Misplaced Pages

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54-535: Production of the RTS transitioned from GM to Motor Coach Industries (under its Transportation Manufacturing Corporation subsidiary in Roswell, New Mexico ) in 1987, moved to NovaBus in 1994, and finally moved to Millennium Transit Services (MTS) in 2003. Production ceased with the closing of MTS in 2009. The RTS was offered in 30-foot (9.14 m)-, 35-foot (10.67 m)-, and 40-foot (12.19 m)-long models and

108-592: A low-floor bus to facilitate boarding and disembarking. GM announced it was ready to accept orders for the RTS in October 1975. In September 1985 GMC announced that due to lower than expected, or poor sales of their RTS series buses, that it was in the process of trying to sell or close its transit bus building business, and then later announced that they have sold its RTS design, and patent rights, and bus manufacturing equipment and production line to Transportation Manufacturing Corporation (TMC) of Roswell, New Mexico ,

162-586: A 10 percent share in Motor Coach Industries. The relationship between competitors was less than ideal. Daimler complained that MCI focused on its own motorcoaches, and did not allow for sufficient attention to the Setra brand. The deal came to an end on January 4, 2018, with Daimler signing a new distribution rights agreement with REV Group , a U.S.-based specialty vehicle manufacturer. Sales of new motorcoaches transferred immediately, followed by

216-490: A J4500 CHARGE. Not all possible combinations of models, lengths, and powertrains are made. Motor Coach Industries currently produces two different product lines. All current models are 102 inches (2.59 m) wide, exclusive of mirrors. These models bore the MC- number designation. New Flyer Industries New Flyer is a Canadian multinational bus manufacturer , specializing in the production of transit buses . New Flyer

270-461: A ceremonial farewell celebrations with a last RTS partial trip on the M55 bus route with 1999 RTS-06 bus 5241 was held on Monday May 6, 2019 to officially announce that these RTS buses were officially retired from passenger service with 1999 RTS-06 buses #'s 5241 & 5249 on display in front of MTA's headquarter's at 2 Broadway for this historic occasion. These RTS buses have been in continuous service for

324-599: A less-rounded body design, a one-step entryway, and (in the case of the Transbus) a 45-foot (13.72 m) length. RTX used the same GT-309 gas turbine engine that had previously been fitted to the Turbo Titan III and Turbo-Cruiser II/III concept vehicles along with a "toric" continuously variable transmission . RTX also used smaller wheels and a "kneeling" suspension design to reduce first-step height by 4 + 1 ⁄ 2  in (110 mm), aiding boarding, and

378-732: A long history of bus building and developed their HTQ proprietary technology (valued at 70 million dollars) that culminated with the creation of the Viaggio Confort Bus Line. MCI reproduced its Viaggio 1000 DOT for sale to the United States and Canada, and in late 1999/2000 the G4100, G4500 and F3500 models were released to the United States and to the Canadian markets. Production of the G4500 later moved to Winnipeg, after

432-644: A rebuilt RTS known as the Victoria with several styling changes. These buses are fairly uncommon, with most examples found in the fleets of transit operators in Montréal 's suburbs ( CIT Roussillon , Sainte-Julie public transit , CIT Chambly-Richelieu-Carignan ). From 1985 to 1997 Daewoo Bus built the BH120 Royale and the BH115H , a bus originally styled in a manner similar to the RTS. However, according to

486-624: A second career serving churches or other organizations, while the MCI/TMC coaches were popular "conversion shells", used for motorhomes. Motor Coach Industries Inc. announced on September 15, 2008, the company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as part of a restructuring the company said would "help shed hundreds of millions of dollars of debt". On April 17, 2009, Motor Coach Industries Inc. emerged from its voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization. MCI and its subsidiaries became wholly owned by KPS Capital Partners , LP. KPS Capital Partners, LP

540-772: A subsidiary of Motor Coach Industries in May 1987, though the two companies completed a joint order for the New York City Transit Authority to prepare TMC for the production. TMC eventually sold the design and patents to NovaBus in September 1994 in the midst of an order for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . Production under NovaBus continued until 2002 when NovaBus left the U.S. market and concentrated on its latest LFS low-floor design. Production

