DEPARTMENT of -MA-06-0120-82-4 transportation HE SC-UMTA-82-17 8. b 1 JUL .\37 1983 no. DOT- LIBRARY TSC- \- J :aT 8?- Technology of U.S.Department Articulated Transit Buses ofTransportation Urban Mass Transportation Administration Office of Technical Assistance Prepared by: Office of Bus and Paratransit Systems Transportation Systems Center Washington DC 20590 Urban Systems Division October 1982 Final Report NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Govern- ment assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. NOTICE The United States Government does not endorse prod- ucts or manufacturers Trade or manufacturers 1 . nam&s appear herein solely because they are con- sidered essential to the object of this report. 4 v 3 A2>7 ?? 7 AST* - c V ST‘ (*c Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. UMTA-MA-06-0120-82- 4. Title and Subtitie ~6. Report Date DEPARTMENT OF October 1982 TECHNOLOGY OF ARTICULATED TRANSIT BUSES I TRANSPORTATION 6. Performing Organization Code TSC/DTS-6 JUL 1983 j 8 Performing Organization Report No. . 7. Author's) DOT-TSC-UMTA-82-17 Richard G. Gundersen | t |kh aR 9. Performing Organization Name and Address jjo. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) UM262/R2653 U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Special Programs Administration 11. Contract or Grant No. Transportation Systems Center Cambridge MA 02142 13. Type of Report and Period Covered 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address U.S. Department of Transportation Final Report Urban Mass Transportation Administration Office of Technical Assistance Office of Bus and Paratransit Systems 14. Sponsoring Agency Code URT-20 Washington DC 20590 15. Supplementary Notes DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 16. Abstract JUL 1983 I s [ LIBRARY This study assembles technical informatilon to increase thfe transit community's awareness and understanding of the articuTated transit coach and its emerging role in urban transportation. The report is organized to provide information on: 1) status of deployment of articulated transit coaches in this country; 2) design and performance aspects of this type of vehicle; and 3) general experiences in the operation and maintenance of articulated buses. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Articulated transit bus design, DOCUMENT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IS performance, O&M THROUGH THE NATIONALTECHN CAL INFORMATION SERV CE, SPR NGFI ELD, VIRGINIA 22161 I 1 I 19. Security Clossif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 258 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized PREFACE This study was conducted to assemble technical information to increase the transit communities’ awareness and understanding of the articulated transit coach and its emerging role in urban transportation. This study was initiated and sponsored by UMTA’s Office of Bus and Paratransit Systems. The report is organized to provide an understanding of: status of deploy- 1 ) ment of articulated transit coaches in this country; 2 design and performance ) aspects of this type of vehicle; and 3 ) general experiences in the operation and maintenance of articulated buses. The report was prepared by the Urban Systems Division of the Transportation Systems Center. Important contributions in the identification of foreign producers of articulated buses and the development of comparative specifica- tions (Appendix A & B) were made by Mr. Ted Hawkes, President of Transporta- tion Equipment Development Company. ill FACTORS CONVERSION METRIC IV REPORT OUTLINE Page .0 INTRODUCTION 1 1 2.0 PURPOSE 5 3.0 OVERVIEW OF ARTICULATED TRANSIT BUS DEPLOYMENT 6 IN THE U.S. 3.1 Current Status of Articulated Bus Fleet 6 3.2 Future Trends in Articulated Bus Deployment 17 4.0 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ARTICULATED BUS TECHNOLOGY 4.1 Brief Profile of U.S. Manufacturers 23 4.2 Manufacturing Techniques 25 4.3 Propulsion Configurations 27 4.4 Articulated Bus Capacity 29 4.5 Maneuverability and Handling 31 4.6 Braking and Weight Distribution 35 4.7 Articulated Joint 35 4.8 Miscellaneous Design Characteristics 40 5.0 OPERATIONAL AND MAINTENANCE CHARACTERISTICS 43 ..... 5.1 Operational Characteristics 43 5.1.1 Fuel Economy 44 . 5.1.2 Bus Scheduling Concerns 44 5.1.3 Stability in High Speed Operation 45 5.1.4 Rear Side "Swing-out" 46 5.1.5 Passenger Acceptance 47 5.1.6 Fare Collection 47 5.1.7 Institutional Concerns 48 5.2 Maintenance Characteristics 53 5.2.1 Servicing, Inspection and Storage 53 .... 5.2.2 Transmission Reliability and Maintenance 54 5.2.3 Air Conditioning Reliability and Maintenance 55 . . , 5.2.4 Accessory Belt Drives 56 5.2.5 Parts Cost and Delivery 56 5.2.6 Body Repair 58 5.2.7 Brake and Tire Life 58 5.2.8 Articulated Joint 59 6.0 MISCELLANEOUS TECHNICAL INFORMATION 65 7.0 FINDINGS AND CONSIDERATIONS 73 V REPORT OUTLINE (CONTINUED) Page APPENDIX A - REPRESENTATIVE LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN AND A-l EUROPEAN ARTICULATED BUS MANUFACTURERS APPENDIX B - DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF B-l SELECTED ARTICULATED TRANSIT BUSES Vi 1 LIST OF FIGURES Figuie Page 1 Distribution of Domestic Fleet of Articulated 11 Transit Buses 2 Relative Contract Prices: Articulated and 15 Conventional Transit Coaches 3 Characteristics of the U.S. Articulated Bus 19 Market in the U.S. 4 Representative Bus Chassis 26 Propulsion Configurations 5 27 6 Relative Bus Sizes 32 Turning Envelope 7 32 Swing-Out with Steered Rear Axle 8 33 Swing-Out with Fixed Rear Axle 9 33 10 Articulated Bus Operation on Ramps 35 Relative Movement of Articulated Joint 36 1 12 M.A.N. Chassis 38 13 Renault Chassis 40 14 Neoplan Articulated Double Decker Bus 69 15 Maintenance of Articulated Bus Mechanism 72 Using Portable Lift Equipment Vll LIST OF TABLES Table Page Chronology of Articulated Bus Experiences in the U.S. 3 1 2 Procurement History of U.S. Articulated Transit Buses 7 Comparison of Passenger Capability 30 3 4 Relative Capacities of Articulated and Conventional 31 Buses at Equal Passenger Comfort Levels 5 Representative Turning Radii 34 6 Summary of Operational Experiences of Articulated Buses 49 in the U.S. 7 Summary of Servicing and Maintenance Experiences 60 B Summary Design, Dimensional and Performance B-l Characteristics (Appendix B) vii i