Creating a younger, cleaner and more efficient fleet 
Metro Transit maintenance technician works on rebuilding a
bus engine.
In 1996, the average age of a King
County Metro Transit bus was almost 12 years old. That year was the beginning
of a youth movement in the Metro fleet, as the transit agency began taking
delivery of 360 new 40-foot diesel coaches. By 1998 the average age of Metro
coaches on the road had fallen to 8.7 years. Today, with the addition of 100
new low floor buses and the first installment of 213
hybrid electric buses,
coaches have become even younger, with the average age in the Metro fleet
roughly five years old.
Has Metro discovered the fountain
of youth? Not exactly, its fleet has gotten younger, more environmentally
friendly and more efficient to operate thanks to newer vehicles, technology
and improved maintenance practices.
“If we can keep the average age of
our coaches to eight years or less, it makes a big difference in our service
quality,” says Jim Boon, Metro Vehicle Maintenance Manager. “With a younger
fleet, we don’t have to replace parts as often. That lowers our overall
operating costs and makes our service more reliable.”
The new hybrid and low floor buses
will be the backbone of Metro’s fleet for the next 15 years. They burn ultra
low sulfur diesel fuel, which reduces air pollution by up to 90 percent
compared to the old standard diesel buses. And the hybrid-electric technology
will save the county an estimated 750,000 gallons of fuel a year, translating
into an annual savings of close to $1 million.
The newer buses also require 25
percent less maintenance. Because so many bus components are computerized,
Metro maintenance crews use computer diagnostic tools to trouble shoot
problems. These tools are highly accurate, allowing crews to identify and make
repairs faster than they can on older buses. Money saved in fuel and maintenance costs
helps offset other cost increases and revenue decreases - allowing Metro to
maintain existing service levels. This savings was planned into budgets
based on estimates when the buses were purchased.
The newer vehicles figure to age
gracefully, with the next big turnover in coaches probably occurring somewhere
between 2008 and 2010. By then, there will no doubt again be new technology to
consider, fuel alternatives such as a reformulated diesel that are even more
environmentally friendly, and tools and maintenance techniques that will allow
the next generation of coaches to live longer, more cost efficient lives.
Top
Transit maintenance team is tops in state
The annual Washington State
Roadeo for transit maintenance and operations was held in Yakima
on August 24, in conjunction with the WSDOT Public Transportation
Conference.
Metro's maintenance team of
Jerry McKenna, Bryan Stites and Arvin Vulliet took first place in
the Maintenance Section in the state competition.
In a run-off with the state's
most decorated Roadeo competitor, Metro bus driver Michael Grady
took second place in the Operations Roadeo. He was just edged out
of what would have been his fourth state title by Dan Schmidt of
Ben Franklin Transit, a three-time national roadeo winner. Grady
was philosophical about his finish saying “giving it your best
shot and finishing second to Danny is not all bad."
Both
Grady and the maintenance team are now qualified to compete in the
National Roadeo Competition, held in conjunction with the American
Passenger Transport Association’s annual meeting in Atlanta this
October.
Top
Airport says farewell to troops
King
County International Airport’s summer of active military duty
is over. With the completion of McChord Air Force base’s $11
million dollar runway renovation, KCIA is returning to normal
service operations.
KCIA was
called upon to support McChord’s renovation project because
its main 10,000 foot runway could accommodate
C-17
Globemaster III transport jets, as well as other military
aircraft. During the summer, 18 commercial charter troop
flights and approximately 40 other military flights landed and
departed from KCIA, with more than 2,100 military related
passengers passing through the KCIA terminal.
Top
King County wins
VisionBROWARD award
Metro Transit received top honors at recent conference sponsored by
VisionBROWARD in Florida.
VisionBROWARD is a long-range planning effort that identifies
economic development and public-financing strategies for
implementation in Broward County. VisionBROWARD sponsored a
national call for papers and a competitive process to
highlight five specific strategies for consideration by the
VisionBROWARD leadership. Metro presented a proposal
highlighting the Commute Partnerships and Sounding Board
efforts in the Six Year Plan and the current planning efforts
with the Downtown Transportation Alliance and South Lake Union
development strategies.
