System-Specific Spare Bus Ratios Update (2014)

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26 60-ft articulated buses (“artics”). The fleet is predominantly diesel powered, with a smaller subset, approximately 15%, of hybrid-electric (diesel) coaches. CTA is currently expecting a new order of 100 artics, 30 hybrid and 70 conventional; but with this order, it will not be retiring any buses. This is to supplement the fleet because of upcoming extensive heavy-rail repairs. These vehicles will temporarily run as shuttle buses, in place of the out-of-service rail segment. Once the new buses arrive, CTA will have 308 artics. CTA also has 1,529 40-ft buses, of which 1,509 are conventional and 20 hybrid: 400 are older buses from 2001, while most of the others were acquired between 2006 and 2009. In terms of on-board technology, CTA buses have an AVM (automatic vehicle monitoring) system that provides remote diagnostics and notifies maintenance staff of defects which can be addressed before they result in a major failure or service interruption. They will soon have a real-time locator system (RTLS); and eventually CTA will synch AVM and RTLS to streamline fleet pull-out. Mechanics and management can view AVM-logged defects either by standard or customized reports categorized by severity to diagnose bus problems. Special Service Requirements CTA does not currently operate any specially branded BRT buses, though BRT routes are in the planning stages. CTA does operate the Jeffery Jump circulator service with 60-ft buses branded with a special wrap. Thirty buses are branded for Jeffery Jump, and 25 buses are in service. CTA will use a standard bus for the Jeffery Jump service if needed, but can- not use the branded buses for other routes. Otherwise, CTA buses are fairly interchangeable, aside from capacity. Service and Ridership Issues Ridership has increased, but not to the point where it affects spares. CTA is trying to reduce bus crowding by adding addi- tional runs. Buses are sent out as needed to reduce crowding and to improve the customer experience, particularly during peak ridership. Operating Environment Issues Although the topography in Chicago is not particularly chal- lenging, the city does experience severe weather at both In addition to being asked to participate in the survey, four agencies were selected as case examples to provide more in-depth explanation of an agency’s particular experience, practices, and context: • Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Chicago, Illinois • Denver Regional Transit District (RTD), Denver, Colorado • Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), San Jose, California • Winnipeg Transit (WT), City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The case examples were selected based on diversity of fleet size, geographic location, operating environment, and agency strategies and approaches to dealing with fleet man- agement and spare bus challenges. CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY CTA is a multi-modal, rail and bus transit system serving the city of Chicago and suburban communities. In 2012, CTA had a fleet of 1,792 directly operated buses and a spare ratio of 14%. As shown in Table 21, CTA’s spare ratio has ranged between 14% and 20% over the past five years. Following is a discussion of CTA’s key issues related to spare bus needs and related fleet management. Information was supplemented by the authors’ interview with J. Ward, March 7, 2013. Fleet Mix CTA’s current fleet of approximately 1,800 revenue vehi- cles is composed of 40-ft and 30-ft standard buses, and chapter four CASE EXAMPLES

27 extremes; 2012 was a particularly difficult winter for CTA. The past few winters have been unusually wet, taxing vehicle air dry (dehumidifier) systems. In the summer, the weather is typically hot and humid. The need for spare buses is fairly level year-round. There are a few CTA garages with outdoor bus stor- age, which has led to such bus performance issues as greater failure of emission control systems; this results because of the increased engine idle time needed to warm up the vehicles. CTA is trying to address this issue by equipping some buses with plug-in battery chargers that can power the engine cool- ant heater. The buses that were retired in 2006 used “straight weight oil” 40W engine oil; CTA buses now are equipped with four-stroke engines that utilize 15W-40 motor oil, which has improved engine cranking ability under colder conditions. Street conditions within CTA’s service area differ signifi- cantly between residential and industrial areas, which can have an effect on the amount of suspension repairs required. This can create more unscheduled work, but has not significantly reduced spare buses as a result of PM suspension work. Maintenance Issues CTA has seven garages, all of which do light maintenance. Each property can house between 250 and 300 buses. Light maintenance consists of troubleshooting and replacement of components (except engines). Most mileage-based PM is done at the garages. Brakes, major electric, major body, and engine overhaul work goes to CTA’s major maintenance South Shop. Buses usually housed at North Side garages must travel a lon- ger distance than South Side vehicles to get to/from the heavy maintenance facility. This longer transfer means buses and staff is effectively out of service for longer periods; however, it does not significantly impact available spare buses. It’s a one-for-one swap, so the impact to bus availability in minimal. Two of the seven garages cannot house a 60-ft artic because the buses have difficulty navigating through pinch points within the facility. This does affect the spare bus ratio in terms of passenger capacity; for every 60-footer that can- not be pulled out, 1.5 40-ft buses are needed, which also eats into spare ratios. The main South Shop does not have sufficient space to hoist 60-ft buses, which can cause a backlog on heavy main- tenance work. A new type of lift is currently being installed to replace failed in-ground hoists and provide more efficient operation than the back-up portable hoists. This does affect spare bus needs, because without sufficient “hoist positions,” there is a substantial lead time to get buses in and out of the shops. CTA is upgrading from portable hoists to new in- ground hoists in the existing buildings. CTA also plans to install additional 60-ft lifts at the other garage; however, in the long-term, CTA will need to expand buildings to allow for more 60-ft bus capacity. Adequacy of Fleet Replacement/Rehabilitation Program CTA’s fleet replacement and rehab program is currently ade- quate. But historically, CTA has been inconsistent in the phas- ing of its fleet replacement decisions. The goal now is to have an on-going bus replacement program. This will prevent recur- rence of past problems when large elements of the fleet were acquired at the same time, resulting in much of the mileage- driven PM coming due within a relatively small time-window, and making it harder to manage maintenance staffing. CTA now has a continual bus replacement program that is spaced out more evenly. (The 2010 budget cuts had significantly impacted CTA’s fleet rehabilitation program; however, CTA has now secured capital funding for mid-life overhaul program.) Spare Ratio Sufficiency CTA’s current spare bus ratio is 16.8%. The spare ratio increases with each new bus arrival, but new demands will likely reduce it again. CTA is not satisfied that it has reached an efficient spare bus count: It is manageable, but not optimal. The spare bus ratio varies from garage to garage, and demand is lopsided to the peaks (more in morning, more in evening). The lower the spare ratio, the more maintenance that may need to be deferred. Greatest Challenges The two greatest challenges facing CTA with regard to main- taining a low spare ratio are: • Outdated facilities. There is a limited footprint to park buses and a limited number of lifts to maintain them. In the short-term CTA will be expanding facilities by Year Total Vehicles Available for Maximum Service Total Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service Spare Ratio 2012 1,792 1,578 14% 2011 1,781 1,527 17% 2010 1,781 1,527 17% 2009 2,053 1,707 20% 2008 2,132 1,843 16% Source: Chicago Transit Authority. TABLE 21 CTA TOTAL FLEET, PEAK FLEET, AND SPARE RATIOS OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS

28 In addition, CTA is currently looking into a different inspection process that will improve the spare bus situation. CTA is considering a “one-stop shop” where a bus would be inspected and repaired immediately, thus eliminating wait time and reducing the number of buses being tied up. Lessons Learned When CTA reduced its fleet in 2010, it wanted to minimize the impact felt by customers by maintaining as much service as possible with the reduction in buses. The planning depart- ment maximized “interlining” (linking routes together), run- ning buses directly from line to line. Initially, some routes were identified where a 60-ft bus interlined with a 40-ft route. This taxed the 40-ft bus spare fleet because 60-ft buses could not be operated on those routes. This was a temporary glitch and corrections were made that reduced the number of peak vehicles needed. In addition, CTA is evaluating the need to increase its spare ratio to the FTA allowed 20%, which it believes would provide the optimal level to meet both service and mainte- nance requirements. When running too lean a spare ratio, CTA has found that the potential exists for any “hiccup” to affect service, costing both money and customer goodwill. Although CTA is currently able to cover service and PM with less than a 20% ratio, it believes that 20% would be ideal. DENVER REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT RTD is a regional, multi-modal, light rail and bus transit sys- tem serving greater Denver and surrounding communities. In 2012, the RTD had a fleet of 1,003 buses and a spare bus ratio of 28% for its directly operated fleet, and 26% for its contract- operated buses. As shown in Tables 22 and 23, over the past five years the spare bus ratio for RTD’s directly operated fleet has ranged between 28% and 32%; for its contract-operated fleet, the spare ratio has ranged between 20% and 26%. acquiring adjacent property. In the long-term, CTA will add new facilities. An agency cannot always rebuild where an existing garage is located, because the prop- erty may not be suitable and there is often community opposition. (In 2010, a fiscal crisis forced the retirement of 255 buses, a garage closure, and reduced peak vehi- cle requirement by 196.) • Attracting talented labor (mechanics and management). Ideally, a competent mechanic can move up, but with union contracts, the gap between the mechanic and the manager salaries has been reduced significantly. There is not much incentive for a mechanic to “step up off the floor.” CTA has had to increase its reliance on outside candidates to supplement the management pool; how- ever, there are not a lot of people with both transit and technical experience. Although CTA provides additional technical refresher training for mechanics, management is primarily refresher-trained with a focus on leadership skills, not technical skills. The city of Chicago is consid- ering training managers in technical skills also. A pool of qualified managers trained on-the-job would be a benefit. Agency Practices in Managing Spare Ratio Following are some of the practices and strategies that CTA employs to better manage its spare ratio: • Keeping a fairly homogenous fleet • Upgrading facilities by adding more spaces for artics • Spreading out the bus replacement cycle, replacing 300 buses every two years • Using mock-ups for training (which has a big impact on spares). Maintenance instructors try to maximize the use of bus mock-ups rather than taking a coach out of service, but occasionally, a real bus is needed, which does affect spare bus ratio. CTA utilizes some obsolete, retired buses as mock-ups, but their value as a training aid is severely limited. • Base period availability of buses for driver training. Chicago had a huge budget crisis in 2010, and CTA had to reduce staff, but is slowly re-hiring drivers. Lim- ited spare bus availability impacts the operator training needs. As a result, the training department is focusing on scheduling on-street driver training periods during the base period between the a.m. and p.m. peaks. Year Total Vehicles Available for Maximum Service Total Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service Spare Ratio 2012 573 442 28% 2011 574 450 26% 2010 598 450 32% 2009 625 468 32% 2008 642 493 29% Source: Denver Regional Transportation District. TABLE 22 RTD TOTAL FLEET, PEAK FLEET, AND SPARE RATIOS OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS—DIRECTLY OPERATED

29 Service and Ridership Issues In January 2012, RTD had a reduction in service of about 10% because of the slowed economy. This resulted in an increase in the spare bus ratio between 2011 and 2012. Some buses were retired. Other vehicles were placed in a contingency fleet, but were returned to service owing to installation of a new smart card and CAD/AVL radio system. Even with the reduced level of service, ridership was only down by 0.4%. RTD directly operates a significant number of special services, including NFL Broncos game shuttles, senior shop- per specials, emergency light rail back-up (bus bridges), and increased CU-to-airport service. Three times a year— Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break—there is a mass exodus of CU students who need transportation to the airport. During each of these periods, 100 buses are added over the course of a week. On any given day, up to 17 additional buses may be needed. Private contractors do not operate any of these special services, so they all put significant pressure on the RTD spare bus fleet. Operating Environment Issues RTD operates buses under both cold and hot weather extremes, in addition to the significant challenges of high altitude—5,280 feet in Denver. Buses at that altitude have less power than those operated at sea level because of the lower concentration of oxygen in the air and the resulting strain on engine fuel combustion. In the winter, there are prolonged periods of below-zero temperatures, the city streets are rutted, and the snow is piled up. RTD buses also deal with rough pavement because the freezing and thawing creates numerous potholes in the winter. Emission controls systems on buses do not oper- ate as efficiently in the cold weather, so the exhaust filters clog up faster, causing warning lights to activate sooner; all these factors affect RTD’s available spare bus ratio. The cold temperatures affect the private contractors even more, because they have to park their buses outdoors (while RTD garages buses), so their buses idle more and air filters clog sooner. Following is a discussion of RTD’s key issues related to spare bus needs and related fleet management. Information was supplemented by the authors’ interview with D. Shaklee, March 8, 2013. Fleet Mix RTD’s bus fleet mix consists of 30-ft (standard floor and low floor) buses, 40-ft (standard and low floor) buses, 60-ft articulated buses, OTR coaches, specialty (45-ft) downtown mall buses, and small cutaways. The private contractors run the 30- and 40-ft coaches and the cutaways. The on-board systems are the same in all buses (e.g., automatic passen- ger counters, radios, fareboxes, etc.). The fuel systems rep- resented in the fleet include hybrid-electric CNG buses, hybrid-electric diesel, and clean diesel. Special Service Requirements The RTD serves a very large, eight-county area covering mountains, foothills, and flatlands; and provides local service, express service, regional service, and mall buses that run along the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. The contract fleet provides local transit service and a few express routes (with standard 40-ft buses). The RTD also oversees six branded bus routes in Boulder: the Hop, the Skip, the Jump, the Dash, the Bound, and the Stampede. These routes are serviced by 30- and 40-ft buses with unique paint schemes. The Skip runs in the Boulder area; the Stampede runs through the Colorado University (CU) campus. The private contractor runs the Hop, Jump, Bound, and Stampede, while RTD directly operates the Skip and the Dash. If necessary, RTD will use a standard RTD bus on a branded route if a branded wrap bus goes out of service and a branded spare is not available. RTD directly operates three-axle, OTR “highway-style” coaches on routes that travel into the moun- tains to a ski lodge, carrying skiers in winter and bicyclists in the summer. These OTR-buses also provide service to the Denver International Airport. RTD prefers not to run standard transit buses (40- or 60-ft artics) on these routes, but will do so if necessary. RTD very rarely sends artics up into the moun- tains, because of their operational limitations on snow and ice. Year Total Vehicles Available for Maximum Service Total Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service Spare Ratio 2012 430 342 26% 2011 450 371 21% 2010 435 360 21% 2009 438 363 21% 2008 434 363 20% Source: Denver Regional Transportation District. TABLE 23 RTD TOTAL FLEET, PEAK FLEET, AND SPARE RATIOS OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS—CONTRACTED

30 enter a modified apprentice program for about four months, becoming proficient in how to inspect and perform minor repairs. Over the next two years, they take other classes and prepare to take the mechanics’ entrance test. However, this program still does not provide enough mechanics. RTD also recruits from Wyoming Tech and Lincoln Tech, which have heavy-duty vehicle maintenance programs. The lack of qualified mechanics affects the overtime budget, but not so much the spare bus ratio. Driver training requires seven to 10 buses a day. Buses are made available for driver training only in off-peak periods; midday training buses must return for PM pull-outs. Adequacy of Bus Replacement and Rehabilitation Program Currently, the RTD-operated fleet is relatively old, with an average age of 10 years. The average age of the contract buses is six years. Fifty-four (54) OTR coaches have started to arrive, which will help significantly. Orders for newer buses were split with private contractors. RTD is feeling the pain of the old fleet in the form of higher levels of maintenance and reduced reliability. In 2000, the RTD purchased more than 700 buses; these will be replaced over the next three years, meaning that some will be 17 years old before being retired. Spare Ratio Sufficiency In 2012, the directly operated fleet spare bus ratio was 28%. The FTA allows RTD not to factor in the special buses that operate on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. Cur- rently there are 38 mall buses; RTD operates 23 at peak. The 2012 spare ratio for the contractor-operated fleet is 26%. RTD is replacing all the CAD/AVL radios along with installing a smart card system, so the contractors’ spare ratio is higher while the work is being done. The oldest contractor-operated buses are from the year 2000, about 25% of the fleet, while the newest buses were