Uncategorized – Page 11 – County Connection

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A New Generation of Advanced, Non-Polluting Transit Buses

County Connection – Moving Forward

In late July, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced that County Connection is one of 20 transit agencies in the United States to be selected as the recipient of a competitive grant of nearly $2.7 million to contribute towards the purchase of four 29-foot all battery-electric buses. This news comes as County Connection is about to introduce its wireless all electric trolley in downtown Walnut Creek this fall (exact date to be announced soon). Both of these projects are the result of the unique and innovative partnership between East Bay Area manufacturer GILLIG Corporation, New York-based BAE Systems, and Salt Lake City-based Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification Inc. (WAVE).

These three American companies have come together to build a 29-foot electric bus that is inductively charged while on-route and while sitting at the bus yard. This ability will greatly extend practical operating range and battery life. Adequate operating range and battery life cycle costs are two of the biggest challenges facing transit today when asked to begin to transition from conventionally fueled buses to zero emission-based buses. By effectively making progress on these two challenges, County Connection’s two projects will demonstrate opportunities that could transfer these innovations throughout public transit agencies in this country.

trolley-1-resizeOnce we take delivery of the last of the new buses in late 2017 or early 2018, County Connection will have eight all electric buses – which will represent approximately 8.7% of our peak bus deployment.

Of course none of this would be possible without the funding supplied by the FTA. Our first project received over $4 million from the FTA in Clean Fuels funding from the Safe Accountable Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETY-LU). This was awarded to us because the wireless electric trolleys that we are purchasing are using a unique and original prototype design.

The July announced funding is through FTA’s Low-No grant program, which is supported in the recently enacted Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST). These funds will augment other FTA funds that we receive on a formula basis, as well as state transportation funding. Without these critical federal funds, County Connection could not integrate a new generation of advanced, non-polluting transit buses into our fleet.

The application process for the Low-No Emissions funds was extraordinary. Out of the $55 million awarded nationwide, County Connection beat out a large number of applicants to secure $2,684,311 from this program. All of us at County Connection are grateful to those that helped us put forward a winning proposal.

The project application was a joint effort between County Connection and The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE). CTE is a non-profit organization that offers an array of services to help transit operators determine when, where, and how they should consider implementing zero emission based buses into their services and fleets. CTE was instrumental in helping us determine some of those factors and using that knowledge to feed into our application. CTE is doing this all over the country. As a result of CTE’s work, the public transit industry is able to effectively and smartly move more quickly into the world of zero emission-based buses.

Also instrumental in the application process was BART, PG&E, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), GILLIG Corporation, BAE Systems, WAVE, Inc. and Congressmen Mark DeSaulnier, Eric Swalwell, and Mike Thompson. Through this strong partnership of many players, County Connection is going to be able to deploy eight all electric buses over the next two years. This will reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases. At the same time, these projects are being managed in a way where our services will not be at risk of being diminished. Rather our service will be enhanced, just like our other technologically advanced projects implemented over the past few years.

New Shelters Coming To Pleasant Hill

August 24, 2016

Residents and riders in Pleasant Hill will begin to see new solar powered bus shelters taking the place of old, out dated shelters. Workers began the process of removing some of the oldest bus shelters in the system this week. In all, six shelters will be replaced in the weeks ahead.

Beginning in 2014 when capital improvement funds from several sources became available, County Connection embarked on a plan to identify some of the most heavily used stops that needed updates.  In some cases the improvements were needed to meet user demand, and in others, to meet compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

County Connection works with the city staff in each jurisdiction to determine the priority needs. In Martinez, most of the effort was placed on making improvements at stops, such as pouring concrete pads and curb cuts to bring the stops up to current ADA standards. In the City of Concord, as well as Pleasant Hill, since most bus stops already met ADA standards, their emphasis has been on updating the shelters so they too meet the standards.

As long as these funds are available, County Connection will work our way through each city – until it’s time to start all over again.

County Connection Awarded FTA Grant

County Connection Among FTA’s Low-No Emissions Grant Awardees

Agency receives nearly $2,700,000 for four electric buses and five chargers.

CONCORD, Calif. – County Connection (Central Contra Costa Transit Authority) has been awarded $2,684,311 from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to purchase four all-electric buses that will use wireless power transfer technology enabling both depot plug-in charging and en-route fast-charging that can extend battery life and support a greater range for each bus between depot visits.  The electric buses will replace four diesel buses, which have been in service since 2002 and have logged more than 500,000 miles each.  The diesel buses consume a combined 9,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year.  The new buses will prevent just over 300 metric tons of CO2-equivalent (CO2-e) emissions and 0.090 metric tons of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from being emitted into the atmosphere each year. In addition, the annual amount of 2.042 metric tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 0.156 metric tons of hydrocarbons (HC), and 1.107 metric tons of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions will also be prevented, as a result of the new buses.

