The Pennsylvania State University’s Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (Larson Institute) Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center, and Ride Solution, Inc., Florida prepared this report on a prototype Advanced Low-Floor Vehicle (ALFV), a purpose-built, low floor, diesel-powered, 25-seat (including the driver), 26-foot (7.92 meter) bus. This bus was developed by Ride Solution, Inc., of Putnam County, Florida, for the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Advanced Low-Floor Vehicle Specifications Research project. Tests conducted at the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center included a 10-year, 350,000-mile (560,273-kilometer) STURAA (Altoona) test. Supplemental tests to determine the turning radius of the vehicle (curb-to-curb and wall-to-wall), suspension travel and ramp travel index, and ADA conformance were also performed at the Larson Institute. Research was conducted by Ride Solution, Inc. to provide a market analysis and comparison of available mid-sized vehicles with this prototype bus, as well as the operational cost efficiencies for this design. There is a need for such a bus, based on the potential for diminishing transit funding, as well as demographic, socio-economic, and transportation factors. This bus design has unique features that render it suitable for rural and urban operation. They include a low floor with no steps and the ability to carry 25 passengers, or 5 wheelchairs, or 6 gurneys, or a combination of the above. The shortest rear overhang in its category renders it capable of operation on rural, unpaved roads. The manufacturer predicts that the welded steel structure will improve the shell life to 20 years or more. Locating the engine/transmission in a cradle aids in low replacement time for the power unit. There is also Internet connectivity, both for passengers and to help with maintenance. Ride Solution projects that the potential savings offered by this ALFV bus is a significant fraction of its purchase price, if one assumes a 20-year service life and the purchase price of $350,000. The basis is a conventional 10-year mid-size bus costing $285,050. Potential savings of up to 63% from its long life, up to 13% from improved manoeuvrability (based on APTA bus Roadeo tests), and up to 11% from reduction in reserve fleet ratio are possible. This results in a total potential savings of up to 87% of the purchase price. It should be noted that the bus tested in Altoona was a conventional diesel under the 10-year service life category. Data from test reports of the Altoona Bus Research and testing Center shows that a large number of buses tested at Altoona between January 2009 and December 2013 had a gross vehicle weight that exceeded their gross vehicle weight rating, and that 20% of the buses exceeded that limit by more than 1,000 pounds (454 kilos). The ALFV bus was well within its limits, with a margin of more than 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilos). It had an above average number of passenger seats and number of wheelchair positions. It was one of the few vehicles with no interior steps, and it had one of the smallest fuel tanks with an adequate driving range. Test findings indicated that the ALFV required a high number of scheduled and unscheduled repairs and work hours. This is primarily due to its development as a research project built by non-profit transit agency personnel rather than by commercial manufacturing professionals. This also accounted for its large number of subsystem failures during the structural integrity tests. It performed well after being repaired. Recommendations from prototype tests of the ALFV include improvement of workmanship, better quality control (welding quality in particular), improvement of reliability, reduction of time to replace Additional Replacement Components, reduction of wet friction stopping distance, conformance to all ADA requirements, and reduction of interior and exterior noise and particulate emissions. When operating costs were compared for 100 passenger seat miles (psm) on a basis of diesel gallon equivalent (DGE), the ALFV cost $2.386 per psm, only 5.5 cents above the $2.331 average cost psm for all 31 mid-size buses tested during the time period above. When compared with the other 24-passenger low-floor buses in the study, the AMPV’s operating costs were very similar. This report presents to the current market a “view of the future” in mid-sized transit buses, and a comparative study of the current market. This comes in light of what is required by federal mandate, what is available now, and what may be needed in the future. It is also intended to extend the way manufacturing and procurement can be advanced to meet the increasing requirements of the transit industry in serving the public. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting