Winnipeg City Transit/Rapid Transit

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by Wpg transit 163-1

Well it's official Winnipeg transit is ordering 58 Newflyer Xcelsior XD40 buses. It's going to be nice to have all of low floors buses newflyer makes in winnipeg transit fleet from the D40LF to the D40LFR to the D60LF to the xcelsior it's gonna be cool to see them on the streets

Are these just replacements or are some additional stock?

And where are they being plucked from as replacements? I rode a 300 series today...I think they're from 1993.

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

Throw in the 10 Invero buses, and you have a New Flyer sweep.

Do you think it's a good thing to have all our buses just from ONE mfgr.?

I disagree.

[The Jabroni]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

Do you think it's a good thing to have all our buses just from ONE mfgr.?

I disagree.

If the city wanted to compete for contracts, then NovaBus would have been in the mix too.

Come to think of it, is there ever a competition to purchase buses from other manufacturers other than New Flyer?

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

If the city wanted to compete for contracts, then NovaBus would have been in the mix too.

Come to think of it, is there ever a competition to purchase buses from other manufacturers other than New Flyer?

Up until 1988 when WT awarded MCI the contract for the 301-333's.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by The Jabroni

If the city wanted to compete for contracts, then NovaBus would have been in the mix too.

Come to think of it, is there ever a competition to purchase buses from other manufacturers other than New Flyer?

Public tenders go out for new buses for a multi year contract every few years. This years was for 1 year with 3 mutually agreed upon one (1) year extensions so in total a 4 year supply contract.

Nova Bus was about 1 dollars million more that New Flyer in this years tender.

Only Flyer and Nova responded to this years tender.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by jimj_wpg

Are these just replacements or are some additional stock?

And where are they being plucked from as replacements? I rode a 300 series today...I think they're from 1993.

From Winnipeg Transit web site

The average lifespan of a Winnipeg Transit bus is about 18 years. The national average is 12 years for a bus.

The average 40’ low floor bus travels about 66,200 kms each year.
Tires are replaced after 295,000 kilometres.
Engines are completely overhauled after 800,000 kilometers.

[Wpg transit 163-1]

Rode the electric bus all the kids are talking about. They put the destination sign control in a cubby hole type thing in the top left corner of the drivers area it's very quite but the back door does act up from time to time like it closed on me after 1 second of me letting go of the touch bar. I also got a tour of Brandon garage and fort rogue garage and G and it's a big place.

[cllew]

You're lucky to be on one of the the new buses, I live two blocks from Watt St. and have yet to see one of the new buses when driving down Watt.

I was expecting to see them in the special electric bus wrap that was in the paper. If they are in the normal paint design than maybe I have seen them and thought they were a regular bus.

The Ft. Rouge transit base is a neat place. Years ago when transit and the union had the Transit Skill Rodeo's, I had a chance to take the guided tour. When all you see is the storage lanes off of Osborne you don't realize what they do there unless you can get a tour.

[Riverman]

Yeah, the bus is still wrapped. Saw it go over the Redwood Bridge yesterday.

[Wpg transit 163-1]

well the bendy buses have been added to another route. the 60 foot bendy bus is now on rapid transit route 183. i rode it on monday and it was really cool now if we can see it on the 163 which is also a really packed bus.

[cllew]

Has anybody seen the electric buses running on Route 20 in the cold weather?

I don't know if I am in the wrong place at the wrong time but I live off of Watt St. and and have yet to see one. All I see is the regular buses, or did they only have the one painted up specially to say it was electric and the other 3 they are suppose to be running painted as normal and that's what I see?

[Wpg transit 163-1]

Originally Posted by cllew

Has anybody seen the electric buses running on Route 20 in the cold weather?

I don't know if I am in the wrong place at the wrong time but I live off of Watt St. and and have yet to see one. All I see is the regular buses, or did they only have the one painted up specially to say it was electric and the other 3 they are suppose to be running painted as normal and that's what I see?

i havent seen in about 2 weeks i only saw it once at fort rouge garage parked on the island but thats it

[Riverman]

My son uses the 20 several times a day, he has yet to see the electric bus. Kinguni (sp?) used to drive the 20, perhaps he knows.

[rypinion]

The electric is bus 996. You should be able to text Transit's BUStxt (287898) with 'bus 996' to find out where it is at any given time.

For instance, right now it says it's not in service, but when I tried it on December 10th I got a message back saying it was indeed running on the 20 and was just approaching SB Maryland @ Misericordia.

[cllew]

Thanks, never thought to grab the number off of Google images and run it through Navigo

[bomberjet]

Article on the funding, or lack there of, for phase 2.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...urce=d-tiles-2

City has yet to figure out how to pay $20-M annual costs for rapid transit
By: Aldo Santin
Posted: 12:55 PM

Work is proceeding on the design of the second phase of the bus rapid transit corridor but city hall still has no idea how it’s going to pay the financing charges on the project.

Coun. John Orlikow, a member of Mayor Bowman’s executive policy committee, said no decision has been reached on where the city will find the $20 million in annual payments it needs to pay for its share of the $590-million project.

"We haven’t even talked about this one yet," Orlikow said.

.....

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Article on the funding, or lack there of, for phase 2.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...urce=d-tiles-2

City has yet to figure out how to pay $20-M annual costs for rapid transit
By: Aldo Santin
Posted: 12:55 PM

Work is proceeding on the design of the second phase of the bus rapid transit corridor but city hall still has no idea how it’s going to pay the financing charges on the project.

Coun. John Orlikow, a member of Mayor Bowman’s executive policy committee, said no decision has been reached on where the city will find the $20 million in annual payments it needs to pay for its share of the $590-million project.

"We haven’t even talked about this one yet," Orlikow said.

.....

What a mess.

I like Bowman and I voted for Bowman. But goddamn, if he can't find the funding for the second half of the first leg after campaigning bombastically in favour of completing the entire thing in under 15 years...

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

What a mess.

I like Bowman and I voted for Bowman. But goddamn, if he can't find the funding for the second half of the first leg after campaigning bombastically in favour of completing the entire thing in under 15 years...

+1

I can't say I ever realistically expected him to live up to his promise to complete the entire thing by 2031, but at a bare minimum he has to finish the SW corridor, stat.

I guess after yesterday's press conference performance with Clunis, the city sure isn't going to find any cost savings in the WPS budget

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by esquire

+1

I can't say I ever realistically expected him to live up to his promise to complete the entire thing by 2031, but at a bare minimum he has to finish the SW corridor, stat.

I guess after yesterday's press conference performance with Clunis, the city sure isn't going to find any cost savings in the WPS budget

Well, the one thing everybody's known all along is that there's isn't a hidden $20MM annually coming from anywhere unless it's raised or reassigned. But it sure would be nice to have somebody come out and be honest about what it will take to see it happen. This idea that everybody is so completely befuddled by the complexity is nonsense. Make the cuts, raise a portion from taxation and let the citizens know everybody is making a sacrifice. Any solution that doesn't leave a few departments rankled simply won't be a good enough compromise...

[biguc]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Well, the one thing everybody's known all along is that there's isn't a hidden $20MM annually coming from anywhere unless it's raised or reassigned. But it sure would be nice to have somebody come out and be honest about what it will take to see it happen. This idea that everybody is so completely befuddled by the complexity is nonsense. Make the cuts, raise a portion from taxation and let the citizens know everybody is making a sacrifice. Any solution that doesn't leave a few departments rankled simply won't be a good enough compromise...

On a more optimistic note, he has 5 years to figure out how to claw millions back from the fire department.