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30-483: The Two-step and One-step versions were considered as step-entrance buses , whereas the Non-step version was considered as low-floor buses . Two-Step One-Step Non-Step High-floor High-floor describes the interior flooring of commuter vehicles primarily used in public transport such as trains , light rail cars and other rail vehicles, along with buses and trolleybuses . Interior floor height

60-448: A baggage compartment. A minibus is designed to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) and is typically built on a small truck chassis." Generally, a transit bus will be 35 to 40 feet (11 to 12 m) long, with seats and standing room. Usually there are 30 to 45 seats, depending on length and interior configuration. If more passenger capacity is needed on a route, an articulated bus, 54 to 60 feet (16 to 18 m) long, or

90-412: A bus in public transit service. "Bus means a rubber-tired automotive vehicle used for the provision of public transportation service by or for a recipient of FTA financial assistance." FTA also adds that automotive means that the bus does not rely on external power sources for its motion; its motor and fuel or battery are contained in the bus. It defines public transportation service as "the operation of

120-431: A double articulated bus, can hold more seats; the connecting portion(s) can bend to aid making turns. Features of transit buses include: Modern transit buses are also increasingly being equipped with passenger information systems , multimedia, WiFi , USB charging points, entertainment/advertising, and passenger comforts such as heating and air-conditioning (in the early 20th century, no bus had cooling beyond opening

150-500: A new underground light rail line is equipped with platforms for low-floor trams and will be permanently operated with low-floor vehicles. This form of design and construction will avoid the need for subsequent rebuilding of stops on tram routes, even though both cities already have underground lines with high-floor platforms. Buses in the UK were traditionally step-entrance built, however this has created problems for people who use wheelchairs as

180-415: A private car, recognising the chief competitor to the transit bus in many markets. As they are used in a public transport role, transit buses can be operated by publicly run transit authorities or municipal bus companies , as well as private transport companies on a public contract or fully independent basis. Due to the local authority use, transit buses are often built to a third-party specification put to

210-434: A railcar more rapidly if they do not have to climb stairs to enter, reducing dwell time at a stop, and reducing overall travel time. In addition, high-platform railcars have more floor space for passengers if space is not required for stairways, and wheelwells needed to accommodate train bogies . Because bilevel rail cars have two passenger levels within a standard height rail car, the lower level, where passengers board,

240-488: A regional as well as operational basis; however, with the advent of global manufacturing, all of these types can be seen in the same location or country. Depending on local policies, transit buses will also usually have two, three or (for articulated) four doors to facilitate rapid boarding and alighting. In cases of low-demand routes, or to navigate small local streets, some models of minibus and small midibuses have also been used as transit type buses. The development of

270-571: A selection of 'dual-purpose' fitted buses, that is standard transit buses fitted with coach-type seating, for longer-distance routes. Sometimes transit buses may also be used as express buses on a limited-stopping or non-stop service at peak times, but over the same distance as the regular route. Fare payment is done via: and is done upon: Depending on payment systems in different municipalities, there are widely different rules with regard to which door, front or rear, one must use when boarding/exiting. For rear doors, most buses have doors opened by

300-417: A vehicle that provides general or special service to the public on a regular and continuing basis consistent with 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53." Another US agency further distinguishes a transit bus from those used in intercity travel, and called motorcoaches. "A bus is a motor vehicle designed, constructed and/or used to transport passengers. A motorcoach is a bus designed with an elevated passenger deck located over

330-430: Is generally lower than a conventional high-floor car. Hence level boarding with a bilevel car is accomplished using a lower platform, as low as 460 mm (18 in) ATOR. Because tram/light-rail/streetcar vehicles often share loading gauge sizes with heavy rail vehicles, these passenger vehicles usually also use high floor designs. Existing tram/streetcar/light-rail networks generally feature low platforms as many of

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360-417: Is generally measured above the street surface or above the top of the rail. High-floor designs usually result from packaging requirements: mechanical items such as axles, motors, crankshafts, and/or transmissions, or luggage storage spaces are traditionally placed under the interior floor of these vehicles. The term is used in contrast with low-floor designs, which offer a decreased floor and entry height above

