PVTA Fleet Focus - Part 1: Gillig Low Floors

PVTA Fleet Focus - Part 1: Gillig Low Floors

  May 07, 2020    Kareem W

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As much of a focus I put into bus routes, I think there’s a lot that can be said about the vehicles that operate on these routes too. After all, the vehicle is where you spend the most time in transit, and just the bus you get could make or break your experience.

In the PVTA, there are 10 unique bus models, made by 4 manufacturers. If you’re looking for vehicle variety, there isn’t much here. Here’s the most basic way I can explain which bus is which; the boxy buses are made by Gillig Corporation, the sleeker and typically newer buses are made by New Flyer Industries, and the electric buses are made by Proterra, Inc. There’s also some shuttle buses sprinkled in the PVTA fleet too. That’s all you really need to know if you have a lay person view of transit.

For Part 1 of this two-part post, I’ll start off with the buses made by Gillig, which make up a little more than half of the whole fleet.

Gillig Low Floor 29’

The baby bus

Details for transit nerds (like me)

Fleet Number	Year	Operator	Engine	Transmission
1401 - 1406	2006	SATCo	Cummins ISL	Allison B300R
1407, 7401 - 7403		VATCo

These buses are only 29 feet in length, making them the smallest full-sized buses in the fleet. Because of their short and stubby nature, I’ve nicknamed them the “baby buses”. Don’t be fooled though, these are some of the oldest active buses and it shows. They’ll probably be retired very soon.

Where they can be found

Because of how few of these buses there are, they can be hard to find. The only route where you’re guaranteed to find them is the R44, which uses them on weekdays. They also can be occasionally found on Springfield area express routes, like the P11, B12, P20E, and R29, and even less often on minor radial routes like the G5 and R14.

My opinion of them

Rating: 5/10

I’m not a fan of the PVTA’s older buses because of how badly they can be kept, but I’ll make an exception for these buses because their uniqueness. Just how tiny they appear makes them stand out and dare I say, “cute”. I consider riding the 29-foot Gilligs alright, and I will miss them once they’re gone.

Gillig Low Floor 35’

The middle child

Fleet #	Year	Operator	Engine	Transmission
1508 - 1517	2006	SATCo	Cummins ISL	Allison B400R
1550 - 1562	2008
7550		VATCo
1563 -1578	2010	SATCo
7551 - 7552		VATCo

These buses are the mid-size variant of Gillig line. I like to call them the "middle child" of the fleet. The nickname fits well since they’re not large and mighty like the 40-foot buses, but they’re also not cute or special like the 29-foot buses. There’s nothing special about them and the oldest of these buses are trashy and miserable.

Where they can be found

Unfortunately, because there are so many of them in Springfield, they can be found on many routes, particularly the radial routes and town connectors (think G5, R10, B23, and X92). They’re also very common on Springfield and Holyoke school trippers.

My opinion of them

Rating: 3/10

These end of being my least favorite fixed-route buses in the fleet. To me, they’re basic. Boring. Middle-of-the-road. Bland. Uninteresting. Mundane. Etc, etc.

Gillig Low Floor 40’

The workhorse

Fleet #	Year	Operator	Engine	Transmission
1618 - 1621	2006	SATCo	Cummins ISL	Allison B400R
3201 - 3204		UMTS
7604		VATCo
1630 - 1636	2007	SATCo
3211 - 3215		UMTS
7610		VATCo
1640 - 1649	2008	SATCo
3221 - 3228		UMTS
7660 - 7662	2009	VATCo
1650 - 1664	2010	SATCo

These buses are the largest Gillig buses available, and with 62 of them across all service areas, they are the mainstay of the PVTA fleet. Because of how square they are combined with their length, they appear “mighty” and can deceivingly look longer than 40 feet. These buses are workhorses, and if you’ve ridden the PVTA enough, you’ve probably ridden in many of these buses. I’ve racked up at least 345 trips on these.

Where they can be found

Literally on any and every fixed-bus route. Core routes, express routes, campus services, town connectors, all of em’. My guess is that every route has used a Gillig Low Floor 40’ more than once.

My opinion of them

Rating 6/10

Because of how much of a staple these buses are, its hard not to appreciate them. Sure, the oldest ones can feel very used and have LOUD and rattly engines (looking at you, 2006 builds), but newer ones can make for decent rides.

Gillig Low Floor 40’ (2018)

The tiger that changed its stripes

Fleet #	Year	Operator	Engine	Transmission
1670 - 1673	2018	SATCo	Cummins L9	Allison B400R

Wait, the Gillig Low Floor 40’ again? Yes, since these buses are the newest Gilligs and have many differences that separate them from the rest. The most noticeable feature is that they wear the PVTA’s post-2011 livery, and it fits it extremely well in my opinion. There’s also other smaller features like having the same seats as the New Flyers and a different window design (no more of those annoying sliding windows that always get stuck!).

Where they can be found

Since they’re only based at SATCo for now, they can only be found on Springfield-area routes. Some days it feels like they’re all running on the vehicle hungry P20, but most of the time they’re spread out evenly across all routes, allowing for a good chance of catching one.

My opinion of them

Rating: 8/10

When I first saw these buses, I was extremely surprised the PVTA ordered new Gilligs. I thought the PVTA was just going to stick with New Flyers and Proterras for the rest of time. Nope! Gillig must have made a good deal with these buses, and they appear to be a direct replacement for the oldest Gilligs (1618 - 1621). These buses are my favorite of all the Gilligs in the fleet and I’d even rather catch one of these than a regular New Flyer bus. I hope Northampton and Amherst eventually get some new Gilligs too.

Gillig Low Floor HEV 40’

The most unique bus in the fleet

Fleet #	Year	Operator	Engine	Transmission
1310	2005	SATCo	Cummins ISB	Allison Ep40

Put yourself in the place of a PVTA rider back in 2005. All the buses in the fleet are high-floor Nova Bus RTS’ from the 80’s and 90’s. You're waiting at your stop and suddenly, this new, quieter, low-floor bus pulls up with brightly colored LED destination signs and a new paint scheme. You’re looking at the future of the PVTA fleet. 

PVTA bus #1310 is the very first low floor Gillig that entered the fleet, and after 15 years, its still in service. It is the only hybrid-electric Gillig that the PVTA has, distinguished by the giant hump that's on top of the bus. While this bus is no longer unique for being a new Low Floor Gillig, it’s still unique for being the oldest active bus and the sole HEV Gillig in the fleet.

Where it can be found

Because of how old it is, this bus is rarely used on normal routes. Instead, it is almost exclusively used on Springfield’s school tripper routes. Very rarely, it can be found on Springfield’s core routes like the G1, B7, and P20 because of how many vehicles they need at a time.

My opinion of it

Rating: 7/10

Despite being the oldest active bus, the interior has been kept well, probably because of how little it’s used (it has about 100,000 less miles on it than the least used Gilligs of the same era). Because #1310 was a pilot bus, it has some small features that were tweaked on newer builds. For example, the set of seats right in front of the rear door have an excessive amount of legroom. This unique bus holds a special place in my heart, and I’ve ridden it as much as I can before its retired. They’ll probably keep #1310 kicking around on school trippers for a while longer though.

And that concludes part one. Yes, this was dominated by Gilligs, but they make up much of the fleet and I felt it necessary to point out each specific model. Part 2 will feature reviews of the New Flyers, electric Proterras, and shuttle buses.

Part 2 can be found here.