsuspecting route C riders.



(Glaval Titan #9012 in background)

[HARTride 2012]

How does the bus fare with making the loop by the MSC? I'm sure it is kind of tight for a 40 foot bus.

[Szemeredy]

I've pulled through the loop with both other buses and cars parked around the edges without curbing or having to back up, but it's a real close shave. If you pull through correctly, you'll clear the loop no problem. With vehicles in the loop, the front end overhangs the sidewalk by a foot or two but the wheels are still able to clear. Either way, all the pedestrian/cyclist/vehicle traffic makes it something you have to do in slow motion. Even with all this mess, it's not the hardest maneuver on the C route - that honor belongs to navigating Laurel Drive and Laurel Lane with a 40 footer when coming in for a driver swap.

People higher up in the chain are looking at ways to improve the MSC loop as a whole, but there's really not much to say yet. Until then, enjoy the show.

[HARTride 2012]

I see.

My first day of classes is on Tuesday, so I will be able to get a look at the new fleet first hand.

=========

EDIT: Got to ride #1120 yesterday, though I do not find the interior to be impressive (the black seating cushions make it look too dull), I am very impressed at how the buses have been reconditioned to extend their lifespan. The engines make the buses sound as if they were brand new.

[Szemeredy]

If you think the interior looks bland now, you should have seen the original PalmTran rainbow seat covers. Blargh.



The interior was a matter of cost efficiencies. Most of our cutaways are hitting 10+ years old, plus we're mandated to roll out a system-wide stop announcement system by the beginning of the Fall 2012 semester. With the small amount of refurbishment we did inside, I'd say they still look better than HART's older vehicles that have the fabric minaret seat covers. 1120 could use a little bit of interior detailing, though.

1119, 1121 and 1123 are out with technical difficulties right now. Murphy's Law. 1124 is on D route this evening.

[Szemeredy]

Bull Runner will be impacted during the Republican Presidential Debate. Due to the Marshall Center loop being closed to vehicle traffic on the day of the debate, ALL routes will bypass the Marshall Center loop on Monday, January 23. The School of Music will be used as a temporary loop for the D and F routes. Routing goes back to normal for Tuesday service.

Originally Posted by BullTracker

On 1/23 Bull Runner will not be stopping at the Marshall Center due to the GOP Presidential Debate. This detour will last the full day, from 7am-midnight.

The detour for each route is:
-A Route will turn right onto USF Palm Dr from USF Holly Dr, going straight from the Crescent Hill stop to the Credit Union stop.
-B Route will drive past the Marshall Center without turning into the circle.
-C Route will turn left onto USF Holly Dr from USF Palm Dr, going straight from the North Palm stop to the Crescent Hill stop
-D Route turn around in lot 3D by the School of Music and will not pass the 2 stops closest to the Marshall Center on USF Holly Dr. Temporary stop will be placed at the entrance to Lot 3D on Holly Drive.
-E Route will turn left onto USF Holly Dr from USF Palm Dr, going straight from the Lot 43/ Credit Union stop to the Crescent Hill stop.
-F Route will drive past Marshall Center to turn around in lot 3D by the School of Music.

BTW, the first post has been updated with relevant information about the Bull Runner service and bus fleet.

[Szemeredy]

I think FDOT finally noticed all the jaywalking going on outside their offices on McKinley Dr. A team of traffic engineers was out this morning, taking notes on pedestrian and transit use along the road. I don't have any official word yet on why they were out there, but hopefully we can get some marked crosswalks in near future - badly needed, considering that busloads of students jaywalk to-and-from the mid-block bus stops every day.