1115 Busline Magazine

CEO/ General Manager Dwight A. Ferrell

SORTACincinnati, OH

Happy Employees MakeFor Happy Customers

Busline Motorcoach Feature

DIXIELAND Baton Rouge, LA

Busline Transit Feature

Tours

1115Busline.FINAL_Layout 1 11/6/15 11:36 AM Page 1

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Busline Magazine is published 6 times a year by Rankin Publishing, Inc., 204 E. Main, P.O. Box 130, Arcola, IL 61910-0130.Publisher assumes no liability whatsoever for content of any advertisement or editorial material contained herein. Copyright 2015Rankin Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written con-sent of Rankin Publishing, Inc. Subscription Rates in United States: 6 issues $25. Single Copy rate: $10 including postage/handling;Buyers Guide $15 including postage/handling. International rates: 6 issue annual Air Mail Subscription $60 U.S. dollars net

Page 4 BUSLINE November/December 2015

NovEMbEr/DEcEMbEr 2015Published by

Rankin Publishing, Inc.www.buslinemag.comM A G A Z I N E

RAPID RESPONSE ..................................Page 6INDUSTRY NEWS.................................Page 44

ON THE COVER: Dixieland Tours' owners Norman "Bubbie" Augusta IIIand Lori Guyton are shown with one of their company's all-black MCImotorcoaches. The brother and sister team took over the company after the death earlier this year of their father, Norman Augusta Jr.

Dixieland is based in Baton Rouge, LA. See page 8.

Busline Vehicle Showcase

TROLLEY BUSES, TRAMS &

STREET CARS36 40

IN THIS ISSUE

New Generation Leads Dixieland Tours ..........................................8

Analytics: What Gets Analyzed Helps You Grow ......................20For Cincinnatis SORTA:Happy Employees Make For Happy Customers .......................22Buslines Buyers Guide To Replacement Parts Suppliers ......................41Buslines Buyers Guide To Bus Flooring..................................................42

CONTE

NTS


BUSLINE November/December 2015

Company Website Page # Company Website Page #

Alexander Dennis www.alexanderdennis.com 5Altro Transflor www.altrotransflor.com 23Amaya-Astron www.amaya-astron.com.mx 32Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison www.atlanticdda.com 14Bauers Intelligent Transportation www.bauerscertifiedpreowned.com 29Better Life Technology, LLC www.blt-transit.com 9Bitzer www.bitzerus.com 19Carlyle Compressor www.carlylecompressor.com 10Complete Coach Works www.completecoach.com 30Dixie Electric Ltd. www.dixie-electric.com 31Freightliner www.freightlinerchassis.com 3Hometown Trolley www.hometowntrolley.com 11Marathon Brake Systems www.MarathonBrake.com 24Midwest Bus Corporation www.midwestbus.com 20Mile-X www.mile-x.com 31Motor Coach Industries (MCI) www.mcicoach.com 2

Motorcoach Tire Sales.com www.motorcoachtiresales.com 15PEX German O.E. Parts LLC www.pexna.com 33Prevost Car www.prevostcar.com 52Protective Insurance Company www.protectiveinsurance.com 13Relational Bus Systems www.rbs2000.com 18Safety Step www.safetystep.net 34Service Insurance www.serviceins.com 33Specialty Vehicles www.specialtyvehicles.com 26Sutrak www.sutrakusa.com 28TEMSA www.temsa.com 21TSO Mobile www.tsomobile.com 25Turtle Top www.turtletop.com 7UMA Motorcoach Expo www.motorcoachexpo.com 50Vanner Power www.vanner.com 17Willingham Inc. www.willinghaminc.com 12

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Hometown Trolley 36 Specialty Vehicles 38

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Transition can be difficult, but itsoften necessary in business just asin life. Case in point is a brotherand sister team now in charge ofa family motorcoach operationafter the death earlier this yearof their father. Their ongoing

efforts at Dixieland Tours, locat-ed in Baton Rouge, LA, serve asa testament to a desire for success

in the wake of difficulty.

New Generation Leads

DIXIELANDTours

Brother/Sister Team Norman Bubbie Augusta III

And Lori Guyton Steer The Company

By Harrell Kerkhoff, Busline Magazine Editor

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Siblings Lori Guyton and Norman Bubbie Augusta III have taken over the family business following thedeath of their father, Norman Augusta Jr., who died in January after a five-year battle with cancer. Guyton nowserves as president of the company, while Augusta III is director of operations. The company has been in a transition period over the past five years since our father was diagnosed. Lori has

been a very integral part of that transition, having taken over the day-to-day operations. All of this, however, wouldnot have been possible without the overall vision for the company from our father, Augusta III said.


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Today, Dixieland Tours offers such transportation services as various types of charters; customtours; military, school and university travel; convention shuttles; airport/cruise transfers and trans-portation for corporate events. The company hasheld contracts with the military since 1998, and hasan A rating with the department of defense and aSatisfactory rating with the department of trans-portation, according to Augusta III.Our workload is spread pretty evenly, and busi-

ness is often cyclical, Guyton said. Some yearswe have more shuttle work than others. Right now,working with schools is probably our largest pieceof business. Most of this revolves around provid-ing transportation for sports teams.This includes a contract to transport athletic

teams from Louisiana State University, betterknown simply as LSU, which is also located inBaton Rouge. As its name suggests, Dixieland Tours mainly

focuses on travel within the southern states ofLouisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama andFlorida. However, the companys motorcoacheswill travel to wherever customers need transporta-tion. This includes the U.S. West Coast andNortheast as well as Canada.Dixieland Tours currently has a fleet of 19 full-

size motorcoaches, mostly comprised of MotorCoach Industries (MCI) vehicles, and has a staff ofapproximately 40 full- and part-time employees.Both Guyton and Augusta III said the company hasgrown over the years through hard work and a strongfocus on safety, reliability and customer service.


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The key to the successof Dixieland Tours hasbeen maintaining ourprimary objective

centered on safety andcustomer service.

Without question, thishas been accomplishedthrough teamworkwithin all of our departments.

Lori GuytonDixieland Tours' co-owner and Operations ManagerNorman "Bubbie" Augusta III (left) is shown with

Bernard Pacheco, who is the company's dispatcher.