594-475: Is a North American multinational bus manufacturer , specializing in production of motorcoaches . Best known for coaches produced for intercity transit and commuter buses , MCI produces coaches for a variety of applications, ranging from tour buses to prison buses . Currently, MCI is headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois . Since 2015, it has been a subsidiary of Canadian bus manufacturer NFI Group ,

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648-812: Is owned by the NFI Group , a holding company for several bus manufacturers. New Flyer has several manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States that produce the company's main product, the New Flyer Xcelsior family of buses. New Flyer was founded by John Coval in 1930 as the Western Auto and Truck Body Works Ltd in Manitoba. The company began producing buses in 1937, selling their first full buses to Grey Goose Bus Lines in 1937, before releasing their Western Flyer bus model in 1941, prompting

702-565: Is the Manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, a family of private equity limited partnerships with over $ 2.6 billion of committed capital focused on constructive investing in restructurings, turnarounds, and other special situations. Motor Coach Industries announced on April 25, 2012, that it had reached a deal with German vehicle manufacturer Daimler AG to distribute its Setra brand of motorcoaches for

756-737: Is the descendant of the GMC RTS-3T, its prototype built for the Transbus project ; the RTS-3T was preceded by the RTX (Rapid Transit Experimental), a turbine-powered prototype produced in 1968 that had been under development since 1964. Both the RTX and the RTS-3T Transbus prototype had a similar design as the production RTS, though there were numerous detail differences, such as the prototypes having

810-458: The NDP government in power to divest Flyer Industries from government ownership. On July 15, 1986, Jan den Oudsten, a descendant of the family who formed Dutch bus manufacturer Den Oudsten Bussen BV , purchased Flyer Industries from the Manitoba government, changing its name to New Flyer Industries Limited . New Flyer designed and tested North America's first low-floor bus in 1988 and delivered

864-627: The 2011 APTA Expo in New Orleans. It also announced plans to introduce a 42.5-foot (12.95 m) version of the standard floor RTS, which would go into production in the near future. MTS ceased to exist sometime after 2012 after failing to win any substantial bus orders, as the market for high-floor buses (using rear door mounted wheelchair lifts) had essentially vanished by that point; transit agencies had turned to New Flyer Industries , Orion , Gillig , NovaBus , and NABI and their low-floor models equipped with front door wheelchair ramps. Through

918-658: The Daewoo catalog, it states that it incorporated GMC's intercity coach model. Although in reality, the Royale has incorporated chassis from the Japanese bus manufacturer, Isuzu with Daewoo built MAN engine. The Royale compared to RTS has a completely different body structure, boasting underfloor baggage compartments, and sporting no modular construction. This bus is frequently assumed to be a foreign variant of an RTS, but apart from appearance, it shares nothing with it. The BH120 Royale

972-482: The G4100 was discontinued. Poor reliability of the G4500 resulted in very low sales after Greyhound Lines filed a lawsuit against MCI over the various issues with the bus. Greyhound took delivery of very few Winnipeg-built G4500s; these were later retired and sold. Related to a major contract cancellation by Western Star , DINA S.A. sold a great portion of its previously acquired MCI shares to Joseph Littlejohn & Levy . In 1994 TMC, including production rights for

1026-645: The GM bus assembly plant in Saint-Eustache, Quebec , which then produced GM's Canadian transit bus model, the Classic . TMC ceased production of the older MCI vehicles in 1990 to concentrate on manufacturing the RTS, and on the A-Series intercity coaches. In 1993 MCI became an independent corporation, Motor Coach Industries International Inc. In 1994, MCI stocks were purchased by Mexican DINA S.A. , which had

1080-647: The NYCTA for 38 years since August 5, 1981 when the first MTA NYCTA's GMC RTS-04 # 1201 of East New York Depot was placed into service on the B7 bus route in Brooklyn, New York. The MTA-NYCTA/MABSTOA was the largest RTS fleet operator. Several RTS-06 buses were rebuilt by Complete Coach Works for the Winston-Salem Transit Authority starting in 2019 to extend their service life for 12 years. At

1134-676: The New Flyer MiDi, was based on the design of the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 . Alexander Dennis engineered and tested the bus, and it was built and marketed by New Flyer under contract. During the partnership around 200 buses were delivered to 22 operators in Canada and the U.S. In May 2017, New Flyer and Alexander Dennis announced their joint venture would end and production of the bus would transition to Alexander Dennis' new North American factory in Indiana, where it