acquired in 2008; RTD wants the age ration to be more balanced. As the contractor-operated fleet average age goes up, the allowable spare bus ratio will need to increase. RTD staff believes the agency’s current spare ratio to be insufficient. In January 2013, there was an increase in service, a return to the levels before the 2012 service reductions. This resulted in the reintroduction of several buses that had been spares into peak service. The resulting current spare ratio for 40-ft buses is below 20%. The combined RTD-operated and contractor-operated fleets now has a spare ratio of 18.9%. RTD would like to see it at about 25% overall (higher for RTD spe- cial services); for the contract-operated fleet, 25% is thought to be sufficient given the age of the younger fleet. Regarding the sub-fleets, a higher spare ratio is needed for articulated buses, and a lower spare ratio for 30- and 40- footers. The opening RTD buses also travel as high as 8,000 feet into the moun- tains, where lower oxygen levels affect operations. Combined with summer temperatures reaching into the 100s (°F), the elevation often causes overheating: RTD bus engines are required to have cooling systems pressurized at 14 pounds, twice the standard seven-pound pressure, in order to raise the boiling point. In winter, RTD faces challenges with non- starting buses and failing in-bus heating systems. All RTD buses have transmission retarders that increases brake life but typically reduce transmission life by an esti- mated 20% to 25% because of the heat generated by the retarder, especially on steep grades coming out of the moun- tains. This also draws on spare bus fleet. Maintenance Issues For its directly operated bus fleet, RTD uses three bus stor- age facilities—Boulder, Platte, and East Metro—and one district shop. Basic maintenance is performed at the storage facilities, while major maintenance work is the responsibil- ity of the district shop. The private contractors have a total of four facilities (one has three contracts and three facilities, the other has one contract and one facility), but they do not have repair or reconstruction capabilities; instead, they purchase rebuilt parts and sublet body work. As noted, RTD parks its directly operated fleet indoors, leaving the contactors to park their buses outdoors. The pri- vate contractors cannot exceed 125 buses at any of the four locations. RTD-operated buses are allocated among the three bus storage facilities: 280 in Platte, 200 in East Metro, and 113 in Boulder. RTD has two contractors. Both the RTD facilities and the contractors’ facilities run the same maintenance programs; the contractors often assist each other. The transferring of buses is controlled exclusively by RTD, which will assist the contractors when necessary to supply service. The only time a bus deadheads for mainte- nance work is when it needs to come to the district shop for major repairs. The three RTD facilities can all do minor PM and repairs necessary for everyday pull-out, and so can con- tractor facilities. When the Platte division was built in 1976, it was built for 250 40-ft buses. Now it supports 45- and 60-ft buses. The East Metro facility was built in 1980 to house both 60-ft buses as well as 40-ft transit buses. Boulder was built in 1976, and does not support artics. These constraints affect RTD’s spare needs and spare ratio because it takes lon- ger to hoist buses and repair them. RTD has a maintenance training staff of five full-time instructors. There are nine certification zones that are linked to mechanic pay raises. RTD has a major challenge in hir- ing and retaining skilled mechanics. Toward addressing that challenge, RTD has created a mechanic helper program. Pro- gram candidates take dexterity and aptitude tests, and then

31 during the summer; monitoring the air cleaners nightly, to make sure the engines can breathe (air filters, etc.); and conducting above-and-beyond daily servicing require- ments to anticipate wear because of extreme temperatures. Lessons Learned Purchasing new buses, reducing special services during the day, and having driver trainees use buses at night or weekends will all help manage the spare bus fleet. Inactive contingency buses are maintained regularly and to the same level as active fleet; many are used for the CU exodus and for driver train- ing. RTD places only the best of the old coaches into the contingency fleet. SANTA CLARA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY VTA is a regional, multi-modal light rail and bus transit sys- tem serving greater San Jose and surrounding communities. In 2012, VTA had a fleet of 426 directly operated buses and a spare bus ratio of 23%. As shown in Table 24, VTA’s spare bus ratio has ranged between 23% and 30% over the past five years. Following is a discussion of VTA’s key issues related to spare bus needs and related fleet management. Information was supplemented by the authors’ interview with H. Samuels and J. Petty, March 7, 2013. Fleet Mix VTA’s bus fleet mix consists of standard 35- and 40-ft buses; 60-ft articulated buses; and less-than-30-ft “cutaway” buses. Most VTA buses are diesel; however, over the past few years the agency has acquired hybrid-electric (diesel) powered vehicles. VTA’s cutaway buses are currently gasoline-powered; of a new light rail line enabled a reduction in bus service, so some artics and OTR coaches may be available for spares. Greatest Challenges The greatest challenges facing RTD with regard to maintain- ing a low spare ratio are: • The intensive and intermittent nature of some of the special service requirements (e.g., university service to the airport); and the unique bus types that are needed for certain services (e.g., the branded shuttles). • The average age of the fleet and the large number of older buses on the same life cycle. The agency’s finan- cial challenges have resulted in its significantly extend- ing the service life of its buses, now past 12 years and/ or 500,000 miles on about 500 vehicles. • Wide variations in temperatures and altitude, and the attendant toll these take on bus performance and reliability. Agency Practices and Strategies Following are some of the practices and strategies that RTD employs to better manage its spare ratio: • The agency tries to schedule any activity (PM, PM repairs) on weekends, when a bus is not required to be in service. • When a bus comes in with a driver defect, it is moved to the