I would say the main key to the success of Dixieland Tours has beenmaintaining our primary objective centered on safety and customerservice, Guyton said. Without question, this has been accomplishedthrough teamwork within all of our departments. Augusta III added: This consistency has been the backbone of our

company. Most of our marketing is done through word-of-mouththrough customer referrals. This would not be possible without every-body at our company focusing on safety and service.According to Guyton, Dixieland Tours has also been able to add to

its customer base by helping specific groups of people who have foundthemselves unexpectedly without transportation.We have received calls from people who have had a carrier can-

cel at the last minute. These people are suddenly without transporta-tion just before their big trip. They do receive money back, but haveno way to getting to their destination. Many times, these people call

us and we are able to help, Guytonsaid. We would never put a customerof ours in a similar situation. Its allabout being reliable as a transporta-tion provider, which is one of ourmajor goals.There are some bids for work that

we dont submit, simply because weknow it would require us to provideadded transportation services during aparticularly busy time of year.We haveto take care of our regular customers,and not just push them off to other companies. As business owners,its important to recognize our companys capabilities. We have afleet of 19 vehicles, and during certain weekends we can find work

for 150 coaches. Its all part of the challengeof this type of business.Listening to customers is another way offi-

cials at Dixieland Tours succeed when it comesto service and reliability. This often starts at thebooking process. There are customers who specifically ask if

our coaches have Wi-Fi and other amenities.They also often want to know how many seatsare in a full-size coach, Augusta III said. He added that a strong customer service pro-

gram means being able to take care of problemsif, and when, they occur. Unfortunately, sometimes you do have cer-

tain issues with customers that must beaddressed, Augusta III said. Its important tolook into such problems, talk with the cus-tomer(s), find out what drove that problem andhow it can be fixed.

A Fathers Legacy

Experience is golden when it comes torunning a company. Fortunately forGuyton and Augusta III, they wereable to learn a lot from their father prior tohis death. This transportation knowledge isbeing used on a daily basis by not only thebrother and sister team, but their employeesas well. Its knowledge accrued from experi-ence in the travel business that dates to the1970s.In 1995, our father purchased Dixieland

Tours & Cruises with the idea of diversifyinghis then company, American InternationalTravel, Inc. Having been in the travel busi-ness since 1977, he saw the need to integratehis business model by entering into the localtour market. He also purchased Travel NewOrleans in 1994, an in-bound receptive tourcompany, Guyton said. Norman Augusta Jr. initially started his

travel business during the 1970s following a16-year career in the banking industry. Hepurchased a retail travel agency that had beenoperated by a bank. In the ensuing years,under his leadership, the agency grew from 1location with 4 employees to 16 locationswith 110 employees. In 1979, Augusta Jr.s American Inter-nation-

al Travel joined a worldwide consortium ofPage 12 BUSLINE November/December 2015

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travel agents called Woodside TravelManagement, which was headquartered inBoston, MA. In 1981, Augusta Jr. and threeother U.S. citizens, along with five interna-tional representatives, bought WoodsideManagement Systems. With Augusta Jr. asits chairman, Woodside developed a propri-etary computer system that was licensed toseveral airlines and many hotels and carrental companies. At the time of Dixielands 1995 acquisition

by Augusta Jr., the company was operating afleet of 12 motorcoaches, all of which hadbeen previously purchased used and com-prised mostly of ex-Greyhound vehicles. InApril 1995, the companys long relationshipwith MCI began when Augusta Jr. purchasedthe first modern coaches to be added toDixielands fleet. There were two MCI102DL3s.Guyton was employed at American

Airlines headquarters in Dallas/Fort Worth,TX, for 10 years when her father contacted herabout coming home and operating AmericanInternational Travel. She agreed.I was running our travel offices when he

purchased Dixieland Tours as well as Travel New Orleans. FollowingHurricane Katrina (in 2005), we made various changes that includeddownsizing our travel agencies, she said.Guyton started working on rebuilding the Travel New Orleans sec-

tor of the business, along with being involved part time with Dixieland

Tours sales department. In 2008, she shifted all of her focus to thesales department at Dixieland.Over the next two years, Guyton worked in different departments at

Dixieland Tours, and, in 2010, took over as president, handling day-to-day operations following Augusta Jr.s cancer diagnosis.

Dixieland Tours' representatives shown in front of the company's facility are, left to right, Melanie Kleinpeter, sales; Marilyn Duvall, sales; Lori Guyton, president/owner; Pam McCauley, sales;

and Donna Achee, personnel/accounting.


He basically turned everything over to me. He wasnt at the officeday-to-day, so I had to learn a lot on my own. Dad was able to helpwhen I had questions, Guyton said. This process turned out to be agood way for me to learn the business. She also asked her brother if he would be interested in coming on

board, which he did in 2013. At the time, I had been working for

Farmers Insurance in the property andcasualty claims department. The majorityof that time was spent focusing on litiga-tion work. I was involved with the insur-ance industry for 17-plus years, AugustaIII said. It turned out to be a good timefor me to move on in 2013. I was able totake the experience gained from a largecorporation, and bring it to our familybusiness.The past several years have been both

sad and exciting. Those closest to ourcompany know that we have beeninvolved in a transition period, ever sinceour father was diagnosed with cancer. Ihave had the opportunity to follow in myfathers and sisters footsteps. While it hastaken some time, we are confident that ouremployees feel comfortable that we arecontinuing our fathers legacy, whichmeans being successful business owners.My sister and I take great strength inknowing that our father was able toinspire and see both of his children work-

ing closely together, all in an effort to move the company forward.We have received a lot of positive feedback.Although his official name is Norman Augusta III, he is often

referred to as Bubbie at work. Its a nickname he has had all ofhis life.


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Shown, left to right, are Dixieland Tours' senior drivers Charles Booker, Rodney Prugh, John Robinson and Henry Nelson.


It certainly came in handy when my father and I were working atthe same place, since we shared the same name. I continue to go byBubbie, Augusta III said. Since coming to Dixieland, I have con-centrated on the operations side of the business. This includes themaintenance and safety departments.I work closely with our

two mechanics, and helpkeep a pulse on the back sideof the business. I also workwith our safety department,help hire and train driversand follow up with any dis-patch issues.

Distinctive LookingCoaches Prove Beneficial

There is no mistaken company identity when a group of motor-coaches from Dixie land Tours shows up at an event. Althoughthe Dixieland decaling on these vehicles is considered minor bymost motorcoach standards, the all-black vehicles provide a presencethat is very noticeable. Going with its current look was the idea ofAugusta Jr.Dad wanted to differentiate his company from most of his competi-

tors, and it continues to be a very good move. He knew this look wouldhelp our motorcoaches stand out from others. People think of thesevehicles as limousines, and we treat them like limousines that just hap-pen to be motorcoaches, Augusta III said. Its part of our overallmarketing scheme. The jet black look provides a big differentiatorbetween us and other companies. People are always looking and ask-ing us about those black coaches theyve seen going down the road.Guyton added: Its crazy how many calls we get in the sales depart-

ment after people see our motorcoaches, especially if its from a multi-coach move. We went to all-black vehicles in 2010. You see white

buses everywhere, but you dont see many all-black coaches on theroad. They really look nice. Who would have thought that the all-blacklook would set us apart? We are finding it was definitely the rightmove.