“County Connection is very pleased to be one of 20 transit agencies in the United States to be selected through a competitive process to receive this project grant,” said County Connection Board Chair and Town of Danville Mayor and Council Member Robert Storer.  “Battery-electric buses are much quieter than diesel buses and can help County Connection reach its goal to integrate a new generation of advanced, non-polluting transit buses into our fleet and reduce diesel emissions.”

The grant is provided through FTA’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Deployment Program (Low-No). County Connection’s funding share is a portion of $55 million in competitive grants FTA offers to public transit agencies nationwide.  County Connection will put the grant towards four 29-foot wireless all electric battery powered buses. The electric propulsion system is being supplied by New York-based BAE Systems out of New York.  East Bay Area manufacturer Gillig Corporation will build the four buses. In addition to the bus purchases, the grant will also be used for the infrastructure required to operate the buses. The buses will be charged using wireless power transfer technology purchased from Salt Lake City-based Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification Inc. (WAVE), which will provide County Connection with four depot chargers and one on-route charger.  The anticipated cost of the entire project is $4,894,500. The balance of the project will be funded through a mix of public transit grants through state and federal sources. The first of the new buses will be in service by mid-2017.

“This important step toward reduced greenhouse gas emissions is the result of the successful combination of effort and partnership between County Connection, the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), BART, PG&E, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Gillig Corporation, BAE Systems, and WAVE, Inc.,” adds Storer. “We also have to acknowledge the support and encouragement of Congressmen Mark DeSaulnier, Eric Swalwell, and Mike Thompson.  The single-minded pursuit of all of these groups and individuals make it possible for County Connection to incorporate innovative, energy-efficient buses to help improve air quality and reduce our dependence on oil.”

The grant will enable County Connection to implement its second all electric vehicle project and continue to deliver on the agency’s long-term plan to provide reliable transit service in efficient vehicles that eliminate diesel emissions.  The first project includes the replacement of four diesel-powered downtown Walnut Creek trolleys with four wireless electric trolleys, also being built by Gillig with BAE supplying the propulsion system and inductive chargers using the WAVE system.  The first of the new trolleys is expected to be in service by early November 2016.

More information about the FTA grants under MAP-21, including the Low-No program that focuses on deploying the cleanest and most energy-efficient U.S.-made transit buses designed to cut carbon pollution and other traditional pollutants, can be found by visiting:

https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding.

About County Connection

County Connection operates a fleet of 112 clean diesel and 9 hybrid diesel buses in fixed-route service and 55 gas-powered vans in door-to-door service.  For assistance or for more information on bus routes, please visit cccta.wpengine.com or call Customer Service at (925) 676-7500.

600 Select Series Schedules Are Available/New Schedules For Rt. 98X

August 9, 2016

Changes to several of the 600 series bus schedules, as well as the Rt. 98X will take place effective August 14, 2016.

The 600 series buses provide supplemental service that coincide with school bell times. This select service operates only when schools are in session when demand is typically higher.

SERVICES TO BE ELIMINATED INCLUDE:

  • All service on Route 609 will be eliminated – Route 609 served Foothill Middle, and Northgate High.
  • All service on Route 610 will be eliminated – Route 610 served Diablo View Middle School.
  • The morning service on Route 603 will be eliminated. Rt. 603 served Campolindo High and Saint Mary’s College.

Route 98X schedule is completely re-written. Please see https://countyconnection.com/schedule/98X/ for updates.

Complete information on all routes and schedules is available on the website. This information is also available by calling Customer Service at 925-676-7500.

Downtown Concert Series Means Bus Detours

July 14, 2016

With the beginning of the summer concert series in Todos Santos Park, several bus stops will be closed around the park on Thursdays in the afternoon and evenings.

Route 11

  • Traveling TO Pleasant Hill – the stop on Salvio at Colfax is closed and passengers are directed across the street to a temporary stop on Colfax at Salvio.
  • Traveling TO Concord BART – the stop on Salvio at Grant is closed and passengers are directed to walk one block to the stop on Pacheco St at Grant

Routes 17 and 19

  • Buses leaving Concord BART will not travel on Grant St. The stop on Grant at Pacheco will not be served by either route. Passengers are directed to walk up one block to the stop on Grant at Bonifacio.

