Comments on: This is why translink buses are so @#$%!ng expensive

By: stephanie vacher

stephanie vacher — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:19:21 +0000

Kurt, I’m aware of that- which is why I wrote ‘closer to home’ and not ‘locally.’

By: Kurt Driver

Kurt Driver — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:24:20 +0000

Stephanie, the limited production runs which standardization would reduce cannot be achieved with local manufacture. Mass manufacturing requires distribution over a large area. Cheers, Kurt

By: Robin H Johnson

Robin H Johnson — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:28:48 +0000

One thing that transit systems could use a lot more is full modularity. It exists at a limited degree already, but needs much larger expansion. The following is shared use that I’ve seen in my own travels:

Our community shuttle buses, I’ve seen in near identical form in the Downtown San Jose shuttle bus (The free shuttle between Caltrain and downtown). The only differences are the fare vending machinery, livery and internal signs.

Our New Flyer trolleys aren’t custom in themselves, iirc they came from Alberta, and they were in use there too.

I’m not aware of anywhere with matching Skytrain rolling stock, but there is a precedent: look at the stock used by SF’s BART – the design and manufacturing has been paired with the DC Metro system. I’m not sure offhand if there’s anywhere that shares the design beyond those two systems.

Tram designs are in shared use as well, the VTA in Silicon Valley is identical to the Portland MAX, again I’m not sure beyond those two.

Heavy rail used for Caltrain – the old cars are formerly from Japan, the new ones (used for the Express runs) I believe are a European design.

By: Eli

Eli — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:22:42 +0000

I’ve worked around some pretty expensive equipment, and it comes down to two things:

1. Durability is expensive.
2. Durability is invisible.