As our fleet becomes upgraded with newer models that feature theall-black color scheme, wemake sure they also areequipped with the newesttechnology. This includes 3-point seat belts, Wi-Fi andsatellite television. In todaysworld of contract require-ments, such features are anecessity.According to Augusta III,

with its large push in 2010 toupgrade the companys fleet, Dixieland Tours capability to provide alarge number of motorcoaches with 3-point seat belts allowed it to suc-cessfully go after the school market. The school segment of our business has increased, especially at the

lower grade levels. The major factor was upgrading our fleet with sixMCI J4500s that featured 3-point seat belts. At the time, we had thelargest number of coaches in our area with these seat belts. It alsoseems more school officials are starting to better understand how themotorcoach industry can help them with specific transportationneeds, he said. Our upgraded coaches have provided Dixieland witha great advantage, along with selling our customer service capabilities.All of this has allowed our company to grow with additional business. Being the director of operations at Dixieland Tours, Augusta III also

spoke highly of todays engine technology improvements, such asDetroit Virtual Technician capabilities that allow emails to be sentto company representatives and online technicians when a checkengine light appears. If the vehicle needs immediate attention, the

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People think of these vehiclesas limousines, and we treat themlike limousines that just happento be motorcoaches. Its part ofour overall marketing scheme.

Norman Bubbie Augusta III



online technician can provide the operator with information on thenearest available facility to fix the problem. This type of technology allows the operator to head off potential

problems and downtime. Its technology that can prove very benefi-cial, helping the operator take care of an issue before customers evenknow there is a problem, AugustaIII said.The entire 19-vehicle fleet of

Dixieland Tours is comprised of45-foot motorcoaches, 16 of whichare MCIs (14 J4500s and 2 DL3s).Since about 2010, we have

made a big push for equipmentupgrades. We are in the process offinalizing a deal to acquire twoadditional J4500s. These vehiclescome with the added conveniencesof power outlets, USB ports as wellas Wi-Fi and satellite capabilities.We have been very happy with thisequipment, Guyton said. She added that Dixieland Tours

has enjoyed a long relationshipwith MCI, a manufacturer that hasbeen instrumental in helping theoperator stay modern with fleetupgrades. This association with MCI

started years ago with our father,who began working with MCI VicePresident, New Coach Sales PatZiska. She stood up for our father,who at the time, was new to the busindustry, and helped DixielandTours achieve an upgraded fleet,Guyton said. From that point for-ward, Dixieland has enjoyed agood relationship with MCI at alllevels.Focusing on the environment is

a big part of the relationship thathas been established between Dixieland Tours, the operators cus-tomers and MCI. Dixielands Limo Series Green initiative stressesthe importance of environmentally-conscious luxury motorcoachtransportation. According to Guyton and Augusta III, the companys MCI J4500

motorcoaches feature Detroit Diesel engines with the latest technolo-gy for reduced emissions and greater fuel efficiency.Dixieland will continue to

invest in newer coaches that uti-lize cleaner engine technology,all with the idea to help reducegreenhouse gases, Guyton said.The term Limo Series Greenalso refers to our black vehiclesthat are often associated with thetype of service customers expectwhen riding in a limousine.The phrase, Limo Series

Green Coach is displayed on thesides of Dixielands newer vehi-cles, un der the companys name. What better way to publicize our green initiative then having this

phrase placed on our vehicles, which serve as rolling billboards,Augusta III said.

The feedback Guyton and Augusta III have received from customerslooking for greener transportation options has been very positive. We are finding more people are wanting to ride in greener equip-

ment, the ones with the newer technology, Guyton added. There arealso larger companies that now require greener equipment, such as

with shuttle work. Our Limo SeriesGreen focus certainly helps.Keeping its fleet of motorcoach-

es sparkling clean is also a majorpart of conducting business forrepresentatives of DixielandTours. The idiom, A picture is worth

a thousand words is so true, onlyin our case we are more concernedwith first impressions when a cus-tomer enters one of our vehicles,Augusta III said. The way wepresent our coach to a customerreflects to how they feel about ourcompany, starting with the initialdrive up. Thus, its imperative thatwe provide an attractive productwhen arriving, and throughout theentire trip. Its also good to havevehicles that attract people notinvolved with a Dixieland trip,such as those driving cars along-side our coaches. None of this canbe underestimated from a cus-tomer service and marketing pointof view.Helping with brand awareness

for Dixieland Tours also comesfrom some highly visible clients namely LSU athletics. TheLSU football team, for example,has a national following and isroutinely among the top programsin the country.We have serviced all of the

LSU athletic teams since 2012. This work provides our company witha lot of television exposure. It allows more people to see our jet blackmotorcoaches, Guyton said.The challenge, of course, is keeping all-black vehicles clean, which

is more difficult while on the road. Its important to put in the extra time and effort to make sure our

vehicles are cleaned inside and out, Augusta III said. It helps that wehave both day and night cleaningcrews who do a great job, makingsure our equipment is up to cus-tomer standards.

Home Has Always Been In Baton Rouge

Being the state capital,Baton Rouge is the politi-cal hub of Louisiana, andis the states second-largest city(behind New Orleans) with a pop-ulation of over 228,000 residents.

The city is located in a major industrial and petrochemical area, withThe Port of Greater Baton Rouge, situated on the Mississippi River,being one of the largest water ports in the United States in terms of ton-nage shipped. The city is also the longtime home of Dixieland Tours.


Mechanics Lou Destino (left) and Nick Liuzza help keep Dixieland Tours' fleet in great condition.

We are finding more people are wantingto ride in greener equipment, the oneswith the newer technology.There are also larger companies that now requiregreener equipment. Our Limo Series

