Public Transportation and Smart Growth

Articulated buses run about 60 feet:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus

Here are some Articulated bues in operation in Pittsburgh

http://www.pittsburghtransit.info/artic.html

http://www.pittsburghtransit.info/flyer.html


The problem with these buses, is the Bus Companies push them for they haul more passengers per drivers then other buses but at a reduce schedule. I.e. instead of two buses at 15 minute intervals, you have one bus every 30 minutes. That sounds OK, till you realize that frequency is almost as important as speed AND the the bus exists. The chief reason Streetcars declined stated in the 1930s (in urban areas, 1918 if you include Rural Inter-urbans) is that they ended up in death spirals. As fewer people took them, service frequency was cut, that made it more inconvenient for more people so more people stop using the streetcars, which lead to further cuts in service, which lead to even more people stop using the streetcars. This death spiral starting in the late 1920s for urban streetcars (1918 for Rural Inter-Urbans) till they lost 90% of more of their passengers by the 1950s.

Frequency of service is as important as providing the service itself. A fact often lost by bus providers run by people who do not use the bus on a daily basis (Which are most broads of Directors running most bus systems).

Thus this bus will be a good bus on lines with a lot of riders, but only if frequency of service is maintained. In most places frequency of service has been maintained, but I have seen a drop in service in some situations. For example, just under 10% of all riders into Downtown Pittsburgh take the new LRV system (Which replaced a 1905 Streetcar system, same route, just new cars and a four stop Subway in Downtown Pittsburgh). When this system ran PCC on its 30 years ago, the cars came more frequently then they do now. The old PCC has seats for up to 60 people, and a "Crush Capacity" of up to 100 (and in my youth I saw many a PCC with "Crush Capacity&quot .

PCC Streetcars:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCC_streetcar

THe LRVs have 62 seats but an additional "Crush load" of 216

http://www.pittsburghtransit.info/index8.html