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1188-609: The North American market. The agreement came as Daimler reconfigured its commercial bus operations in North America, also selling off its Orion brand of transit buses to New Flyer Industries . Under the agreement, Setra would build its S407 and S417 motorcoaches in Germany and ship them to North America, where MCI would sell and service the coaches using its existing dealer network. In exchange, Daimler would purchase

1242-538: The RTS, was sold to NovaBus . In 1997 MCI purchased the rights from the bankrupt Flxible to produce the Flxible Metro and all related parts for it. After a period of waning product demand, increased competition and lay-offs in the early 2000s, production at MCI plants in Winnipeg and Pembina increased in 2006, and 130 employees were added. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, MCI consolidated its operations,

1296-592: The Rapid Transit Series (RTS) buses that were built there. The company was composed mostly of former NovaBus employees and financed by the city of Roswell, the State of New Mexico , and Pioneer Bank . On July 27, 2005, the company announced its first major order: 68 transit and 221 suburban buses for New Jersey Transit . Full delivery of this order was expected to commence late in the third quarter of 2006, but "the inability to obtain necessary funds" forced

1350-621: The Winnipeg site was expanded and modernized. DINA S.A. purchased North American Symix and opened an assembly plant in Buenos Aires , Argentina and the DIMEX and DINAIR companies. A new coach finishing and paint facility and customer delivery centre were constructed on the site. At the same time, a seven-year contract was signed with the IAM union local. This agreement contained cost improvements and production operations flexibility to improve

1404-641: The cancellation of the order. All units completed for New Jersey Transit at that point were rejected and resold to Foxwoods Resort Casino (five transit), Somerset County Transportation ( Somerset County, New Jersey ) (one transit and one suburban), and Texas A&M University (25 transits). Besides the New Jersey Transit order, MTS had secured a contract from the City of El Paso, Texas, to convert 25 Transportation Manufacturing Corporation -built RTS buses from diesel to clean-burning CNG. The second order

1458-499: The company to change its name to Western Flyer Coach in 1948. In the 1960s, the company further focused on the urban transit bus market. In 1971, the then-financially struggling Western Flyer was sold to the Manitoba Development Corporation, an agency of the government of Manitoba , and renamed Flyer Industries Limited . In 1974 the opposition Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba had urged

1512-562: The consortium purchase of RTS-01s included HouTran (Houston, Texas), San Antonio MTA , Brockton Area Transit Authority (Brockton, Massachusetts), Dallas Transit System , and AC Transit (serving the East Bay counties of the San Francisco Bay Area ). AC Transit did not accept their RTS-01 buses and the order was resold to the neighboring Santa Clara County Transit District . NFTA Metro of Buffalo, New York received

1566-721: The country ordered the RTS 04 in large amounts during this model's run. For example, NFTA Buffalo, NY ordered 110 units in 1983 (fleet numbers 6001-6110), and the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD) ordered more than 400 units in preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics. When the RTS-06 was introduced in 1986, the first bus built was a 96" wide model that went to the Massachusetts Port Authority in Boston;

1620-496: The data learned to make changes in their order of RTS buses which became the RTS-04 model. The first RTS-04 buses were 35' long models delivered to San Antonio in 1980; Pueblo Transportation Co and Metro Dade County Transit Authority also received 40' long RTS-04s in 1980, equipped with the newer Detroit Diesel 6V92TA engine. The NYCTA's first RTS-04s were delivered in 1981 with the proven 6V71 engine. Transit agencies across

1674-494: The exterior appearance of the bus. In June 2012 New Flyer, in a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , the Manitoba Government, Manitoba Hydro and Red River College , unveiled a fully electric battery-powered bus . In May 2012, New Flyer and Alexander Dennis announced a joint venture to design and manufacture medium-duty low-floor bus (or midi bus) for the North American market. The bus, called

Rapid Transit Series - Misplaced Pages Continue

1728-471: The feasibility study, but no production commenced. Additionally, General Motors' Diesel Division in London, Ontario, Canada, also launched a study into building RTS coaches within its facilities, but never actually built any coaches. Millennium Transit Services, LLC was a bus manufacturer formed in 2003 to take over the former Nova Bus manufacturing plant in Roswell, New Mexico and continue construction of

