Bus News

U.S. traffic fatalities have climbed throughout the pandemic, despite 30 years of steady declines. Early this year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that in just the first nine months of 2021 traffic fatalities increased 12%. That’s the largest such jump in fatalities since 1975. In total, 31,720 people died in traffic accidents … Continued

Fights on the bus. Verbal harassment and assault. A bus window smashed with a hurled rock. These aren’t new problems, nor unique to Detroit and other major urban hubs. But the tight labor market and high-stress/high-stakes nature of operating public transit in a COVID context has helped the rest of the world sit up and … Continued

Given the realities of climate change and energy production, we are moving to a ZEB (zero-emissions bus) world sooner than later and not looking back. As more agencies explore what it will take to transition their fleet, they’re beginning to appreciate that, as one European transit agency recently put it, “buying the [zero-emissions] bus is … Continued

It’s no wonder that coach companies and transit agencies are investing millions in new electric buses. In many regions, shifting to EV mass transit will be a game changer. And mass transit, with its emphasis on low-speed stop-and-go driving is perfect for EV buses relying on regenerative braking, turning that traditional fuel-waster into a valuable … Continued

  Even before COVID, there was a nationwide shortage of mass transit operators. More than a year of disruption has only made it worse. While we’re hopefully rounding the bend on COVID, experts now largely agree that herd immunity is not in the immediate future. This is our moment to re-assess how we get things … Continued

  Investing in simulation training technology is serious business. For many agencies, this is a “once-in-a-lifetime” purchase—especially if stakeholders cannot easily see a clear return on the investment.  A poor start can leave a training program floundering for years. Asking these three questions before you begin weighing your options is an important step in building … Continued

  We already know that simulator training is excellent for introducing novice operators to large commercial and transit vehicles. But is every driving simulator equally suited to training basic skills? In 2010 researchers took a detailed look at the training of 100 large vehicle operators. (This work was ultimately published in 2011 in the journal … Continued

  No piece of simulation training technology can “fix” a broken training program—or replace one entirely. But the right sim can be a powerful tool for improving any training program. The key to a successful rollout is to start with a clear idea of what “success” looks like. Establishing a Focused Goal for your Simulation … Continued

  The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is the fifth-largest transit authority in the U.S. They’ve relied on simulation-based bus driving training since 2006. In recent years they’ve discovered that their sims are especially good for teaching driving fundamentals to new operators. According to expert instructor Derek Sullivan, “I find the most use [of the … Continued

  Advances in simulator training technology have made it possible to overcome the roadblocks that regularly prevent adults from truly mastering new and complex skills. In 1980 Stuart and Hubert Dreyfus—working at the University of California, Berkeley and supported by the U.S. Air Force—formulated the “Dreyfus Model” of Adult Skills Acquisition. They sought to analyze … Continued