390-557: Is the city railway in Cologne; in the mid-1990s, it was decided to divide that city's partially high-platform network into two separate networks: high-floor and low-floor. In contrast with some light rail underground lines, which are often provisionally equipped with low platforms or with tracks laid on raised ballast, there are new developments in the German cities of Düsseldorf (Wehrhahn line) and Dortmund (east–west line). In each of these cities,

420-473: The Wright StreetCar , often as part of bus rapid transit schemes. Fare collection is also seeing a shift to off-bus payment, with either the driver or an inspector verifying fare payments. A commuter or express bus service is a fixed-route bus characterized by service predominantly in one direction during peak periods, limited stops, use of multi-ride tickets and routes of extended length, usually between

450-663: The midibus has also given many operators a low-cost way of operating a transit bus service, with some midibuses such as the Plaxton SPD Super Pointer Dart resembling full size transit type vehicles. Due to their public transport role, transit buses were the first type of bus to benefit from low-floor technology, in response to a demand for equal access public service provision. Transit buses are also now subject to various disability discrimination acts in several jurisdictions which dictate various design features also applied to other vehicles in some cases. Due to

480-545: The buses are not wheelchair accessible, as well as being somewhat difficult for passengers with reduced mobility and parents who may be carrying prams and pushchairs. Despite low-floor buses first being phased into the UK in 1994, a large number of step-entrance buses remained in use as well as being manufactured. However with the popularity of low-floor buses expanding by the late 1990's due to their easy accessibility for elderly passengers with reduced mobility, passengers with disabilities and parents carrying prams and pushchairs,

510-510: The door steps to not trip and fall. Unlocked or open doors, will trigger a brake locking mechanism on the bus to prevent it from moving while someone could possibly be entering or exiting the bus, when the door is closed, the lock will release, this is mostly implemented on rear doors, not really on front doors, since the driver will be paying attention to the front door. Transit buses can be single-decker , double-decker , rigid or articulated . Selection of type has traditionally been made on

540-470: The driver controls or patron (with touch-to-open, motion sensor or push bars). Most doors on buses use air-assist technology, the driver controlled doors, use air pressure to force them open, patron-operated doors, can push them open, however, the doors are heavy, so the touch-to-open or push bar mechanism, sends pressurized air to open the doors. Most doors will signify that they are unlocked and open with lights, this gives guide to those who are going up or down

570-866: The end of their economic or maintainable life. To get around this, a wheelchair compliant step-entrance bus introduced by Wrightbus, the Eclipse SchoolRun was produced in 2006, fitted with a wheelchair lift to allow wheelchair-bound passengers onto the bus, but no further wheelchair compliant step-entrance bus designs were produced. Due to the Terms Of The Disability Discrimination Act requiring all buses in public service to be wheelchair accessible, non-compliant step-entrance single deckers and their low floor counterparts were outlawed after 31 December 2015, with non-compliant step-entrance double deckers and their low floor counterparts following suit after 31 December 2016, however exemptions apply for

600-901: The gap between the platform and the floor of the track varies by no more than 76 mm (3 in) horizontally and 16 mm ( 5 ⁄ 8  in) vertically. Level boarding is also known as stepless entry since passengers do not have to negotiate a staircase to board the passenger car. For newly constructed routes, routes primarily located in tunnels, or routes with a dedicated right of way and enough space, high platforms are usually preferred, since high-floor vehicles are cheaper to manufacture, and have better operating characteristics. High platforms do have significant advantages beyond level boarding for wheelchair accessibility. Physically disabled passengers (e.g. those using wheelchairs or who have difficulties climbing stairs) also benefit, as do travelers pulling wheeled luggage or small folding shopping carts. Even physically non-disabled passengers can board

630-478: The high number of high-profile urban operations, transit buses are at the forefront of bus electrification, with hybrid electric bus , all-electric bus and fuel cell bus development and testing aimed at reducing fuel usage, shift to green electricity and decreasing environmental impact . Developments of the transit bus towards higher capacity bus transport include tram-like vehicles such as guided buses , longer bi-articulated buses and tram-like buses such as