Green focus certainly helps. Lori Guyton



Its hard to say what advantages and/or disadvantages our compa-ny has experienced by being located here, because its all we haveever known. I do know this area has served us well over the years,Guyton said. The facility at Dixieland Tours

includes office space and a bus yardand maintenance area all locatedon a two-acre lot in an industrial partof the city. Augusta III said this loca-tion allows for easy access to areainterstates. Our office space is used for all

aspects of the operation. This inc -ludes accounting, a drivers room,dispatch area, sales and safety departments and a conference room thatalso serves as an employee training area, Augusta III said. There isalso additional office space upstairs that is used for training and largecompany meetings. Our maintenance shop includes three full bays that help us accom-

plish almost any type of service work in-house, with the exception oflarge engine and/or transmission work. There is also a large coveredwash bay at our facility. Its capable of handling all of our own clean-ing needs, as well as different cleaning requirements for equipmentused by other transportation companies.Working with other motorcoach companies over the years has

proven beneficial for all sides, Guyton added. There is a real advantage to having competent competitors in our

area. It allows all of us to maximize resources in order to meet theneeds of the local marketplace, she added. The majority of employees at Dixieland Tours are full- and part-time

drivers. Other staff members includes a dispatcher who also assists inthe safety department, a sales staff, administrative officials and twomechanics. I am directly responsible for sales and the day-to-day operations

of the company, while Bubbie is responsible for our maintenance andsafety departments, Guyton said. As owners, we are here and activeeveryday.Finding, training and keeping qualified employees especially

drivers is a challenge for mostbus/motorcoach operators. This is atask taken very seriously atDixieland Tours. When it comes to filling driving

positions, a person must first bequalified on paper to be a commer-cial vehicle driver; however, thisdoesnt mean he/she will automati-cally be qualified as a (bus/motor-

coach) driver at our company, Augusta III said. I feel that the mostimportant quality in a good driver, when operating a vehicle full ofpeople, is being able to see the big picture. The driver has to success-fully interpret all the small things that make up that big picture. There is a lot of preparation by a driver that must take place as

he/she gets ready for a trip. Its important that person uses all of his/hernecessary skills to operate a large piece of equipment. This comes nat-urally to some drivers, but not everybody possesses the capabilities ofdriving a motorcoach full of people. There is a big difference betweencarrying cargo, and transporting 56 different personalities.At Dixieland Tours, company officials first evaluate a candidates

driving history. The next step is to get an assesment of his/her currentskill level behind the steering wheel. This includes having the persondrive a motorcoach on a skilled course located in a parking lot as wellas driving on the road. We do this to help determine the length and complexity of a train-

ing curriculum from Dixieland in order to properly train the specificdriver candidate. We will set aside what amounts to an individual train-ing program for that person, Augusta said. We have also recentlyextended a candidates behind-the-wheel driving evaluation time in

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There is a real advantage to havingcompetent competitors in our area. Itallows all of us to maximize resourcesin order to meet the needs of the local

marketplace. Lori Guyton


association with our most experienced drivers who provide feedbackand instruction. This assists new drivers to better understand our rulesand procedures before they graduate.Also used in the companys training program are videos from acci-

dent event recorders, showing real-life situations. This is all done tobetter provide new drivers with the knowledge and skills necessary forsafe motorcoach operation. Driver training at Dixieland Tours doesnt stop once a person is

hired, and determined ready to take a vehicle on the open road.

Continual driver training programs are the norm at the company.All of our drivers are required to complete a recertification skills

course each year. This course changes on a yearly basis, and isdesigned to incorporate real life scenarios that drivers can encounterwhile on specific routes. Sometimes our drivers must get into closeproximity to buildings and tight turns. Continual training helps themwith these challenges. We try to make the courses different each yearto improve their driving skills, Augusta III said. This training isdesigned to make sure drivers can see the big picture when setting up

their hard left and right turns, being able todock equipment into tight spots such as forshuttle work, and understanding equipment anddriver capabilities when it comes to randombacking situations.He added that it should be obvious why con-

tinuing education is important for bus/motor-coach drivers.

I hope all people understand its importantto never stop learning. Things change, such asroads and equipment. Its important to acceptthat change is going to happen, and its vital toadapt, Augusta III said. Our existing driversseem to enjoy this additional training. It helpsthat our training changes yearly, so we are notjust repeating the same old stuff.Of course, before a qualified driver can be

hired and properly trained, he/she must befound. This process is not always easy. Just liketheir approach to marketing, officials atDixieland Tours rely on word-of-mouth toattract new drivers. We offer our current drivers every opportu-

nity to find, and forward to us, qualified peoplewho they meet and feel would be great addi-tions to our team. Our drivers receive a bonuswhen they refer a qualified person toDixieland, Augusta III said. He added the term teamwork is used a lot

at the company, and for good reason. Page 18 BUSLINE November/December 2015

All of our drivers arerequired to complete arecertification skills

course each year. Thiscourse changes on ayearly basis, and is

designed to incorporatereal life scenarios thatdrivers can encounter

while on specificroutes.


Its important to provide employees with as many benefits as possible. It shows that we,as owners, are trying to give back to them what they have given over the years to us.




Its important that each facet ofour company is able to hold the oth-ers up when needed. This is truewhen it comes to finding qualifiedemployees, Augusta III said. Ourcurrent average tenure is just belowseven years, which has decreasedrecently with the retirement of someof our older drivers. In replacingthem, we try to look for similar qual-ities in new candidates. Thisincludes an attentiveness to details,multi-tasking capabilities, being responsible and showing the desire totake ownership in ones job.Dixieland Tours also offers safety and service bonuses on a monthly

basis to employees, and recently reintroduced health insurance benefitsat the company. Its important to provide employees with as many benefits as pos-

sible. It shows that we, as owners, are trying to give back to them whatthey have given over the years to us, Augusta III said.

Goals For The Future

When asked what her company must focus on in the future toremain a viable entity, Guyton presented three key businessobjectives. They are:n Secure additional set contracts that help representatives at

Dixieland Tours accurately predict a future revenue stream;n Stay ahead of the technology curve and embrace all that change

has to offer; and,n Adapt to the evolving needs and wants of customers.

Theres never a dull moment inthe travel industry, but I do feel its avery viable industry. One thing Ihave noticed is that it seems morebookings are arriving late. This trendhas taken place over the past fewyears, and makes it harder to forecastsales from year-to-year. I do thinkthere is potential overall growthahead for the industry.Her brother agrees.We remain excited for what the

future holds. While we are still in the transition phase, our companyhas received positive feedback from those closest to the organization.

Its good to look forward to the ever-changing opportunities and chal-lenges that the transportation industry will throw our way, Augusta IIIsaid. We have aspirations in place as a transportation provider, butright now its more about making sure everybody here is taken care of,including employees and customers.

Contact: Dixieland Tours, 10520 S. Choctaw Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70815. Phone: 225-273-9119.

Website: www.dixielandtours.com.

I feel that the most important qualityin a good driver, when operating a

vehicle full of people, is being able tosee the big picture. The driver has tosuccessfully interpret all the small

things that make up that big picture. Norman Bubbie Augusta III

Its important that each facet of ourcompany is able to hold the others up

when needed. Norman Bubbie Augusta III



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Understanding, and properly using, analytics can lead to greater company success. But what is analytics, and how can the analytic process help a business grow?

