UPDATE
Transdev partners with
LAVTA to begin testing of
Shared Autonomous Vehicle
Transdev and the Livermore Amador Valley Transit
Authority’s (LAVTA) announced that non-passenger testing has
started on LAVTA’s Shared Autonomous Vehicle (SAV) project.
LAVTA is located in Livermore, California, in the San Francisco
Bay Area.
The SAV is designed as a low-speed autonomous vehicle
that has a maximum speed of 13 miles per hour. The vehicle
will operate in mixed traffic and its route extends just under
one mile and includes two stops and one traffic light.
When testing is complete, the SAV will improve mobility for
riders by providing first- and last-mile solutions for passengers
by connecting them between the Dublin/Pleasanton Bay Area
Rapid Transit (BART) station and nearby locations.
Funding for the project was obtained through a grant from
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
“I am glad to see this pilot progressing with Transdev as
a partner,” said Alameda County Supervisor and LAVTA
Board member Scott Haggerty, who secured the grant.
“Given their experience with managing autonomous vehicle
projects elsewhere in the country, I am confident we will soon
be carrying passengers on this zero-emission service to
employment, retail and residential destinations located near
the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station.”
“We are excited to begin testing with LAVTA and bring
this area’s vision for autonomous vehicles to life,” said Neal
Hemenover, Transdev’s vice president of innovation. “It’s
important to note that the health and safety of our employees,
passengers and communities is our highest priority and all EPA
and CDC approved social distancing and cleaning protocols
will be in place during testing, as well as when we start
accepting passengers.”
BAE Systems selected by NYC to
provide electric hybrid propulsion
systems for transit buses
BAE Systems, a world leader in electric propulsion systems,
announced its selection by New York City Transit Authority to supply
435 electric hybrid power and propulsion systems for its new fleet of
transit buses, reducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption.
“We are committed to collaborating with New York as it strives
to reduce transportation emissions and improve air quality in the
communities across the state,” said Steve Trichka, vice president
and general manager of Power & Propulsion Solutions at BAE
Systems. “Our Series-E system provides transit operators with a
highly reliable, flexible option that brings our state one step closer
to a zero-emission future.”
The Series-E systems will be produced at the company’s stateof-the-art
manufacturing facilities in Endicott, New York, which
provide more than 1,300 high-tech jobs in the state.
“It’s a great day for New York’s Southern Tier as BAE Systems
of Endicott has been selected to provide electric hybrid bus
technology to New York City Transit Authority,” said Donna
Lupardo, assemblywoman for New York State. “This BAE Systems
contract is just one of many from cities around the world that
can say its transportation system has been built and supported
by a New York company, based right here in our community. I’m
very proud to have supported their winning bid and wish them
continued success in the future.”
The Series-E system combines motors, energy storage, and
smart controls to create a clean form of electric drive power
for buses and their accessories such as air conditioning, air
compressors, cooling systems, heat, power steering, and doors.
The system features the company’s power-dense ultracapacitor
technology, which provides efficient and reliable energy storage
for the life of the bus. With fully electrified accessories, each bus
can also support engine stop/start technology for idle reduction.
This feature allows the bus engine to turn off at stops, while the
accessories on board continue to operate on electric power.
BAE Systems has 20-plus years of experience in the
development and integration of electric propulsion and accessory
systems for transit buses. The company first pioneered its
technology for the transit industry in 1998, when it fielded New
York City’s first electric hybrid bus fitted with lead-acid batteries.
With the new order, BAE Systems’ footprint will extend to more
than 2,000 transit buses across the state of New York and more
than 12,000 worldwide, including cities such as Paris and London.
Each year those systems help to save more than 25 million gallons
of fuel and more than 300,000 tons of CO² from entering the
earth’s atmosphere.
ABA publishes sample policies
for industry for post-pandemic
cleanliness and safety protocols
The American Bus Association (ABA) — an industry leader
advancing North American motorcoach travel and tourism —
released a report for the motorcoach and group travel industry
outlining sample policies to help promote cleanliness and
safety for post-pandemic travel.
10 | BUSRIDE.COM | AUG / SEPT 2020