first of the line; 40-ft buses are the most needed in the fleet. • RTD is striving to spread out bus purchases to the point where it is buying 150 buses every year so as to stagger the replacement cycle. • RTD does a preemptive large component change-out during the off-shift at intervals to avoid in-service failure. • The agency is transitioning to a higher pressure cooling system (14-lb vs. seven-lb). • RTD is attempting to maintain buses at a higher level; for example, maintaining air system driers year-round to make sure the air systems stay dry for the winter, thus reducing air system freeze ups; maintaining auxiliary fuel heaters year-round to make sure heating system work; scheduling PM at 6,000-mile intervals; focusing on springtime radiator clean-out to prevent overheating Year Total Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service Total Vehicles Available for Maximum Service Spare Ratio, % 2012 426 345 23 2011 431 332 30 2010 412 350 18 2009 424 336 26 2008 456 349 30 Source: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. TABLE 24 VTA TOTAL FLEET, PEAK FLEET, AND SPARE RATIOS OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS

32 The Airport Flyer service route is very flat. Its hybrid buses operate at low speeds and make frequent stops. This does not provide an opportunity for the clean air exhaust after-treatment to get to the operating temperatures needed to make the exhaust system work properly and burn off the particulates. In addition, bus radiators often get clogged from the significant construction dust in the Santa Clara Valley, necessitating additional service to prevent overheating. There has also been a group of coaches that has experienced frame cracking, although the cause has not yet been deter- mined; it could be pavement quality, potholes, or something completely unrelated. Buses with cracked frames must be withheld from service; and the entire frame must be exposed for welding; so repair can take several months, drawing on the spare bus fleet and affecting the spare ratio. If the defect is minor, the monitored bus can remain in service until it can be fixed. Fortunately, this flaw is affect- ing the largest sub-fleet—standard 40-ft buses—which has more spares to plug in when needed. The small cutaway buses have also experienced suspension cracking as a result of road conditions. VTA has upgraded to higher quality parts, but that makes the ride less smooth for passengers. Maintenance Issues VTA has three operations and maintenance divisions and one overhaul/repair facility, located at three different edges of the San Jose area. The shops offer some different services— paint and body, upholstery, etc.—and each has its own parts storeroom. There is not much shuttling of buses between divisions. Most vehicles start/end their runs near one of the three maintenance divisions to minimize deadheading. PM inspections, fueling, detailing, and other day-to-day main- tenance are performed at all three divisions. Facility issues have not impacted spare bus needs at VTA. Adequacy of Bus Replacement and Rehabilitation Program A few years ago, VTA had a large group of vehicles that had been in the fleet longer than the typical lifecycle of a coach, which meant that all the vehicles in this group were sched- uled to be replaced at the same time. VTA targets replacement of heavy-duty buses every 13 to 15 years, and medium- to light-duty vehicles every five to seven years. Rehab is gen- erally performed every seven years, though the actual rehab approach is customized to each coach type. The hybrid buses are a relatively new addition to VTA’s fleet, so the agency does not have a long-time estimate of what the hybrid maintenance requirements will be over the long haul. In an effort to learn more about the impact of the duty cycle on hybrid life, VTA is subjecting some vehicles to accelerated work and wear. Having an overhaul and rebuild facility, VTA is able to do much of its major maintenance work in-house, with the result this small vehicle sub-fleet will soon be replaced with hybrid- diesel-powered vehicles. VTA acquired and tested hydrogen buses in the early 2000s, but concluded that they were very expensive to operate and difficult to maintain; these buses are no longer in use. VTA has worked hard to comply with California Air Resources Board (CARB) rules. A few years back, CARB pushed transit systems to reduce emissions. VTA continued to lean on diesel, but explored cleaner operations using low- sulfur diesel and hybrid technologies. The fleet is currently very green. The on-board technology systems have been fairly reliable on VTA buses. Special Service Requirements In addition to regular local bus service, VTA operates BRT service using 40- and 60-ft branded buses that have a traffic signal priority mechanism on board. In addition, VTA oper- ates Express buses with a single front door and high back seat coaches; and Airport Flyers to the light-rail line and airport parking lots that have luggage racks and passenger counters, but do not have fareboxes. VTA also operates Community Buses, a downtown shuttle service, and feeder service in areas with lesser demand where large, standard buses are not needed. The vehicles assigned to the BRT, Express, and airport routes are only used only for those particular services, which significantly limits the agency’s ability to transfer vehicles to address other needs. For example, VTA will soon be purchasing 60-foot hybrid artics for its BRT service; once BRT-branded, these buses cannot be used on any non-BRT high-demand route, which challenges the spare bus ratio. Community buses are also specifically branded by body style and paint scheme; and their smaller capacity and lift type restrict flexibility in their assignment. Service and Ridership VTA’s ridership and service levels have fluctuated in recent years. An efficiency study resulted in a reduction in service and fleet size from 2008 to 2009, and financial pressures led to further reduction in service in 2011. However, services were restored in 2012 as ridership began to increase, and VTA expects continued, though small, passenger growth. The agency is constantly trying to attract more customers and improve efficiency. Operating Environment Issues Santa Clara’s nice weather and small number of steep hills do not make for a taxing operating environment, but there are a few issues affecting spare bus needs that are worth mentioning.