1782-530: The first order of 96" RTS-03 Buses (Serial Numbers 001–065), whereas Detroit's DDOT received the first 102" order (Serial Numbers 001–070). The RTS-03 featured a modular design, which became the hallmark of the RTS; seamless, un-openable side windows; sliding ("plug") front and rear doors; and a distinctive, sloped rear module. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) ordered two RTS-03's as test vehicles, and sold one each to Green Bus Lines Inc. , Queens Transit Corp. and Steinway Transit Corp. after they used

1836-696: The first production model, called the D40LF, to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1991. In 1994, New Flyer delivered the first compressed natural gas bus in North America and the world's first hydrogen fuel cell powered bus. In 1995, the company delivered the first low-floor articulated bus in North America to Strathcona County Transit . In March 2002, New Flyer was acquired by KPS Capital Partners , an investment company that specializes in turning around struggling businesses, for $ 44 million. Later that year Jan den Oudsten retired as CEO. He

1890-474: The first prototype being assembled in 1973 at which point the project went onto hiatus. Though closer to its predecessors than the production models, the RTS name debuted with this prototype. After the project was revived in 1974, GMC would later withdraw from the Transbus project and focus their energies on the RTS, which was billed as an Advanced Design Bus representing a "transitional" or "interim" step towards

1944-459: The first quantity order was for the 102" wide models that were delivered to Snohomish County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation shortly afterward. On April 30, 2019, the NYCTA retired the last of these RTS buses from regular passenger service with 1998 NovaBus RTS-06 # 5108 having the honor of doing the final curtain call on the B3 bus route in Brooklyn, New York. A retirement ceremony, with

1998-521: The history of the RTS, there have been six generations of production plus two experimental variants (one of which not having made it beyond the prototype stage). Long Beach Public Transportation received the first production RTS-01 (TH-8201) in 1977. The agency later restored the bus and donated it to the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 2006. The other agencies participating in

2052-521: The interior floor height was 21 in (530 mm), 7 in (180 mm) lower than a contemporaneous "New Look" bus. However, the passenger capacity of a 40-ft bus was reduced from 50 to 29. Wanting a backup plan in case the Transbus project was abandoned, GMC decided to modify the RTX/Transbus design and in 1970 began the RTS-II project (designating two axles) that became the earliest RTS with

2106-465: The parent company of New Flyer Industries . The company was incorporated in 1933 by Harry Zoltok as Fort Garry Motor Body and Paint Works Limited, in Winnipeg, Manitoba , Canada. In 1948, Greyhound Lines of Canada , at that time MCI's major customer, became a majority shareholder when it purchased 65 percent of the company. MCI was purchased outright by Greyhound Lines in 1958. In 1963 a new plant

2160-434: The productivity and competitiveness of the manufacturing and assembly operations. The buses, especially the older MC-8 and workhorse MC-9 models of the 1980s, became the standard for interstate travel for many bus companies. Those particular buses featured metal frames and roof supports, metal panels on the sides and were extremely durable and reliable. Many of the buses, having survived millions of miles of commercial use, had

2214-532: The purchase an indicator that the company's operational and financial turnaround had been accomplished. On August 19, 2005, New Flyer became a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange , renaming the company to New Flyer Industries Canada ULC and creating the publicly traded parent company NFI Group Inc. 2005 also saw a restyling of New Flyer's popular low-floor coaches with new front and rear endcaps, to modernize and streamline

Rapid Transit Series - Misplaced Pages Continue

2268-565: The service agreement in mid-2018. On November 10, 2015, it was announced that Canadian bus manufacturer New Flyer Industries had agreed to acquire Motor Coach Industries, Inc. for C$ 604 million (approximately US$ 459 million). The deal closed in December 2015. In late 2022, the factory in Pembina, North Dakota was planned to be shut down; this decision was later reversed, and the facility has since remained open. The U.S. assembly line

2322-490: The site, which has been vacant for over a decade. GM acquired Yellow Coach in 1943 and continued production of the "Old Look" bus originally designed by Yellow Coach. GM ended bus production in 1987 after selling its bus division and assets to Motor Coach Industries , which continued production of the New Look-derived Classic and RTS. Motor Coach Industries Motor Coach Industries ( MCI )