VisionBROWARD awarded Metro a $1,000 award for sharing its
best economic development strategies. Kathy Koss, a senior
Transportation Planner with the Market Development group,
represented King County at the conference.
Top
The Washington State University football team makes its annual
“battle in Seattle” appearance this Saturday, Sept. 11 to take
on the Colorado Buffaloes at Qwest Field.
The game kicks off at 12:30 p.m., and Metro will be providing both
regular service to the stadium and special shuttles to a
convenient nearby drop-off and pick-up point.
The special shuttles run between the International District near
the stadium and five park-and-ride lots: Northgate Transit
Center; South Kirkland; Eastgate; Kent; and Federal Way. The
shuttle fare is $3 each way.
Shuttles
begin boarding about two hours prior to kickoff, and leave
every 20-40 minutes or when they are full. The last Cougar
Special leaves about 45-60 minutes prior to kickoff, depending
on your departure location.
For all
the details, visit Metro Online.
Top
Roadwork Ahead:
Here is a list of King County Department of Transportation projects that may disrupt traffic and travel in the coming weeks:
West Snoqualmie Valley Road, west of Carnation – West Snoqualmie Valley Road
will be closed from Northeast 80th Street
to its southern terminus at Ames Lake-Carnation Road from
Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 7 a.m. to 3
p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15. During the closure, crews will be installing a
new culvert under the roadway. Motorists should detour via Ames Lake-Carnation
Road and Northeast 80th Street.
Maxwell Road Southeast, near Maple Valley – Maxwell Road Southeast will be
closed in the 18800 block from 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7 through Friday, Sept.
24 while crews replace a culvert under the roadway. There will be local access
only during the closure.
Mt. Si Bridge, near North Bend – The Mt. Si Bridge will be closed for
three days from 8:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 13 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15
between Southeast 128th Place to 434th Avenue Southeast.
During the closure, crews from the state and the county will be doing bridge
inspections. Traffic will be allowed across the bridge at hourly intervals.
Elliott Bridge, east of Renton – The
Elliott
Bridge will be closed for an under-bridge inspection on Monday, Sept. 13
between 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Motorists should detour via the Cedar Mountain
Bridge on Jones Road.
Northeast 124th Street, north of Redmond – Work continues through October
2004 on
Northeast 124th Street between Willows Road and State Route 202.
The final asphalt paving is dependent on the weather, but is expected to be completed
this week. Expect periodic traffic delays.
Upper Tokul Bridge, near Snoqualmie – Traffic will be limited to one lane across
the Upper Tokul Bridge on Tokul Road Southeast through Sept. 15, while crews
complete a seismic upgrade of the bridge. Motorcyclists should use extreme
care in crossing the bridge and its approaches.
Duvall Bridge – Crews will be working on a seismic upgrade of the
Duvall
Bridge on the Woodinville-Duvall Road through September. Most of the work
will occur underneath the bridge. Full road or bridge closures are not
expected, but flaggers will be controlling truck and equipment traffic.
Northeast 155th Street, east of Woodinville –
Northeast 155th Street will be closed between Avondale Road and 188th Avenue Northeast
until Friday, Sept. 10, while crews install a larger culvert under the roadway.
Detour via Avondale Road and Northeast 159th Street.
Wynaco Bridge, east of Auburn – The
Wynaco Bridge
on 168th Way Southeast is closed through September for repairs and
upgrades. Motorists should detour to Auburn-Black Diamond Road and Kent-Black
Diamond Road.
Edgewick Bridge, east of North Bend -
The Edgewick Bridge
on 468th Avenue Southeast remains closed, and traffic has been
diverted to a temporary one-lane bridge. The project is expected to last
through mid-October.
South 277th Street, between Auburn and Kent – There will be no lane closures, but
motorists may experience periodic traffic disruptions on
South 277th
Street between the West Valley Highway and 72nd Avenue South through
October 2005 as a result of this major reconstruction project.
124th Avenue Northeast, in Kingsgate – Work is ongoing for street improvements along 124th Avenue Northeast between Northeast 132nd Street and Northeast 146th Place.
Top
|
|
|
|
|
DOT Dash