33 VTA works collaboratively to manage the fleet within the given parameters (funding, staffing levels, etc.) while still maximizing condition of the vehicles and transit services provided to the public. • Fostering proactive communication among all main- tenance and operations parties involved, which is key to actively managing the fleet. It is important that all affected staff understand issues, tradeoffs, and fleet requirements in order to make the right decisions. This process needs to be transparent, where nothing goes unnoticed and any potential hiccup can be anticipated. One of the agency’s mantras is, “Make sure the shop has the tools . . . to make the best decision at the worst possible time.” • Engaging management. VTA has learned to keep tabs on pull-out decisions. If the agency is not careful, the inactive fleet, BRT, Express or Airport Flyer vehicles might be used inappropriately. It is important to con- sistently reinforce, from the top down, what the fleet requirements are for each route, and that deviation from the rules or from the plan does matter. This ensures that the right buses are on the right routes at the right times. If buses are assigned to the wrong run at the wrong time, it must be addressed immediately; otherwise, fre- quency of such errors will increase. • Using the contingency fleet and base period to support training needs. VTA uses the inactive contingency fleet to get new drivers oriented and trained for as long as possible. It also strives to use active fleet coaches dur- ing the base period (between the peak demand periods) for training purposes, limiting the impact on the spare bus fleet. • Avoiding retiring buses in large groups. Breaking new bus purchases and old bus retirements into smaller groups is more efficient in terms of staff time needed for the commissioning and decommissioning. In addition, VTA has a “Joint Workforce Investment” (JWI) initiative that works with crews, foremen, and union leadership to move forward with mutually beneficial prac- tices. JWI members are developing new informational hand- books, resource guides, forms, and other materials to help foremen and line workers make better decisions, do their jobs more effectively, and cross-train and maintain active communication at all times. This helps maintain an optimal bus spare ratio at VTA. Lessons Learned With regard to better managing its spare bus ratio, VTA staff believes that it would be very helpful to have flexibility that recognizes sub-fleets and allows them to be managed independently. It is also critical to consider all the implica- tions that the wave of baby boomer retirements may have on spare bus fleet needs and resulting spare ratios (e.g., training needs, etc.). that staff mechanics are familiar with the vehicles in the fleet. This benefits substantially in maintaining the optimal level of spare vehicles; the agency believes that it would otherwise need more spare vehicles. VTA also uses decommissioned buses for parts, trying to keep one bus type per series if possible. Spare Ratio Sufficiency FTA has reprimanded VTA for exceeding the 20% spare ratio guidelines, although VTA tries to adhere to the limit as effectively as it can. As of 2013, a 23% ratio appears to be manageable. In some sub-fleets, VTA has more spare buses than needed, but fewer in others. VTA believes that having a 20% spare ratio for each usage type would be better than a 23% ratio overall, although it does not intend to expand the spare bus fleet at this time. When PM inspections are scheduled, it can be difficult to maintain the balance without jeopardizing bus pullouts. VTA tries to cluster similar buses (i.e., all airport buses) at one yard to ease scheduling challenges. It also tries not to deploy specialty sub-fleets on other routes (i.e., Express buses on the branded airport loop), because that has created confusion among riders. Ridership and service level fluctua- tions also affect the spare ratio. VTA tries not to overreact to short-term swings in ridership or service by selling off buses or acquiring new buses; so under those varying circum- stances, the spare ratio may be larger or smaller than desired. Greatest Challenges Some of the greatest challenges facing VTA with regard to maintaining a low spare ratio are: • Lack of interoperability among sub-fleets vehicles • Having sufficient numbers of buses available for opera- tor training. With a higher percentage of mechanics and drivers retiring, there is a need for more training classes for maintenance and operations staff, which requires the availability of all types of coaches in the fleet. However, making more buses available for training affects spare bus availability and places pressure on the spare ratio. • Maintaining sufficient maintenance staffing levels • Responding to special service needs, such as provid- ing service for the San Francisco 49ers stadium, BART expansion, and BRT build-out. Agency Practices and Strategies Following are some of the practices and strategies that VTA employs to better manage its spare ratio: • Creating and maintaining a culture of discipline and teamwork at VTA across all departments (maintenance, operations, engineering, planning, etc.). The staff at

34 as electronic fare boxes, the biggest technological change in the pipeline. WT has only 50 high-floor buses left; the remainder of the fleet is low-floor. Special Service Requirements WT’s service design and its homogenous bus fleet provides for significant interchangeability of buses throughout the system. The 40-ft coaches can operate on most routes. The 30-footers are typically placed on routes with lower ridership, such as suburban routes and the downtown shuttle service called the Downtown Spirit. The Downtown Spirit service runs on three routes. Sponsors help promote the service, so regular Downtown Spirit buses have a branded wrap and sponsor identification. Although WT prefers to use the spe- cially wrapped buses on Downtown Spirit routes, a standard non-wrapped 40-ft bus can be deployed on the Downtown Spirit route if necessary. Conversely, WT has the flexibility to use wrapped buses on other (non-downtown) routes. WT’s BRT service also has 35 specially wrapped buses that run along the corridor and then service other parts of the city. When needed, WT places BRT-wrapped buses on other routes. This does not appear to cause confusion, and WT would prefer using a wrapped bus versus missing service with no bus at all. According to WT, riders are accustomed to seeing wrapped buses all over the city; as long as the headsign shows the route they want, customers will board. Having buses that can run anywhere on the system is a major factor in maintaining a lean spare bus ratio. Service and Ridership Issues WT ridership has been steady for the past 10 years, with growth of 2%–4% annually and peak demands increasing dramatically. WT has always maintained a fairly lean spare bus ratio, so as additional peak service has been imple- mented, it has had to increase the number of spare buses to maintain the ratio by keeping older