Posted on 05/13/2014 6:04:15 PM PDT by mdittmar
A new wave of buses just purchased by Golden Gate Transit will have a new feature: electrical outlets for personal devices.
The Golden Gate Bridge District — which operates transit service — approved a $17.1 million contract to buy 25 buses for the fleet, which includes wall plugs for each seated passenger, a first for the agency.
"You can recharge your laptop of cell phone while onboard," said Denis Mulligan, bridge district general manager.
The buses still need to be built and won't come online until early 2015, but they will mark an technological upgrade for passengers. Transit officials also expect to get Wi-Fi on all 180 Golden Gate Transit buses in about two months.
The new buses — which were approved last week — are being funded entirely through grant funds instead of toll dollars. A Federal Transportation Administration grant will pay for $13.7 million toward the buses, while $2 million comes from state dollars and $1.6 million will come from Regional Measure 2 funds.
In addition to the outlets, the buses will be able to carry four bicycles, doubling the capacity of buses now on the road.
"It's a major improvement and certainly a step forward in our goal to increase opportunities for bike to transit," said Steve Miller, director of maintenance for the bus division.
There are also plans to increase bike capacity on existing buses, he added.
The new 45-foot long buses, built by Motor Coach Industries of Schaumburg, Ill., will burn about 95 percent cleaner than older buses on the road, officials said.
Compared to air in some areas of the state, such as parts of the San Joaquin Valley, Miller noted: "The air coming out of the tailpipe is cleaner than the air going in the intake"
Hey,our part is only $548,000 per bus!
Maybe I'll take my laptop and ride my bike there someday,and see how they are.
We’re only 17,472,131,682,925.49 trillion dollars in debt as of yesterday,what’s another $13.7 million,it’s not like it’s real money anymore.
$17 million contract
$13 million from the feds
$04 million remaining
Hmmmmm
$34 thousand for a new car
$26 thousand from the feds
$08 thousand remaining
Dang! I CAN afford a new car after all!
You’re just cynical,those are round numbers,probably only $50,000 left over.
Heh heh heh...
Now where is that dipstick Nanny Pelosi from?....Oh yeah, Marin County, elected time after time by the same type of space cadets that want these busses.
Worse than that, they keep raising the tolls on the GG Bridge, crying that they need the money for "maintenance". Hogwash. The GG Bridge District wastes money left and right on projects unrelated to maintenance. Fancy ferryboats and buses, expense trips for the directors, etc. I remember when tolls were a quarter and the promise was once the bridge building was paid off the tolls would not be needed, now $7. So the directors shopped around for ways to spend the money, so as to beg for more higher tolls. All liars.
Think she’s from San Francisco,they got $115 million.
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