Summertime Stuff-A-Bus This Saturday

July 5, 2106

FBCCS-Logo-Final-CMYK

Join County Connection and the Food Bank for our first ever Summertime Stuff-A-Bus event on Saturday, July 9th. We’ll have a bus at the Grocery Outlet at 1840 Willow Pass Rd. in Concord from 9 AM to 2 PM.

While you’re shopping, pick up an item for your neighbors in need and help stuff the bus.

The most needed items are peanut butter, whole grain cereals, powdered milk, canned meats, canned or dried beans, hearty soups, canned tomatoes and vegetables, and whole wheat pasta.

For more information on how you can help end hunger, visit www.foodbankccs.org

 

Your Technologically Advanced Bus

Buses today are very different from the buses that were on the road 30 years ago. They have been through many technological advances and improvements. As far back as the late 1980s, buses began to change in ways that particularly increased accessibility for many riders. Recently, buses have seen changes that take advantage of the internet and wireless communication. Now, we are on the cusp of seeing great advances in zero emission buses, as well as driver assisted buses. Finally, we might (sooner rather than later) see the emergence of an autonomous bus! However far off that may be, today’s buses have come a long way since 1986.

A vast majority of buses once had stairs that had to be navigated in order to board. In 1990, buses with boarding stairs were called high floor buses. Today, almost all buses are low floors buses and boarding stairs are gone. This makes getting on and off a bus much easier and allows for people with disabilities and for many seniors to use bus transit. In a related technological development, wheelchair tie downs first appeared on buses beginning in the late 1980s. That is now standard equipment on all buses.

As we entered the new century, technological advances on buses really took off. It is now common:

  • To find buses that are fully Wi-Fi compatible.
  • For bus stop announcements to be automated.
  • To see exactly where buses are located in real time.
  • For customers to use their laptop or smart phone to see exactly when their bus is going to arrive at the bus stop they want to use.

In addition, electronic ticketing has made using multiple transit systems across the Bay Area much easier; and a single fare instrument can be used to make multiple system trips.

At County Connection, our entire fleet of buses are now fully Wi-Fi equipped, and they will accept the Clipper card. This follows up on the completion of our Bus Tracker project in 2013. Bus Tracker allows a passenger to use their laptop, smartphone, etc. to determine when their bus is coming to their stop. This means that a rider can use Bus Tracker to determine when to board a bus, which is low floor with the latest and greatest in vehicle safety features, that will get them to a BART station in time to catch a train, all the while using their Clipper card on both systems. Moreover, they can work or surf the net on their device of choice, as they ride their bus and BART; perhaps into San Francisco.

As to what is coming next, County Connection has begun to move its technology with buses towards the realm of zero emissions in the form of electric buses. This fall, we will deploy the first of our electric buses in Walnut Creek on our downtown trolley. More projects of this type are in the works and will be available in the future.

Perhaps just as exciting is the likelihood of driver assisted buses coming along within the next five years. These buses will assist the driver in pulling in and out of bus stops; alert the driver to blind spot hazards; assist the driver in negotiating tight lanes; and more. Finally, the transit industry is watching the rapid development of autonomous vehicles very closely. As this progresses, the development of an autonomous bus or bus that can be put on “auto pilot” may not be all that far off.

With all these advances, it is clear that today’s bus is not anything like yesterday’s bus. And, tomorrow’s bus promises to be even more evolved than today’s advanced bus. While it is rewarding to be a part of public transit and watch the transformations this industry is striving towards, and it is also very good for the public we serve.

Monroe Woodard – Local “Roadeo” Champion

April 14, 2016

Monroe 2-croppedMonroe Woodard will once again represent County Connection in the 2016 International Bus Rodeo sponsored by the American Public Transit Association (APTA). The annual competition features the best of the best from transit properties across the United States and Canada – all vying for the coveted bragging rights. This year’s event takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina in May.

Competitors must maneuver a 40-foot bus through an obstacle course consisting of ten “problems” ranging from precise passenger stops, tight right and left turns, serpentine turns, and a judgment stop – just to name a few. Drivers are also judged on their appearance, safety skills and the smoothness of operation. And finally, they have just 7 minutes to complete the course.

Monroe’s represented County Connection at the National event several times, and recently earned the top score in County Connection’s local “roadeo” event. Competition is fierce among County Connection operators and the scores get closer each year.

Monroe has been driving for County Connection for over 20 years and began competing 11 years ago.

Good luck Monroe – we know you’ll represent us well.