viable buses in the fleet. When it comes time for the annual replacement of 30 buses, the agency will only retire 20. Winter has the highest ridership of the year, partly because universities VTA believes that a strong maintenance training program has a very high ROI in terms of cost-effectively managing the fleet and the spare bus ratio. VTA often looks to the training department as a critical resource in dealing with maintenance problems and issues. And with rapidly changing technology, the training program is key to ensuring that the maintenance staff has the capabilities and skills to support the bus fleet. VTA used to have a trainer at each yard, but funding cut- backs eliminated them. Now there is a single central training center, but the program is not likely to be reduced further. The training program has clearly helped VTA maintain a lean spare bus ratio. CITY OF WINNIPEG TRANSIT DEPARTMENT, WINNIPEG TRANSIT WT is a regional, bus-only transit system serving greater Winnipeg, Manitoba, and surrounding communities. In 2012, WT had a fleet of 565 directly operated buses and a spare bus ratio of 12%. As shown in Table 25, WT’s spare bus ratio has ranged between 12% and 15% over the past five years. Following is a discussion of WT’s key issues related to spare bus needs and related fleet management. Information was supplemented by the authors’ interview with T. Dreolini, March 8, 2013. Fleet Mix WT has a current fleet of 563 buses. The fleet is fairly homog- enous, consisting primarily of 40-ft standard buses; 35 vehi- cles are 30-footers. WT is in the process of getting new (2012) buses, retiring old coaches as new ones are added. WT’s fleet is all diesel-powered, with basic technology, including GPS, next stop announcements, video surveillance, etc. When the funds are available, WT adds technological upgrades, such Year Total Vehicles Available for Maximum Service Total Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service Spare Ratio 2012 565 504 12% 2011 550 485 13% 2010 545 480 14% 2009 545 476 15% 2008 535 470 14% Source: City of Winnipeg Transit Department. TABLE 25 WT TOTAL FLEET, PEAK FLEET, AND SPARE RATIOS OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS

35 dispatch/parking database system (a maintenance manage- ment information system or MMIS) developed in the 1990s. This system can locate buses that are parked in the garages; when they are scheduled to enter service; when they are scheduled to return from service; and to which garage they are returning. The system also provides information to dis- patchers and maintenance supervisors on which buses are available for service at any time; which can be dispatched for the next peak dispatch period but must return follow- ing that peak for scheduled maintenance; whether buses are scheduled by another department for maintenance to allow multiple maintenance activities to occur at the same time; and whether non-critical maintenance need to be deferred as a result of a shortage of buses. The MMIS also has a bus history to help with the diag- nostic process for repairs. It enables a check to see if a part is in stock; if not, the system tracks part arrival and repairs. When parts are used, inventory is automatically updated. When levels are low, a notification is sent to buyers. This system can also search for comparable parts for older buses. These multi- ple features help to minimize repair time and in turn support a lower spare ratio. This is particularly important during the winter months, when the greatest number of buses is on the street and external conditions are the most challenging. Adequacy of Bus Replacement and Rehabilitation Program WT has had a highly focused and proactive bus replacement and rehabilitation program going back to the 1980s. As men- tioned, WT targets an 18-year life span for its coaches, so it staggers bus purchases at approximately 30 buses per year. A consistent number of purchases on an annual basis helps to balance the workload from season to season. Bus specifi- cations are kept as consistent as possible, but the agency does incorporate new features to improve performance. As noted, WT maintenance staff monitors conditions of frames, and starts refurbishing after 10 to 12 years. The outside “skin” of the bus is peeled away and portions of the frame that are perforated or so corroded that will likely fail before the bus is retired are replaced. WT refurbishes about 30 buses per year; this process takes approximately six weeks. It is largely a structural procedure, although it also includes other key components of the bus including the floor, seat inserts, paint, etc. This refurbishment also contributes to keeping the spare bus ratio lean. This mid-life refurbishment is intention- ally performed at a level that will enable the bus to last 18 to 20 years; staff does not work to extend the bus to a 30-year life. Power train repair is done independently. Since 1988, all WT buses have been purchased from a single vendor. Although such an arrangement is highly unusual in the United States, WT currently has a long-term (10-year) con- tract with one bus manufacturer. It is structured so that, on an and schools are in session, and also because weather condi- tions can be so severe that persons who would otherwise drive will ride the bus to avoid accidents, gridlock, etc. Many people also avoid driving in the winter because if they must park outdoors, their cars may not start at the end of the work day. Operating Environment Issues Winters are extremely cold in Winnipeg, with a fair amount of snow. Winter temperatures regularly dip to 25° below zero Celsius (-13° Fahrenheit), to 30°C below (-22°F) a few times a winter, and, rarely, reach 40°C below (-40°F). Snow is frequent, with a true blizzard passing through every few years. During winter months, on-street traction control is by salt, sand, or a combination depending on the outdoor temperature. Buses are parked indoors; when snow and salt accumulations on the undersides of buses melt, it creates an extremely corrosive environment for mild steel struc- tural tubing. In response, WT must do a complete structural refurbishment at approximately the mid-life of the bus (after 10–12 years of service) to ensure the structural integrity of the bus is not compromised. This structural rehab is essential to achieving the targeted 18-year bus life span and maintaining the low spare ratio. Summers, on the other hand, can be quite warm, though not extremely hot. Temperatures are routinely around 25°C (77°F), but can rise to above 30°C (86°F) in July and August. In 2007, after years of consideration, WT introduced air conditioning in buses to enhance customer comfort during summer months. However, if a bus’s air conditioning fails, it can continue in service because windows on the coach can be opened. The entire fleet is not yet air-conditioned, so encoun- tering a bus without AC is not unusual for customers. Maintenance Issues WT has two garages. The main facility, Fort Rouge, houses 430 buses and handles the major overhauls and higher-level inspections (and resulting repairs), in addition to providing standard daily support. North Garage is a satellite facility housing 135 buses that handles daily servicing, routine PM inspections, and basic repairs. North Garage does not perform any heavy overhaul activities. Seven to 10 buses a day start at one garage and end at the other. Fleets are not dedicated or assigned to either garage; WT tries to evenly distribute old and new vehicles, with air-conditioning units and without. At WT, pre-scheduled inspections are synched with route planning to ensure that each bus ends up at the right garage at the right time for inspection and repair. Inspections are sched- uled several days in advance. To help manage its fleet, WT uses a highly sophisticated in-house work order/inventory/