These and other questions were addressed recently during an educational sessionpresented by Greg Borr of OConnor Company Inc. Analytics is information resulting from the systematic analysis of data and/or

statistics. Simply put, analytics provides access to timely, relevant information thatcan help take a company to a higher level. Continued On Page 34

By Harrell Kerkhoff, Busline Editor


For CINCINNATIs SORTA:

Happy Employees Make For Happy Customers


By Rick Mullen, Busline Magazine Associate Editor

Serving the public transportation needs of the little more than 2.1million residents of the greater Cincinnati, OH, metro area isthe Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA).Cincinnati is located in the southwest corner of Ohio, with the Ohio Riveras the citys southern boundary.We are the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, also known as

Metro, said SORTA CEO and General Manager Dwight A. Ferrell,during a recent interview with Busline Magazine in the systems down-town Cincinnati administration offices. We operate primarily in the city ofCincinnati, but we also provide some express service in the outlying coun-ties of Butler, Warren and Clermont. We have approximately 850 employ-ees, including bus operators, mechanics and administrative employees.The systems hourly employees are represented by Amalgamated

Transit Union Local 627.Metros administrative leadership, headed by Ferrell, and its frontline

employees have adopted and bought into strategies to enhance the transitsystems capabilities in meeting the needs of its passengers. These effortshave also been geared to engage citizens in the process.Our board has commissioned a citizens advisory committee to explore

the future of Metro, and the future of public transportation in this region,which is exciting, Ferrell said. We have completed seven listening ses-

sions, where we have gone out in the community asking people what dothey want to see for the future of Metro and the future of transit.The listening sessions are designed to receive community input on how

Metro can connect more people to jobs; get more students to educationand job training; help older adults maintain their independence; providemore travel options for people with disabilities; and to consider the broad-er transportation needs of the community. All feedback from the commu-nity listening sessions will be considered by the Metro Futures TaskForce, composed of community leaders, who will present their findings tothe SORTA Board in early 2016, according to a Metro news release.Currently, we are trying to improve how we do business, as well as

exploring what other kinds of amenities we can offer our citizens withinour current strengths, Ferrell said. As the board and the community gothrough this process, they will determine our future direction at somepoint next year. Right now, we are trying to balance what we do, placingthe right kind of service in the proper location.Metro also offers connectivity services to local businesses to enable

their employees to have a way to get to work.Businesses contract with us and they subsidize the rest of the serv-

ice, Ferrell said. With what the employees pay and with the businesssubsidizing the remainder, we have a 100 percent fare box recovery

our customers areimportant, but so are our

employees. You cant have happycustomers without happy employees.

From a philosophical point of view, we have been working hard to improve ourrelationship with employees, whether

they be represented by the union or not.CEO/General Manager

Dwight A. Ferrell


with these arrangements.We are also working with other businesses to be able to

provide more job connection services. There are severalemployers here who have a need for employees, but donthave the connectivity. We see this as a way to expand atsome point next year.SORTA is a political subdivision of the state of Ohio and

is governed by a 13-member volunteer citizens board oftrustees. Seven trustees are appointed by the city ofCincinnati and six are appointed by Hamilton County, ofwhich Cincinnati is the county seat. Hamilton Countyappoints three of its own trustees plus one each representingButler, Clermont and Warren counties. The funding relation-ship between SORTA and the city of Cincinnati was estab-lished by the City/SORTA Agreement of 1973.

Metros CEO STAR Award

It is a given that for a public transit system to thrive and be able tomeet the needs of its constituents, stellar customer service is a must.The traditional paradigm in providing excellent service flows from asystems employees to passengers, with the emphasis on the individualbus rider. Ferrell and the Metro leadership team have adopted a somewhatdifferent strategy that primarily emphasizes the systems employees first,rather than passengers.Our customers are important, but so are our employees, Ferrell said.

You cant have happy customers without happy employees. From a philo-

sophical point of view, we have been working hard to improve our rela-tionship with employees, whether they be represented by the union or not.One of the ways Metro helps keep employee engagement and morale

at a high level is its new CEO STAR Award program, which stands forService That Attracts Recognition, awarding employees for excellencein providing customer service.For bus operators who receive a commendation, I personally send

them a pin and a note thanking them for their work, Ferrell said.Employees receiving an award during a particular month, are eligible

to participate in a drawing for a gift card held at the end of the month.We also give the Operator of the Year a choice to have his or her


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Opposite page: CEO and General Manager Dwight Ferrell, right, and Operator of the Year Orlando King pose in front of the specially wrapped Operator of the Year bus.

CEO/General Manager Dwight A. Ferrell


own personalized bus, Ferrell said. No one can drive thebus but that operator. This program has been a big hit. It is allpart of engaging employees so they, in turn, provide a betterproduct to our customers.A recent, and dramatic, example of actions deserving a

STAR award involved two Metro employees who may havesaved a passengers life.A Metro news release tells the story. On Aug. 31, mainte-

nance employee Charlene Brown was on her way to a roadcall when she noticed a passenger who was disoriented.Brown and Street Service Supervisor JoDawna Miles sus-pected a medical condition and called for emergency assis-tance. The EMTs discovered the passengers blood sugar levelwas at a dangerous level and he was taken for medical care.Brown and Miles were recognized during a SORTA board

meeting on September 15. Brown has been a Metro employeefor eight years and was a Maintenance Employee of the Yearfinalist in 2014. Miles has been with Metro for 12 years, andpreviously served as a Metro operator for five years.Ferrell said at the time, Were grateful that Charlene and

JoDawna were able to recognize the medical distress signsof the passenger and seek immediate help, as their sensitiv-ity and judgment may have very well saved the gentle-mans life. Every day our employees serve the communityand outstanding actions such as these deserve recognition.Other ways in which Metro has emphasized its employees first can

be seen at the Queensgate facility, which is one of the transit systemsbus maintenance, dispatch and operations centers. Queensgate employ-ees enjoy a spacious break area outfitted with flat-screen TVs, a pooltable, healthy food vending machines and other amenities, including anexercise room.

We re-covered the pool table and put up flat-screen TVs in the breakarea. These amenities have been well received by our bus operators andmaintenance people, Ferrell said. We also invested in diagnostic lap-tops for our mechanics, who use them to diagnose and troubleshoot ourbuses.In addition, we are engaging employees about what is working and

what is not working, because they are interested in customer service,


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Metros leadership staff members include, front row, left right, Vice President of StrategicInitiatives Mary Moning, Vice President of Human Resources/EEO Officer Olivia Jones and VicePresident of External Affairs Sallie Hilvers. Back row, left to right are Senior Vice President LegalServices & Chief Counsel William Desmond, Chief Operations Officer & Senior Vice President ofOperations Randal Weaver, CEO and General Manager Dwight A. Ferrell and Executive Vice

President Darryl Haley.


too. We want to find out what isnot working and how that isimpacting our system. Forexample, we are revampinghow we clean buses and imple-menting other improvements,all of which are designed toprovide a better customer expe-rience. These efforts originatedfrom our conversations withemployees.Emphasizing employees first

in its customer service efforts,Metro has further enhanced itsculture of being responsive tocustomers. Ferrell gave arecent example.There was an 87-year-old

lady who came in recently Ihappened to run into her in theelevator who had previouslyreported we had damaged herfolding shopping cart, Ferrellsaid. She thought we had takentoo long to respond and shewanted her cart replaced.I personally purchased a cart and delivered it to her house the next

day. Our philosophy is to make sure we are responsive to our customers,and then take care of our customers by providing service to where theywant and/or need to go. Overall, I think we are doing a good job.

