Don’t Miss the Bus: Successfully Using a FTA Low-No Grant
Published on March 1, 2024
The Department of Transportation is going all in on a zero-emission/low-emission future for mass transit. Hence, funding opportunities have been significantly expanded, like the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission Grant Program for buses and bus facilities. But FTA also acknowledges that the transition to low or no emission buses might be a … Continued
Situational Awareness Training: Preparing Drivers for Safe Zero-Emissions Bus Operations
Published on February 7, 2024
Situational awareness has always been a core skill for transit Operators. Operators spend their days making split-second decisions, all while sharing congested roads with other drivers of uncertain skill, vehicles with unknown maintenance records, and unpredictable weather conditions that can make operating a bus treacherous. Todd Cheever, Director of Safety and Training for NICE (Nassau … Continued
Explore Simulation for Transportation Research at the 103rd Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (January 7-11, 2024, Washington, D.C., Booth #1024)
Published on January 3, 2024
Realtime Technologies (RTI)—FAAC’s research training and simulation division—is looking forward to discussing the latest in simulation software and hardware applications for transportation research at the 103rd TRB Annual Meeting (January 7–11, 2024, in Washington, D.C.). For more than a century, the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting has been the transportation field’s premier marketplace for new … Continued
Explore Passenger Interactions and De-Escalation with FAAC at the 2023 APTA TRANSform Conference & Expo (October 9-11, Orlando, FL, Booth #2711)
Published on September 18, 2023
Every three years, APTA EXPO convenes the largest and longest-standing international trade show for the public transportation industry. Last held in 2021 amid pandemic delays, the conference was still eight thousand attendees strong. This year promises even more opportunities to learn and connect and is expected to be the largest EXPO since 2017. As ever, … Continued
Bus Operator Training for a Diverse Array of Fleet Vehicles
Published on July 12, 2023
As we’ve discussed in the past, one key to the effectiveness of public transport simulation training is “presence“—i.e., the trainee’s convincing subjective experience of being in an actual vehicle. As Rob Raheb (an internationally published author and expert in simulation and driver training) has noted: “The more realistic the simulation is, the more ‘buy-in’ from … Continued
Train Derailment and Railroad Hazmat Emergency Response Training
Published on June 27, 2023
Few derailments rise to the level of what happened in East Palestine, Ohio in February 2023. That said, train derailments themselves are quite common in the United States. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. averages more than three derailments per day. There were a total of 1,164 derailments in 2022—which is actually an … Continued
Transit Response and Training for Unpredictable Passenger Interactions
Published on June 13, 2023
Staff retention problems continue to grow for almost every transit agency in the United States and Canada. According to the latest report from the American Public Transportation Association, more than 90% of all agencies surveyed faced transit operator shortages. And 84% of those agencies reported that staffing shortages were preventing them from providing full service. … Continued
Top Three Ways to Get the Most Out of a Bus Simulator Training Program
Published on May 23, 2023
Using immersive simulators for Bus Operator training has some obvious benefits, they allow you to: practice the mechanics of right and left-hand turns without the risks to safety or equipment, introduce foul-weather driving skills – even on a sunny day, practice situational awareness without endangering the public, review disablement and emergency procedures, and much more. … Continued
Three Training Tips to Ensure EV Bus Success
Published on April 20, 2023
Transit agencies are rightly concerned about deploying electric vehicles (EVs). According to Jason Francisco, Transportation Business Manager at FAAC Incorporated: “Everyone knows that an EV bus has a lot more torque than a conventional diesel bus, on top of a very different feel to the braking and deceleration. They know that creating a smooth and … Continued
Electric Bus Simulators with Integrated Assessment Tools Improve Transit Workforce Development
Published on March 14, 2023
The federal government is going all-in on a battery-powered future for mass transit—but transit agencies themselves aren’t so sure. Last year Vice President Harris announced a collection of new federal initiatives to cut carbon emissions from buses and trucks. These initiatives include “$1.1 billion in new funding to help cities and states purchase electric buses … Continued