Dec. 16, 2009
Three TTA Routes Lead the Way to an 800,000 Plus Passenger Year
Three Hybrid Buses Running
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – The drop in gasoline prices from near the $4 a gallon level to a little over $2.60 a gallon has had little impact on TTA ridership in 2009, according to Paul Davis, general manager. “It’s not a huge difference, but ridership is down about one percent from 2008.” Actually, the gasoline price surge compelled, in Davis’ words, “the new people were not riding every day. They rode three or four times a week to save gas. We saw people in July and August of 2008 that we had never seen on the buses before.”
As gasoline prices dropped, Davis has noticed some ridership retention, among the part time passengers. They are people with cars who would take the bus on days where they have , for instance, a to work and back schedule. On days when they have errands, such as shopping trips, they drive their cars. In any event, TTA gains riders and fewer autos on the road lowers emissions.
“Over the last five years, ridership has grown and grown, and grown,” Davis said, noting that the low point came in 1997 or 1998 with about 550,000 people carried. “This past year, we’ve carried 850,000. It’s down a little from last year, but that’s attributed to the economy and the [drop] in $4 a gallon gas prices.”
As the gasoline prices peaked, TTA joined with the KRT to offer Monday through Friday service to Charleston and back to Huntington.
“The Charleston bus is picking up,” Davis said. “We were averaging about 17 people per day during the trial period. Recently, we’re carrying 20 people a day , and some days as high as 30-35 people round trip. TTA does the morning part to the Capitol and back to Huntington; KRT leaves the Capitol at 5:15 p.m. [to Huntington] and back to Charleston.”
Davis revealed two upgraded stops are coming.
“We are working with the Department of Highways to upgrade the Park and Ride at Barboursville. We are going to make modifications at Milton and begin stopping there,” Davis said.
The Pullman Shuttle, which offers a round trip every 20 minutes Monday through Saturday ranks as third in ridership behind Madison Avenue and Walnut Hills. The shuttle however is free.
In addition, TTA has purchased three hybrid buses which “belch out less carbons. The [hybrid] bus gets about six miles to the gallon. A typical TTA bus gets 4.8 MPG.” As a hybrid, the buses run off of a combination of battery and diesel. “The diesel engine runs all the time, but the bus is propelled by the battery until about 17 m.p.h., then as the battery starts losing power, the diesel starts coming on line and turning the generator. The stopping power of the bus re-charges the battery too.
Typically, the stopping and starting of a bus means new brakes about every 20,000 miles. But, the hybrid, “the brakes will go 100,000 miles because the generator stops the bus and re-charges the battery each time it stops.
A partnership between DEP, the State of WV, TTA, and the FTA, “We were buying 14 buses and DEP asked us to look at a partnership with them on hybrid buses. DEP used stimulus dollars to upgrade the buses to hybrid,” Davis said. Normally, a TTA bus runs $320,000; the three hybrids were $240,000 extra per bus.
“They were looking for an opportunity to lower emissions. And, the hybrid bus gets better diesel and gas mileage. The bus is smoother starting off because it accelerates solely on battery power,” Davis explained. “You don’t get the jerk.”
The hybrids generally run on the routes with more starts/stops, which means picking up and letting riders off.
“Madison Avenue, Third Avenue, Walnut Hills, and the Westmoreland [routes]” use the hybrids. “You do not get benefit if you put it on a long run like Milton, Culloden or Charleston because after it reaches 17 m.p.h., it’s running all on diesel.”
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Three TTA Routes Lead the Way to an 800,000 Plus Passenger Year
Three Hybrid Buses Running
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – The drop in gasoline prices from near the $4 a gallon level to a little over $2.60 a gallon has had little impact on TTA ridership in 2009, according to Paul Davis, general manager. “It’s not a huge difference, but ridership is down about one percent from 2008.” Actually, the gasoline price surge compelled, in Davis’ words, “the new people were not riding every day. They rode three or four times a week to save gas. We saw people in July and August of 2008 that we had never seen on the buses before.”
As gasoline prices dropped, Davis has noticed some ridership retention, among the part time passengers. They are people with cars who would take the bus on days where they have , for instance, a to work and back schedule. On days when they have errands, such as shopping trips, they drive their cars. In any event, TTA gains riders and fewer autos on the road lowers emissions.
“Over the last five years, ridership has grown and grown, and grown,” Davis said, noting that the low point came in 1997 or 1998 with about 550,000 people carried. “This past year, we’ve carried 850,000. It’s down a little from last year, but that’s attributed to the economy and the [drop] in $4 a gallon gas prices.”
As the gasoline prices peaked, TTA joined with the KRT to offer Monday through Friday service to Charleston and back to Huntington.
“The Charleston bus is picking up,” Davis said. “We were averaging about 17 people per day during the trial period. Recently, we’re carrying 20 people a day , and some days as high as 30-35 people round trip. TTA does the morning part to the Capitol and back to Huntington; KRT leaves the Capitol at 5:15 p.m. [to Huntington] and back to Charleston.”
Davis revealed two upgraded stops are coming.
“We are working with the Department of Highways to upgrade the Park and Ride at Barboursville. We are going to make modifications at Milton and begin stopping there,” Davis said.
The Pullman Shuttle, which offers a round trip every 20 minutes Monday through Saturday ranks as third in ridership behind Madison Avenue and Walnut Hills. The shuttle however is free.
In addition, TTA has purchased three hybrid buses which “belch out less carbons. The [hybrid] bus gets about six miles to the gallon. A typical TTA bus gets 4.8 MPG.” As a hybrid, the buses run off of a combination of battery and diesel. “The diesel engine runs all the time, but the bus is propelled by the battery until about 17 m.p.h., then as the battery starts losing power, the diesel starts coming on line and turning the generator. The stopping power of the bus re-charges the battery too.
Typically, the stopping and starting of a bus means new brakes about every 20,000 miles. But, the hybrid, “the brakes will go 100,000 miles because the generator stops the bus and re-charges the battery each time it stops.
A partnership between DEP, the State of WV, TTA, and the FTA, “We were buying 14 buses and DEP asked us to look at a partnership with them on hybrid buses. DEP used stimulus dollars to upgrade the buses to hybrid,” Davis said. Normally, a TTA bus runs $320,000; the three hybrids were $240,000 extra per bus.
“They were looking for an opportunity to lower emissions. And, the hybrid bus gets better diesel and gas mileage. The bus is smoother starting off because it accelerates solely on battery power,” Davis explained. “You don’t get the jerk.”
The hybrids generally run on the routes with more starts/stops, which means picking up and letting riders off.
“Madison Avenue, Third Avenue, Walnut Hills, and the Westmoreland [routes]” use the hybrids. “You do not get benefit if you put it on a long run like Milton, Culloden or Charleston because after it reaches 17 m.p.h., it’s running all on diesel.”
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