Serving The Queen City

Metros fleet consists of 356 fixed-route buses, including 27hybrid-electric buses and 5 articulated buses, covering 26fixed-routes, 19 express routes and five job connection routes.


Metro showcases its fleet diversity in front of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal in the Queensgate neighborhood.

Continued On Page 28


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Cincinnatis New Streetcar Project

Anew project, called Cin -cinnati Streetcar, wasoriginated by the city ofCincinnati as an economic devel-opment tool. It involves a 3.6-mileloop with 18 stops that will linkmajor employment centers, popu-lar destinations along the river-front, the downtown businessdistrict and the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Thestreetcar will connect to Metrobus service at its Government Square downtown hub, as well as sev-eral bus stops downtown and in Over-the-Rhine.While the Cincinnati Streetcar is a city project, Metro will oversee

the operation of the streetcar route. Construction of the rails is com-plete and the first vehicle arrived Oct. 30.We are expecting to begin operation in the fall of 2016, Ferrell

said. We are running the streetcar system under contract with the city.The city owns the assets, but we have an agreement with them to over-see the Cincinnati Streetcar. In July, we awarded a contract toTransdev to operate and maintain the streetcar system.Indeed, streetcars have played a significant role from the early days

of public transportation in Cincinnati. The first electric streetcar wasintroduced in 1889. According to the website, www.metro-cincinnati.org/?page_id=977,

Cincinnatis streetcar system was unique in that electric power wasprovided by two overhead wires, one serving as the supply and the

other serving as the return. In most systems, streetcars operatedunder a single supply wire, with the running rails acting as theground return. At its peak, the system encompassed more than 200miles of track, and annually served over 100 million passengers fordecadesThe last two streetcar lines were abandoned on April 29, 1951.

Streetcars were converted to trolley buses commonly known astrolley coaches. The citys trolley bus system lasted another 14years, until June 18, 1965.

Millennials Are Embracing Public Transit

People who use public transportation are often divided into thosewho are transit dependent and those who are choice riders.However, Ferrell dismisses such labels.We just want people to ride who want to ride, he said. We want to

Left to right are Maintenance Supervisor Joe Vilvens, Operations Manager Shahn Gatherwright and Public Relations Manager Brandy Jones.



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provide a service that people want touse, period. We want a transit systemthat connects people to wherever it isthey want to get to. As a matter of fact,50 percent of the people who use ourservice are going to work. We havepeople from every walk of life whoride the bus everyday. We havebankers, attorneys and business pro-fessionals who ride the bus. We havemany school children who take publictransportation to and from school. Wehave a very diverse ridership.Ferrell said one emerging demo-

graphic that is seeking more public

transportation services is the Millennial generation.Indeed, 25 percent of Metros workforce is in that agegroup, between 23 and 35 years old.Much has been written and discussed about how

Metro employees enjoy the spacious break area at theQueensgate facility, which includes a pool table, flat-screen

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Millennials are impacting the workforce, as well as society as a whole.Their expectations, needs and wants differ from their Generation X andBaby Boomer counterparts.In determining the best way to engage its Millennial employees and to

best service that age groups public transportation needs and desires,Metro has formed a Millennial Council. The formation of the council wasthe responsibility of Jones, who is also a Millennial.I give our Public Relations Manager Brandy Jones all the credit for

forming the council, Ferrell said. We were talking about this demo-graphic and how to reach them and thought a Millennial Council wouldbe a good idea. As a result, we went through a competitive process whereMetro employees had to apply and write an essay, etc., to be selected forthe council.The Metro board has the objective of being an employer of choice. To

be an employer of choice, we must have a culture that understands the dif-ferent needs of people. Millennials think differently, and we wanted tounderstand how to provide an environment in which they would want towork. For those in that age group seeking to ride the bus, we asked, Howdo we provide service that meets the needs and requirements ofMillennials?The work environment and quality of life issues are more important to

Millennials than they are to older generations. When I started out, peoplebasically worked to get a pension and retire. Millennials tend to be moresocial and they are more concerned about the quality of their lives.Furthermore, they want their employer to line up philosophically to withwhat Millennials believe they want to be engaged. The traditional top-down, do as I say workplace culture doesnt work with Millennials. Aswe hire people, we are seeing that demographic starting to move moreand more into the workplace.In speaking of hiring new employees, Ferrell said Metro has been on a

hiring blitz as of late to increase the systems number of operators.

We have been starting a new class training bus operators about everythree weeks, he said.When it comes to operator candidates, Ferrell seeks people with good

customer skills.We ask that new operators complete the written portion requirement

to acquire a commercial drivers license (CDL), Ferrell said. We willtrain new operators how to drive a bus and help them get their CDL. Wehave also increased our starting pay. In addition, we reimburse operatorsfor the cost of acquiring a CDL. Metro conducts an operator career day every other week, and we are

active in various job fairs that different organizations host. We have alsobeen active in social media to let people know we are hiring. We are com-petitive with both our benefits package and starting salary.

Using Technology To Make Riding The Bus More Convenient

In distributing real-time information to riders, Metros efforts are cen-tered on taking advantage of technologies related to smartphones andother such devices.We are fortunate to have a local company that has developed an app,

Bus Detective, that uses our software feed to disseminate real-time infor-mation, Ferrell said. We also have another national app, Transit App,

We believe public transportation is about economic development and

quality of life issues, and we have to message this to the public.



that uses Google Maps technology to allow riders to access our real timefeed on their smartphones. The app will tell passengers where they areand when the next bus is coming. The app also includes a trip planner.In addition, we are preparing to develop a much more robust social

media presence to engage more people in the things that we are doing.Metro is also looking at changes to our Enterprise Assets ManagementSystem, so we can mine more data to make better business decisions.Metro is also looking at equipping buses with Wi-Fi technology and out-

lets to allow riders to charge their electronic devises, such as smartphones.Being a mid-sized system, we dont necessarily have the funding

resources that larger systems have; therefore, we try to be smarter andleverage other ways to use technology. The real-time app from third par-ties is a good example. We are also planning to completely revamp theMetro website next year to make sure it is much more mobile friendly.Metro also employs technologies to track buses and to make announce-

ments, etc., on the bus.In addition to the capability to make announcements, we have voice

advertising on our buses, Ferrell said. Also, we have a relatively newfare box system, using cards that riders swipe. We are looking toward apoint when passengers will be able to pay for their fare on smartphones.While not falling under the category of technological advancements,

