This synthesis will be of interest to transit agency managers; operations, maintenance, and planning managers; and other personnel concerned with the operational experiences of low-floor transit buses in fixed route service and with the viability of this technology in meeting the transit industry's accessibility goals for the future. Information on low-floor transit buses operating in the United States and Canada, including technical specifications as well as status reports on buses manufactured in North America; buses under development; and buses in Europe, obtained from contacts with international organisations is included. It contains descriptions of standard low-floor buses, as well as another smaller bus used primarily in paratransit service. Transit agencies have chosen low-floor buses as a way of providing easier access for all passengers. In the United States, the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been a major force in the growing interest in low-floor buses. In Canada, several provinces have taken steps in the form of policy directives and funding incentives to encourage their use. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes, primarily, findings from four transit agencies with standard size, low-floor transit buses in service with respect to passengers, maintenance, operations, drivers, and planning and administration. Additionally, it presents some general insights from transit agencies operating smaller low-floor transit vehicles, and, in particular, describes concerns relative to road clearance, winter operations, operations in high water, and impacts on operating practices. It contains technical specifications from U.S., Canadian, and European manufacturers for all these buses. (A)
Abstract