Transit buses see shiny upgrades

A remanufactured Chapel Hill Transit bus spun aluminum rims and gold-colored lug nuts Friday during its maiden voyage.

"We'll have a little bling on our buses," said Kurt Neufang, interim director of Chapel Hill Transit.

Seven 1990 RTS buses, which are the oldest in the town's fleet, are being remanufactured now, and 13 buses in total will be updated.

Neufang said that each completed bus is expected to arrive from Riverside, Calif., in 10-to-14 day intervals.

The restoration for each vehicle costs $196,000 and takes about 40 days to complete. Technicians dismantle the entire vehicle except for the chassis, according to a press release issued by the town of Chapel Hill.

Remanufacturing can almost double a bus's lifespan.

Neufang said the buses were well-built and are worth saving.

"They exceed the normal life expectancy for a normal transit vehicle," he said, adding that 12 to 13 years is a normal lifespan for such a vehicle.

Each refurbished bus will get a new engine, drive train and a new or rebuilt suspension. Technicians also will add a new bike rack and wheelchair lift on each bus.

Macy Neshati, vice president of sales and marketing for Complete Coach Works, said remanufacturing an older bus is cheaper and more environmentally sound than purchasing a new bus.

"It's effectively a new bus for half the money," Neshati said. "We are trying to keep quality vehicles out on the streets instead of letting them pile up in a junkyard."

The company replaces an oil-burning two-stroke engine with a four-stroke version that Neshati said conserves 50-to-70 percent more fuel.

Scott Blacknell, a town bus driver for about 16 years who drove the first refurbished bus, said he preferred his usual vehicle.

"It just doesn't have the power the other bus had," Blacknell said, noting that the bus slowed to 18 mph as it climbed a hill on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Blacknell was also unimpressed with the refurbished model's ride and steering.

But Blacknell said some of the features, such as the electronically-controlled mirrors on the new bus were an improvement.

Technicians replaced nearly everything except the stainless-steel chassis, which Neufang says are irreplaceable.

"The life expectancy of a normal transit vehicle is about 10 to 12 years, and these buses have lasted much longer than that," Neufang said.

Catherine Lazorko, the town's information officer, said the project is a preventative measure.

"This was an innovative way for Chapel Hill Transit to keep its fleet strong," she said.

Lazorko said high demands for public transportation in the area forced some creative thinking from town officials.

Chapel Hill Transit has a fleet of 86 buses that carry about 5 million passengers each year.

"Our fleet is so well-used, they wouldn't send all 13 buses to be refurbished at the same time," Lazorko said.

 

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