Metro buses are equipped with bike racks, as bicycle transportation iscatching on in the city. Visitors to the downtown area will notice bikepaths are available.In fact, Metro has partnered with local bike sharing organization, Red

Bike, to promote biking and riding for a healthier lifestyle, Jones said.On Valentines Day, we held a customer appreciation event and gave

away free bus passes and Red Bike passes to show the community whata Perfect Pair biking and riding make, she said.According to Red Bike, the service is a convenient, low cost, healthy

and green transportation system. It is designed for short, point-to-pointtrips, and will add to the urban vitality of the city while increasing mobil-ity for residents, workers, students, and visitors. There are 50 Red Bike sta-tions located throughout the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky metro area.

Public Transportation: A Topic Of Discussion

Ferrell said Metro is fortunate to receive significant support fromthe city and county governments, as well as local organizations,including the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce,the Hispanic Chamber and the African American Chamber.

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Public transportation is an ongoing topic of discussion in the commu-nity, Ferrell said. There is a growing demand for services, and ourboard is working to make the determination of what is the next step forMetro in meeting that demand.Our goal is to continue to get better. We want to continue to improve

our overall relationship internally with our employees. It is going to takesome effort, but we will successfully start up and operate the CincinnatiStreetcar. We also want to continue to build support for transit and transit

funding to be able to expand service.To promote the benefits of public transportation, Ferrell believes com-

munication is a key element.We believe public transportation is about economic development and

quality of life issues, and we have to message this to the public, Ferrellsaid. We must communicate that public transportation appeals to a wholehost of people. We must be consistent with that message. Public trans-portation is a choice, and it is a choice that people want. There are 77 mil-lion Baby Boomers and 93 million Millennials in the United States, andthose demographics want public transportation. It is important we empha-size that everybody benefits from public transportation, whether they useit or not.I feel very good about the future of Metro. I think we are progressing

in the right direction. Obviously, we would like more resources.Fortunately, we have a community where public transportation is on theminds of many people it is not in the corner somewhere. We have people and organizations in the community who are con-

cerned about access to jobs. This is a positive aspect of Cincinnati in thatpeople are wanting to have a conversation about public transportation,because they understand how it is going to impact everybody. It is a goodplace to be. I have been in this business a long time and I think this cityand region are poised to do something great. People here recognize thatpublic transportation is critical for the future.

Contact: Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, 602 Main St., Suite 1100, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Phone: 513-621-9450.Website: www.go-metro.com.www.Facebook.com/GoMetro

www.Twitter.com/CincinnatiMetro

Metro maintenance employee Charlene Brown, left, and Street Service Supervisor JoDawna Miles received CEO STAR awards

for their potentially life-saving actions.


A History Lesson

The Maginot Line was a series of embankments and fortifications builtin eastern France by the French government between World War I andWorld War II. The defensive line wasdesigned to prevent future invasion bythe German army. Its premise was basedon past successes that French generalsexperienced during World War I. The Maginot Line did not work.

German forces simply went around thesefortifications during the early stages ofWorld War II, and conquered France insix weeks. The moral of this story is, you cant keep thinking the same way all

of the time. Just because you won in the past, does not mean you will winin the future. This is true in business. Its important to evolve, Borr said. He added that the words of the late Peter Drucker, a well-known man-

agement consultant, educator and author, ring true when it comes to busi-ness analytics: What gets measured, gets managed.

I would also say, What gets analyzed helps you grow, Borr said.You dont want to build another Maginot Line. Instead, you want toevolve and outpace the competition.This can be done through the use of important business benchmarks

and developing key performance indicators (KPIs) to help drive resultsand continue the evolution process, according to Borr.

Why Analytics?

When making business decisions about a companys rate of successand/or future direction, its important to rely on viable facts rather thanunsubstantiated beliefs. Borr presented random survey results showing why the use of analytics

can be more dependable than relying ongeneral opinions. For example, accordingto surveys, 93 percent of Americansbelieve they have above-average drivingskills; 87 percent of MBA students atStanford University rated their academicperformance as above the median; and, 68percent of the faculty at the University ofNebraska rated themselves in the top 25percent for teaching ability.

If you ask your employees whether or not they do a good job, themajority will respond favorably to their performance, Borr said.However, this is not really measuring true value or performance.He added that company executives need to ask themselves, When

faced with a big decision, should we just get the smartest folks in theroom and kick around some ideas, or should we take a look into the ana-lytical world of actual data and metrics? Should we also place KPIsaround that decision to track how well our decision worked out?Borr then asked: When faced with a big decision for your company,

how do you decide which path to take? According to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, highly

data-driven companies are three times more likely to see a significantimpact from big decisions than those that dont rely heavily on data.If you are not making data-based decisions and your competitors are,

they are outpacing you in todays business climate. That is a fact, hesaid. And yet, only one in three executives today say their organizationsare highly data-driven. This tells me there is a lot of opportunity for gaining business by those

companies that heavily rely on data.

The Right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)The use of analytics helps officials of a business focus on those aspects

of their companys performance that are most critical to ongoing success.This can be done with the right KPIs. According to Borr, no two compa-nys KPIs should be exactly the same. KPIs should help drive your specific goals and business. If your main

goal is to focus heavily on sales, your KPI is far different than a companywanting to mainly improve in other areas, Borr said. There should be adifferent set of KPIs in place on how you are going to drive results, whatis going to be measured, etc.KPIs measure key areas and processes that influence customers,

employees and company goals. They can include call response rates, abil-ity to answer customer questions on the first call, etc. When you define your KPIs, dont just show them to your management

team. Let the world know about them. You might even have some of yourcustomers get involved in the process, Borr said. As you look at KPIs,focus on customer value-added and business value-added measures. Stayaway from non value-added measures. Why worry about anything thatdoesnt hold value?When selecting KPIs, company officials should also define important

metrics and benchmarks involved with the business. Look at the areas where you want to improve as a company, and share

throughout your organization. Get everybodys buy-in. Tell them, This isimportant to us as a company. These are our targets. These are our goals,Borr said. You dont have to have the most advanced systems in place to drive

analytics, but (new technology) does make it easier, Borr said. One step to analytic development that is vital, however, is benchmark-

.net

CE

LEBRATING

20 YEARS OF EXCELL

ENC

E

Transportations Strongest Step


Analytics: Continued From Page 20

You cant keep thinking the sameway all of the time. Just because youwon in the past, does not mean you

will win in the future. Greg Borr

What gets measured, gets managed.


