00376365

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The UMTA-sponsored small bus requirements study classified small buses in three generic types: front engine, front drive; front engine, read drive; and rear drive, rear engine. The basic space requirement of that small bus is approximately 23 seats. Based on the room available in the bus, there might be space for 18 standees, but there was no requirement in the study for any particular number of standees. Other specifications call for 80 to 96 km/h (50 to 60 mph) operation, a 9.1-m (30-ft) turning radius, an 8.5-m (28-ft) length, approximately a 2.4-m (8-ft) width, a 45.7-cm (18-in.) floor height, and at least 2 m (6-1/2 ft) of head room. Based on the floor height, it was calculated that the first step height from a 20.3-cm (8-in.) riser would be 25.4 cm (10 in.), but this was not specified in the study. How do the buses available now compare with what the small bus requirements study recommended? No one small bus has all the characteristics the study recommended. This situation presents a challenge to the industry. We are on the threshold of a small bus market, particularly if that market can be defined so that manufacturing for the transit market does not exclude manufacturing for the commercial market--i.e., airport shuttles and limousines. The transit market alone may be too small, and the manufacturing industry cannot achieve economies of scale producing only small transit vehicles. A small bus of a totally new integral design will be expensive, and under present market conditions it will be hard to ask the manufacturing industry alone to bear the research and development cost. (Author)

This paper appeared in TRB Unpublished Report No. 6, Workshop on Small Buses.

Final Rpt.

DOT-UT-70060

p. 5-7

1978-9

Transportation Research Board Unpublished Report

Figures (2) ; Tables (2)

Markets; Needs assessment; Small buses; Specifications; Trend (Statistics); Turning radius; Vehicle size

User needs

Highways; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety

TRIS, TRB

Jul 30 1983 12:00AM

• RANGE OF SMALL BUS ENGINEERING, DEVELOPMENT, AND MANUFACTURING
• SMALL BUS MARKET PERSPECTIVES
• SMALL BUS OVERVIEW
• UMTA'S INTEREST IN THE WORKSHOP
• WORKSHOP ON SMALL BUSES
• WORKSHOP ON SMALL BUSES--CLOSING COMMENTS
• WORKSHOP ON SMALL BUSES--CLOSING COMMENTS