THE NEW YORK CITY DOUBLE DECK BUS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT: AN EVALUATION. REPORT NO. 2 (FINAL)

This report is the second of three documents that constitute an evaluation of the Double Deck Bus (DDB) Project sponsored by UMTA. The project was conducted in New York City and Los Angeles (July 1974-June 1977). The primary objective at the two sites was to assess potential increases in vehicle productivity in an express, limited busway service (L.A.) and in regular service (NYC). DDB carry from 68-84 passengers; conventional buses carry from 45-47 passengers. Both buses require a single transit employee, the driver. This report provides a comparative evaluation between the eight British Leyland double deck buses and four conventional GM buses in New York City. Bus routes in New York were characterized by congested traffic, heavy passenger loads, frequent stops, and frequent passenger turnover. Only seven months of revenue service data were analyzed, due to delays in manufacturing and in satisfying U.S. safety and environmental requirements. The evaluation considers passenger acceptance/perceptions of the DDB vis-a-vis the conventional bus. Statistics are presented on schedule adherence, dwell times, passenger throughput, vehicle reliability, on-board safety, repair and maintenance costs, and fuel and oil consumption. This report concludes that: passengers preferred the DDB; there were no serious problems with the use of internal stairs nor with crime or vandalism on the second level; the DDB project was hampered by problems related to the purchase of foreign vehicles and their re-design to meet American requirements; and the results favored the incorporation of the double decker into the American bus fleets from both an economic and level-of-service point of view.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • See also Report No. 3, PB-297837.
• Corporate Authors:

  CACI, Incorporated

  12011 San Vicente Boulevard
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90049

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • McCall, CHJ
  • Simkowitz, H J
• Publication Date: 1978-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 200 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Buses; Costs; Crimes; Economic factors; Evaluation; Express buses; Federal assistance programs; Federal government; Fuel consumption; Level of service; Maintenance; Maintenance management; Passengers; Productivity; Public opinion; Public transit; Reliability; Routes; Safety; Scheduling; Traffic congestion; Urban transportation; Vandalism
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cost analysis; Federal programs; Maintenance costs
• Geographic Terms: New York (State)
• Old TRIS Terms: Economic considerations
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00186230
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-NY-06-0044-78-1
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-1082
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 3 1981 12:00AM