Fare Deadbeats Over 25% Of L.A. Orange Line Riders

[Swadian Hardcore]

I wonder if Metro has thought about using bi-articulated buses (80 feet long with two trailers) on the Orange Line. That could allow them to increase capacity without the cost of hiring extra drivers to "pod" buses.

I know that there's a law that doesn't allow buses longer than 60 feet on California streets (Metro had to get an exemption to do trials on a 65 foot bus) but these buses run almost entirely on a private busway road. The only exception is the loop the buses make from the Canoga station to the stop at Warner Center... that's about two miles in mixed traffic.

It seems with some mitigation... it could be a good way to increase capacity.

Who's gonna built them? LACMTA seems partial to NABI but their biggest production model is the 60-BRT. Same with New Flyer and Novabus. If anybody can pull this off with a reliable design, it would be New Flyer building a D80LFR, though Nova has a chance. NABI's poor reputation and increasing flawed designs aren't gonna do it.

 

[TinCan782]

I wonder if Metro has thought about using bi-articulated buses (80 feet long with two trailers) on the Orange Line. That could allow them to increase capacity without the cost of hiring extra drivers to "pod" buses.

I know that there's a law that doesn't allow buses longer than 60 feet on California streets (Metro had to get an exemption to do trials on a 65 foot bus) but these buses run almost entirely on a private busway road. The only exception is the loop the buses make from the Canoga station to the stop at Warner Center... that's about two miles in mixed traffic.

It seems with some mitigation... it could be a good way to increase capacity.

I thought the Orange Line buses were articulated...including the portion along Canoga Avenue which is dedicated busway as is the rest of the Orange Line east to North Hollywood.

 

[Trogdor]

I thought the Orange Line buses were articulated...including the portion along Canoga Avenue which is dedicated busway as is the rest of the Orange Line east to North Hollywood.

They are. But they aren't 80 feet long, which is the size folks are discussing.