The Steamship Authority recently received four new diesel buses. The buses, made by New Flyer, feature low floors and single-step access. They kneel for handicap accessibility, as opposed to using large hydraulic lift mechanisms. Perimeter seating on the buses accommodates 29 people, plus there’s extra room for others to stand holding subway-style rails and straps.
The buses, which shuttle customers between the Woods Hole terminal and SSA parking lots, debuted on Thursday, and had that “new bus smell.” They feature a wider entrance and racks inside for luggage and backpacks. There is no storage area underneath the bus.
The seats themselves are made with “Repel fabric,” according to a release from SSA spokesman Sean Driscoll. The fabric is supposed to have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, the release states.
New Flyer spokesperson Lindy Norris declined to answer questions via telephone, and did not immediately respond to an email inquiry about the fabric. The new buses also feature “heavy-duty air-actuated disc brakes,” purported to be “more efficient,” better at stopping, and requiring less maintenance than traditional brake configurations. The buses also sport automatically triggered “Amerex Fire Suppression System[s]” that can alternatively be deployed by manual switch. Such a system didn’t appear to be installed in an SSA bus that ignited last summer and spread flames to multiple cars in the ferry line’s Palmer Lot in Falmouth.
The buses cost $461,000 apiece, according to Driscoll.
What ever happened to electric buses?
The cord wasn’t long enough.
Come on Steamship Authority. We have a climate crisis and you just bought four new diesel buses that will spew carbon emissions from a fossil fuel on a daily basis for the next 10-15 years. So that you can save a few cents? Where’s the sense in that? The VTA has already shown the future lies in electric buses. Who made this purchasing decision?