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ing. This is when a company compares its processes and performance met-rics with those of other companies within the same and/or different indus-tries. Borr said its important to first identify, and then define, each com-panys key benchmarks. Its essential to ask, What is important to us as a company? This

might include your bottom line, sales, gross profits ... whatever you use todrive your companys goals, Borr said. You have to research your indus-try, its practices and identify standards that are in place. Its also importantto document your current practices.Get your people together and talk about your companys processs. And

remember, there are three areas to concentrate on: customer value-added,business value-added, and non value-added. If its non value-added, itshould go out the door. Dont keep a process around just because itssomething your company has been doing for years.Documentation of a companys business processes is important. Its also

good to look at, and discuss, the use of emerging technologies, Borr added. Im an advocate of business intelligence. There is a lot of technology

today that can help you optimize your business and help it evolve, hesaid. Its also good to talk within your company about the concepts andbenefits of benchmarking. This helps get everybody on board, includingthe management team. All personnel should understand how specificbenchmarking numbers can drive performance, bottom line profits, etc.As you create collective benchmarks, you want to focus on those that

are important to your goals.

In Summary

Applying analytics to business data helps many company officials fore-see and enhance performance. As with most things in business, the amountof time and effort put into this process often dictates the level of success. I cant drive home enough the fact that you want to use KPIs that focus

on those aspects of your organizational performance that are most criticalto current and future success, Borr said. Just dont use a KPI becauseyou read about it somewhere. Its important to be properly measured.He gave examples of success stories from companies that used particu-

lar KPIs to overcome specific challenges and improve growth. Thisincluded an airline that found success by focusing on an on-time departureKPI. Borr reiterated that everybody within an organization should become

involved in the process. Its also important that everybody gets to celebrate the successes that

analytics can provide, he said. Have a party, celebrate the wins and thenmove on to the next challenge.Borr quoted Dr. James Manyika, director of the McKinsey Global

Institute, who said: As the big data revolution gets underway, its becom-ing clear that the gap between firms will be not only of skills and invest-ment, but of mindset. What is your mindset going to be? Borr asked. Will your mindset

revolve around building another Maginot Line, because that is what youhave always done? Or, will your mindset be to utilize analytics throughout your organiza-

tion to conquer the competition?For more information, send email to Greg Borr at:

[email protected].

Look at the areas where you want to improve as a company, and share

throughout your organization. Get everybodys buy-in. Tell them,

This is important to us as a company. These are our targets. These are our goals.


Hometown TrolleyBy Double K, Inc.

Villager

The Hometown Trolley Villager model is a front engine trolleycapable of many applications from a small private tour operatorto a full scale transit agency. The Villager model is available ingasoline, bio-diesel, CNG andPropane. The Villager can beequipped with minimal compo-nents to make a more economi-cal choice for the small opera-tor or loaded with many transitfeatures such as destinationsigns, spiral brass railings, bikeracks, GPS systems and more.

Double K, Inc. (Hometown Trolley)701 N. Railroad Ave., Crandon, WI 54520715-478-5090 Fax: 715-478-5095Email: [email protected] site: www.hometowntrolley.com

Model........................................................................................................VillagerLength .......................................................................................................22, 40Width...............................................................................................93, 96, 99Height ............................................................................................................106Wheelbase ....................................................................158, 178, 190, 208, 228Overhang (front/rear) .................................................Front 28 / Rear 118Inside Height (min./max.) ................................................................Aisle 88Tire Size ....................................................................................19.5x6.75 & 22.5Engine .....................................................................................Cummins ISB 6.7Transmission ........................................................................................Allison 2Fuel Tank Capacity..................................................................................75 gal.Chassis............................................................Ford, Workhorse, FreightlinerBaggage Capacity ..............................................................................AvailableWheelchair Lift Option.................................................................................YesSuspension ...................................................................................Spring or Air


Mainstreet

The Hometown Trolley Mainstreet model is a heavy-duty rearengine trolley combining all the transit components for the highvolume urban areas, such as full air suspension, air brakes,Allison B300 transmission, Cummins ISB, LED destination signs,Voice Annunciation systems,instep ADA lift equipment andmore. The Mainstreet trolley willprovide the quality and reliabili-ty of any high demand transitneeds while at the same timelending the nostalgic feel of theturn of the century cable car.


Model ..................................................................................................MainstreetLength.......................................................................................................25, 40Width.................................................................................................................99Height..............................................................................................................112Wheelbase ............................................................................160, 190, 208, 228Overhang (front/rear)......................................................................42 / 120Inside Height (min./max.) ................................................................Aisle 88Tire Size..........................................................................................................22.5Engine ............................................................................................Cummins ISBTransmission.................................................................................Allison B300Chassis .............................................................................................FreightlinerBaggage Capacity ..............................................................................AvailableWheelchair Lift Option.................................................................................YesSuspension.......................................................................................................Air




Streetcar TrolleyThe Streetcar Trolley low-floor model combines the nostalgic

features of the turn-of-the-century passenger cable car with themodern technology of todays transit advancements. TheStreetcar Trolley is a powerhouse heavy-duty trolley capable ofrunning in any mass transit, high passenger capacity applications.The Streetcar is a full stainless steel low-floor monocoque chassisdesign, exceeding the required 1:6ratio for ADA loading with the foldout ADA ramp.

Optional equipment such asLED destination signs, DVD flatscreen packages, mahogany fin-ishes and many more choices areavailable to customize theStreetcar. Standard equipment suchas a multiplex wiring system, brass or brushed stainless hand rail-ings, as well as simulated wood trim set the Streetcar in a class allits own. Vintage tram interior, transit flooring, HVAC packages andADA packages are available. Altoona-tested for 10 years/350,000miles.


Model.......................................................................................Streetcar TrolleyPassenger Capacity .................................................................................28-48Length .....................................................................................................30 - 40Width...............................................................................................................100Overall Height .............................................................................................106Wheel Base..............................................................................190, 208, 228Door Opening......................................................................................48 x 78GVW ............................................................................................27,500 - 32,000Engine ..........................................Cummins Diesel, Series Hybrid Electric

or Full ElectricTransmission.................................................................................Allison B300


CarriageThe Hometown Trolley Carriage model is a front engine, low-

floor trolley providing ease of entry and exit with no steps. TheCarriage low-floor design allows the ADA ratio of 5:1 and minimalstep in height when pulled to curb locations. The Carriage is avail-able in gasoline, diesel, CNG and full electric.

The Carriage is also availablewith LED dest

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