2376-452: The summer of 2012; however, Millennium had yet to win any significant orders to date since the cancellations. A map check in 2019 appears to indicate that MTS no longer exists as an entity, and their facilities at 42 W-Earl Cummings Loop is now a vacant building and lot. The whole property, formerly occupied by MTS, is available for lease as of January 28, 2019, and for sale as of June 28, 2022. As of February 2024, there are plans to redevelop

2430-559: The time the RTS entered production in the US, GMDD (GMC's Canadian production arm) considered producing the RTS for the Canadian market. However, an outcry of protest from key transit providers over not wanting the "futuristic" RTS led GMDD to produce the Classic , an updated New Look that was first produced in 1983. The Classic would prove popular with US agencies as well. When the Classic

2484-442: Was built using a modular design that allowed the same parts to be used for all three lengths, the longest of which could seat up to 47 passengers. It was originally powered by either 6- or 8-cylinder versions of Detroit Diesel 's Series 71 two-stroke diesel engine channeled through an Allison V730 or ZF 5HP-500 transmission. Later models could be powered by a 6-cylinder Series 92 , or the 4-cylinder Series 50 engines. The RTS

2538-498: Was from Pueblo Transit for two transit buses. The New Jersey Transit order was actually the third order for MTS. Other orders included those from Santa Fe Trails and Beaumont Municipal Transit System . These latter two have since been canceled. On August 29, 2008, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection . The company cleared Chapter 11, but in February 2012 suspended production of its buses. The factory reopened in

2592-561: Was later inducted into the American Public Transportation Association 's Hall of Fame for his work at the company. In 2003, King County Metro in Seattle placed an order for 213 hybrid buses, the world's first large order for hybrid buses. On December 15, 2003, New Flyer was purchased by private equity firms Harvest Partners and Lightyear Capital . The company's CEO, John Marinucci, called

2646-594: Was later restyled and renamed as BH120 Royale Super which distanced itself visually from the RTS and resembles its Japanese counterpart Isuzu Super Cruiser, while the BH115H was later restyled and made to resemble the Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Bus . However, General Motors did briefly consider building small quantities of the RTS at its GM Holden's subsidiary in Australia. A press release was issued noting

2700-622: Was moved to the NFI group facility in Crookston, Minnesota . After the Courier and MC model name schemes, MCI adopted an alphanumerical system for naming the different series of coaches. Two different systems have been used: For Example, a wheelchair-lift equipped, 45-foot, diesel powered, D-Series with fluted stainless steel sides from 1997 would be designated a 102-DLW3SS. A 45-foot, battery-electric powered J-Series from 2020 would be designated

2754-527: Was opened in Pembina, North Dakota , to increase capacity as MCI began to expand into the U.S. market, while Greyhound widened its operations and switched increasingly from GMC to its own in-house products. In 1974 another plant was opened in Roswell, New Mexico , under the title Transportation Manufacturing Corporation (TMC). In December 1986, Greyhound was split, with Greyhound Lines being sold to an investor group, and Greyhound Lines of Canada, MCI and TMC remaining part of The Greyhound Corporation , which

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2808-482: Was renamed Dial, Inc. in 1991. In 1987, Greyhound Corporation bought the transit bus manufacturing operations of General Motors Diesel Division (GMC), which was based in Canada. (GM phased out intercity and transit bus construction at the large GMC Coach and Truck plant in Pontiac, Michigan , shifting medium duty school bus chassis production to Janesville, Wisconsin .) MCI also took over production of GM's RTS model, transferring production to TMC. MCI also purchased

2862-564: Was retired in 1997, NovaBus decided to begin limited production of the RTS for the Canadian market. Produced from 1997 to 2001, most of the RTS models made for Canadian agencies were the RTS-06 WFD variant with the majority being sold to agencies in the eastern part of the country. Notably, the Toronto Transit Commission in Ontario operated a fleet of 52 buses built in 1998 while Société de transport de l'Outaouais in Quebec had 12 buses built in 2000. Quebec -based Dupont Trolley Industries , specializing in rebuilding buses, previously offered

2916-402: Was revived, however, by Millennium Transit Services , which announced plans to manufacture the bus in both high and low-floor configurations at the shuttered TMC facilities in Roswell. However, after poor sales and failure to fulfill orders, Millennium ceased production on the RTS and went out of business in 2009. In September 2011, MTS re-entered the market and showcased its latest RTS product at

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