Sta Plans Ahead For New Buses
You can’t just drop by the neighborhood dealership and pick up a new bus.
In fact, it can take as long as 2-1/2 years from the time a bus is ordered until it makes its way down a city street.
So the Spokane Transit Authority is planning ahead.
Next month, the STA plans to order 24 new low-floor buses with an option to buy another 28 over the next four years.
It will be the largest order - including options - STA has ever placed. By the time they all roll in, every bus in the 143-bus fleet will be disability-accessible, said Teresa Stueckle, STA spokeswoman.
Each bus will cost from $250,000 to $275,000. STA hopes to save money by buying in bulk, said Gary Hunt, director of support services.
The new low-floor buses likely will look smaller than the ones currently seen on Spokane’s street, Stueckle said.
The national trend is toward “less-intrusive” buses with fewer seats, she said. She added that the new design fits perfectly with STA’s revamped service, which has buses running more frequently during peak hours.
Over time, STA hopes to phase out the buses that kneel or have lifts because they’re costly to fix.
What options can you get on a new bus?
STA won’t buy a bus without air conditioning, Hunt said. “It’d be way too hot without that.”
The windows are tinted for the same reason, he added.
STA also orders plenty of handrails so people have several places to grab if they start to fall.
Riders seated in the back of a low-floor bus will appreciate that STA asks for the maximum amount of sound-proofing available, because the engine is directly underneath them.
And lastly, STA orders padded seats. But frequent riders may note that the back few seats have vinyl covers while the front seats have upholstery.
“The seats in the back are more highly vandalized,” Stueckle said.
Reader reply You can’t please everybody.
Last month, Getting There answered a reader question challenging the need for a traffic light at Monroe and Montgomery.
“Why doesn’t the city remove it?” the reader asked.
Don Ramsey of the Transportation Department said he and his fellow engineers would like to take the signal down. The original reasons for the light - a grocery store on one corner and a fellowship hall on another - no longer exist. But the city’s engineering staff feared the political fallout sure to follow its removal, Ramsey said.
At least two North Side residents didn’t like that answer, saying elderly bus riders rely on the light to cross busy Monroe.
They exhorted the city to keep the light where it is. And one asked that the media stop meddling in things.
While the traffic light is likely to stay put, it’s doubtful the second request can be met.
Hot spots
Northwest Boulevard, Indiana and Monroe: Work that began last week to straighten out the confusing intersection will continue through July 7.
Once completed, the redesign will turn the one-block section of Northwest Boulevard between Monroe and Madison streets into a one-way street westbound.
Cars going east on Northwest Boulevard will have to turn right at Madison, then take a left on Indiana.
During construction, traffic will be limited to a single lane in each direction.
Interstate 90: Drivers can expect more delays this week.
Today through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., westbound I-90 is scheduled to be reduced to one lane between Sprague and Havana.
Also today through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., eastbound I-90 will be reduced to two lanes between Sprague and Havana.
The state Department of Transportation is building temporary lanes to prepare for construction of the new Sprague interchange.
Map of area
TELL US Your ideas Getting There runs every other Monday. Have a transportation question that’s been nagging you? Let us hear it. Got an idea for a column? Drop us a line. Phone us at (509) 459-5312 or fax us at (509) 459-5482. Send e-mail to kristinaj@spokesman.com or send a note to Kristina Johnson at The Spokesman Review, 999 W. Riverside, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Please include a name and telephone number.