36 buses), all diesel-powered (no alternative fuel/propulsion technologies) and mostly built by a single manufacturer, has been a major factor in WT’s low spare ratio. • Extensive interoperability between regular and niche services and bus types (including special wraps and branding). Although every effort is made to match a bus type with its appropriate service, WT has the flexibility to assign just about any bus to any route as long as it has adequate capacity. • Steady and proactive bus replacement and rehabilita- tion programs. As described, new buses are scheduled for procurement at a rate of approximately 30 per year, and an equal number of older buses are retired. The refurbishment program ensures that buses are available for a service life of 18 to 20 years. • Use of service trucks for repairs in the field. WT has mechanics in service trucks driven by journeyman, assigning one truck during peak service. These service trucks generally park in a centrally located place during the service day. In the event of a bus driver’s calling dispatch, the truck can schedule a meet-up with buses on-route, or go to stalled buses. In really cold weather, WT may add another service truck. This service can often prevent the need for time-consuming (and service- impacting) bus swaps. Real-time communication allows for quick adaptability for addressing issues. • Stable and well-trained staff. WT has been able to attract and retain maintenance workers who have spent their entire career, as much as 30 years, at WT. This capabil- ity has enabled WT to efficiently manage workload to meet dispatch requirements and support the wide range of functional areas and specialty shops (body, A/C, electrical, etc.). Mechanics receive extensive training in-house. Journeyman mechanics do most work in-house, which is less expensive and allows supervisors to better balance workload, and makes mechanics familiar with the fleet. (In Canada, each province oversees the train- ing and certification of mechanics and other technical professions in conformance with standards established nationally.) Lessons Learned A number of agency strategies and practices have been implemented as a result of lessons learned over the years, including: • Not buying small numbers of unique buses. It is diffi- cult to stock parts and provide training and specialized maintenance for so few buses. • Not buying the first buses of a new model off the assem- bly line. Parts are rare, and there is not a lot of repair expertise around. • Maintaining a strong PM program. WT subdivides fleet by teams, so that inspectors inspect the same group of buses, become familiar with them, and can fix many defects on site. WT has different levels of inspections: annual basis, WT can place a bus order if funding is available without having to go out for competitive bids each time. Training and parts commonality are other advantages of having a uniform fleet. When this strategy was devised, WT had a very diverse fleet that was difficult and expensive to manage. Prior to 2004, WT typically had a one-year or three- year procurement. In the 1990s, there were many times when WT could not purchase any buses; however, in the past few years funding has been stable, so it has been able to stick with the annual purchase plan. This uniformity of fleet, parts inventory, and training contributes to WT’s very lean spare ratio. (The procurement practices allowed in Canada enabled the 10-year bus purchasing contract described previously.) Spare Ratio Sufficiency WT has found its lean spare ratio to be sufficient to support both its service mix and maintenance program. At peak peri- ods, there are very few to no spare buses, and sometimes buses scheduled for PM will need to be dispatched in the winter. The lean spare ratio sometimes requires that certain non-safety related defects identified in a PM inspection be deferred (all buses are checked out by WT mechanics before being placed back into service). Greatest Challenges Some of the greatest challenges facing WT with regard to maintaining a low spare ratio are: • Weather-related and shorter-term issues. These include cold buses, air and heating system problems, and sus- pension issues such as stiffer, rougher rides. After snow or ice or freezing weather, there is a spike in accidents. For minor fender benders, buses may remain in ser- vice. As mentioned, many longer-term winter weather impacts are related to salt corrosion. • Facility constraints. WT does not have room to fit any more buses inside, so some buses must be parked out- doors. A new parking, fueling, and cleaning facility next to Fort Rouge is coming on line. Maintenance bays are adequate right now, but WT plans to provide additional maintenance capacity in the future to meet anticipated increased ridership and buses. • WT has not experienced financial challenges that have impacted its spare bus ratio. Agency Practices and Strategies to Manage Spare Ratio As previously detailed, WT has employed multiple strategies and practices that have enabled it to maintain a very low spare ratio, including: • Fleet uniformity strategy. The homogenous fleet of pre- dominantly 40-ft buses (and a small sub-fleet of 30-ft

37 remove salt and provide visibility to identify leaks, corrosion, abraded hoses and wires, etc. For the major “C” inspections, WT allots more time for repairs during the inspections so there is less deferral of defects. According to WT, improvements to methods and equip- ment are ongoing and the level of maintenance is not being reduced as a result of the low spares ratio. The fleet is in good condition; WT indicated that at this time the lifespan of the oldest buses in the fleet could be extended. “A” inspections at 4K intervals (approximately 2,500 miles); “B” inspections at 12K intervals (approximately 7,500 miles); and “C” inspections at 48K intervals (approximately 30,000 miles). “A” inspections are done at night: These monitor bus conditions to schedule repairs and address safety related checks, including brake lin- ings, tires, etc. Most “B” and “C” inspections are per- formed during the day shift (7:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.), and include oil and filter changes, etc. In “B” inspections, undercarriages and compartments are power-washed to