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660-544: The limited use of non-compliant heritage buses on vintage bus services, as well as Transport For London's Heritage Routemasters due to their service being overlaid on the high-frequency low-floor Route 15. In San Francisco , the Muni Metro light-rail system, which has both on-street and underground stations, uses a combination of high and low platforms, and the vehicles feature retractable stairs to accommodate both platform types. For on-street stations, stairs are deployed within

690-833: The manufacturer by the authority. Early examples of such specification include the Greater Manchester Leyland Atlantean , and DMS-class London Daimler Fleetline . New transit buses may be purchased each time a route/area is contracted, such as in the London Buses tendering system. The operating area of a transit bus may also be defined as a geographic metropolitan area, with the buses used outside of this area being more varied with buses purchased with other factors in mind. Some regional-size operators for capital cost reasons may use transit buses interchangeably on short urban routes as well as longer rural routes, sometimes up to 2 or 3 hours. Often transit bus operators have

720-541: The production of step-entrance buses slowed, with the last ever non-compliant step-entrance bus design being the double-decked East Lancs Pyoneer in 1997. The production of step-entrance buses in the UK almost fully ceased by 31 December 2000, with the legal requirement for new buses produced to be wheelchair accessible, which forced bus manufacturers to concentrate on making low-floor buses, however bus operators were still allowed to order secondhand non-compliant step-entrance buses and run them on their services until they reach

750-542: The retrofitting of high platforms on existing routes, while still providing improved accessibility. Although low-floor vehicles began to be developed in the 1920s, the first low-floor tram is generally recognized as the Duewag / ACM Vevey design of 1984 deployed in Geneva, providing a floor height of 480 mm (19 in) ATOR. Tourist coaches generally have very high floors, sometimes greater than 1,000 mm (39 in) above

780-697: The road surface, in order to have ample room for luggage under the floor. Since boarding must be allowed directly from flat ground, long and steep staircases are needed. Transit buses also use high floors to provide mechanical clearances for solid axles, but the use of dropped axles has enabled the creation of low-floor buses and by 2008 in the United States, the majority of new transit bus orders were for low-floor types. Today, in Germany, all rapid transit railways, most commuter trains , and many light rail vehicles operate as high-floor networks. A notable exception

810-440: The stations or stops are in the streets. The high construction/conversion cost of high platforms and the difficulty of making high platforms compatible with other features of the urban landscape are a significant obstacle to converting tram networks these into urban or commuter rail networks with high platforms. These problems were a major motivation for the development of low-floor trams , which allow transit operators to avoid

840-597: The street surface. Since low-floor designs generally were developed after high-floor vehicles, the older high-floor design is sometimes also known as conventional or the “traditional” design. A rail vehicle of conventional or high-floor design usually has a flat floor ranging between 760 and 1,370 mm (30 and 54 in) above the top of the railhead (ATOR). To enhance accessibility and optimize dwell times , railway platform heights at stations are sometimes standardised to allow level boarding for commuters on high platforms. According to one definition, level boarding means

870-755: The vehicle to allow boarding from low platforms; as the trains move underground, the stairs rise until they are flush with the floor to allow boarding from high platforms. Transit bus A transit bus (also big bus , commuter bus , city bus , town bus , urban bus , stage bus , public bus , public transit bus , or simply bus ) is a type of bus used in public transport bus services . Several configurations are used, including low-floor buses , high-floor buses , double-decker buses , articulated buses and midibuses . These are distinct from all-seated coaches used for intercity travel and smaller minibuses , for more flexible services. The US Federal Transit Administration offers some definitions of terms for

900-515: The windows). In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires space for passengers using a wheelchair, and requires easy access of the wheelchair onto the bus. The passenger information systems inside the bus came about both because of digital technology and to meet accessibility requirements. Some industry members and commentators promote the idea of making the interior of a transit bus as inviting as

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