What ‘cool buses’?

I have been interested in this for a few years, since attending a meeting with Al French and STA CEO Susan Meyer. At that point they had not run buses on the planned Central City Line route and yet they projected high ridership. My question was - based on what? Have they ever tested this route for ridership?

Susan’s attempt at an answer included “People will want to ride the cool buses.”

Which brought up the question - what cool buses? They had not decided at that point. Not only that, they had not yet determined how the buses would be powered and recharged in route other than they would be electric and there would not be overhead wires. They talked of induction-coupled recharging at certain stops or a claw that would reach out and grab a recharging connector at certain stops. One thing they were sure of at that time was that there was no existing proven bus that used either recharging method.

I recently heard from an informed source that they still had not decided on the electric bus or in route charging method.

Is this a monument to someone that we will pay for?

Tom Horne

Nine Mile Falls