Just When You Think That DUH BUS Couldn't Shock & Awe Anymore

[WES]

Now they have Gillig Advantages.  These beauts are 35 feet and right now all I have seen are 63162 on the 17 and 63166 on the 15.  I got a pic of 63166 at Beltway Plaza.  They sound like they have an ISL with probably Voith tranny(if they spec them like their Phantom cousins).  I saw an unidentified one on the 22, but too far to get a number and around the time it was coming back, my F14 came.

What next Gillig hybrids?

[WES]

Let's see if this works

[rideonrulez]

  I guess they learned there lesson regarding equipment purchases? Now if they can only work on the service itself, then we might have a product.

[79MetroExtraMD]

I guess they learned there lesson regarding equipment purchases? Now if they can only work on the service itself, then we might have a product.

I second that. At least they're getting adequate buses. They need to get rid of those Thomases and SLFs. To be honest, MTA would've faired better with them than Duh Bus. We need a behind the scenes deal to increase service and probably make late night and weekend service a reality for PG.

[Perry]

MTA had them but the streets of Baltimore were tearing them up.

[79MetroExtraMD]

MTA had them but the streets of Baltimore were tearing them up.

At least not as bad as they are now with PG, but then again. Aluminium bodies weren't the best and probably was the factor that killed this model.

[Tristan]

I dunno man, PG got the best of the SLFs that MTA gave up and even those rolled onto property (those that could still roll, that is) looking like who woulda thought it and why.  The ones they repainted actually turned out looking pretty damn good  great  reasonable.

[79MetroExtraMD]

The one thing im wondering here. If PG is getting new buses to replace/supplement those "others", who is doing all of this and why just this instead of doing other things that are a top priority? You can pretty much guess what I'm talking about.

[rideonrulez]

The one thing im wondering here. If PG is getting new buses to replace/supplement those "others", who is doing all of this and why just this instead of doing other things that are a top priority? You can pretty much guess what I'm talking about.

It takes time, money and politics to do improvements. Trust me I should know as I have alot of stuff on the table here to help improve Ride On, but without the resources and timing (yes timing of implementation makes a BIG difference), it's hard. I hope this is just the start of what's to come for PG.

[Tristan]

Federal, or even state money for bus purchases (capital) is easier to come by because it's a one-time commitment, whereas operations support tends to be harder to come by because they can't give it to you once and say forget it (unless it's a demonstration grant or something).  PG/MD/US probably threw a few mill into Jack's hands and said "here, buy yourself something nice" but didn't give them any real money (yet) to improve because that's all tied up in discussions as to when and where it's going to be applied.

Remember that FTA buses are eligible for replacement after 12 years, and PG [had/has] '95 Gilligs.  Has anyone seen them recently?  It'd be a shame if they actually replaced them because for about 10 years, those were the only reputable buses they had, and there was once a time when they wouldn't even be called that.

[Perry]

Were their buses even purchased with Federal funds or did they use some other source?  If they used other sources of funding, they can replace whenever. 

[Tristan]

Yea, that's what DASH does....all state and local funds.  That's why we are not at all impacted by FTA's decision.

[LandoverDivision]

I seen 63160 and 63161. I have videos of them on YouTube.

[79MetroExtraMD]

For the first time since god knows when, Duh Bus is going to have a fare increase. I found this on their site just a minute ago.

http://www.co.pg.md.us/Government/AgencyIndex/DPW&T/Transit/fare+notice.pdf

[WES]

Right now the fleet numbers for the Gillig Advantages are 63160-63169.