UPDATE
“Leveraging North America’s largest team of experts in bus and
coach technology and design, manufacturing, and support, we are
keen to continue executing on our innovation agenda,” Stoddart said.
“I look forward to working with Ian to ensure a seamless combination
of our businesses, and to enhancing the competitiveness of all New
Flyer and MCI product and service offerings.”
“We know the past several months have been extremely hard
on all of our customers, and our primary focus was to continue
providing exceptional customer care as they responded to the
pandemic," Smart said. “The dramatic drop off of the motorcoach
market, and the challenges resulting from COVID-19 presented
an opportunity to integrate MCI into New Flyer, resulting in a more
efficient and cost-effective combined business. Unfortunately, it
also means the elimination of certain executive roles, and I want to
recognize and thank those affected for all that they contributed to
MCI and to our customers for so many years.”
The combined entity will continue offering all models of New Flyer
transit buses and MCI motorcoaches, the industry’s widest range
of models and propulsion systems. MCI public market sales will be
combined under New Flyer Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Jennifer McNeill, while MCI private market sales will be led by Brent
Maitland, vice president, private sector sales and marketing. Pat
Ziska will continue to lead the private new coach sales team, while
Steve Batho will continue to lead MCI technical customer support
and service centers.
“At NFI, we exist to move people, and our dedication to customers
remains unwavering,” Soubry said. “We will overcome the incredible
impact from this pandemic and will keep communities moving
safely as we continue to lead the migration to smarter vehicles and
develop more environmentally responsible platforms.”
MCI celebrates 30 years of the
Americans with Disabilities Act
Motor Coach Industries (MCI) has worked throughout its 87-year
history to deliver a better commuting experience to passengers of
all ability levels. The latest proof is the American with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and Buy America compliant MCI D45 CRT LE, the revolutionary
Commuter Coach that delivers all riders – including those with mobility
devices – to their destinations faster than ever.
Like no other bus in the world, the 45-foot, 54-passenger MCI
D45 CRT LE represents the biggest advancement in passenger
accessibility in decades. Instead of a traditional elevated wheelchair
lift – which MCI introduced to the industry in 1984 – the D45 CRT
LE is designed with an automatic retractable curb level ramp and
patented Low Entry (LE) vestibule. The vestibule allows optional
seating for 5 passengers including two dedicated spaces for
passengers with mobility devices to enjoy a more pleasurable
boarding and riding experience with lower dwell times for
passengers overall.
MCI’s early dedication to passenger accessibility issues have
continued in the three decades following the passage of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26,1990. As part of the
design process for the MCI D45 CRT LE, MCI sought the input of a
broad range of passengers, including volunteer members from the
National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) and the American
Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) to help develop and
evaluate the new design launched in 2017.
Marking its history in support of passengers with disabilities, the
creation of the MCI D45 CRT LE and the 30th anniversary passage of
the ADA, MCI has created a short video which can be viewed online
at https://vimeo.com/438950102.
Las Vegas RTC increases bus
frequency, debuts high-tech
COVID-19 safety plans and new
online tracking tool
With a large amount of customers using its public transportation
system, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
(RTC) is responding by increasing weekday service to a Saturday
schedule beginning Monday, July 20, while also pursuing additional
ways to protect riders during the pandemic. As well as continuing with
its ongoing cleaning and safety measures, the RTC is incorporating
additional technologies and debuting a new online dashboard feature
that will provide information on how the pandemic is affecting the
RTC’s transit service.
INCREASED FREQUENCY: Effective Monday, July 20, the RTC
transitioned to a Saturday schedule on weekdays and Saturdays. The
system is currently operating on a Sunday schedule because of a
severe drop in ridership since mid-March. RTC transit planners have
seen an increase in ridership demand recently. The schedule change
will add more frequent service to many routes and enhance reliability.
COVID-19 SAFETY PLANS: The RTC has implemented
numerous precautions over the past several months from its
14-Point Safety Plan, such as disinfecting vehicles nightly, requiring
face coverings and more. The 14-Point Safety Plan details the
extensive actions the agency is currently implementing or is
planning to implement in the future. The RTC is exploring additional
measures to keep riders safe, including:
• Air ion cleaners to kill germs and viruses in the air while RTC
vehicles are on the road
• Live, up-to-the-minute passenger counts so customers can review a
vehicle’s current ridership data and make a personal decision about
boarding or waiting for another vehicle
• Sanitation information displayed on each vehicle to inform riders of
when the vehicle was last sanitized
• Micro-bacterial shields applied to seats and high-touch surfaces of
each vehicle purchased moving forward
8 | BUSRIDE.COM | AUG / SEPT 2020