Bus of future makes a stop

OREM — The proposed future of transit rolled into Utah County on Wednesday, and local government and transportation officials were along for the ride.

Alabama-based North American Bus Industries Inc. concluded a two-day stay in Utah by showcasing its new Bus Rapid Transit hybrid vehicle to representatives from the Utah Transit Authority, Mountainland Association of Governments and the Wasatch Front Regional Council, as well as to local elected officials.

Valued at between $700,000 and $800,000 each, NABI's new hybrid-electric bus was designed to look stylish to attract passengers while remaining mechanically attractive to operators and maintenance personnel, said Ron Ingraham, NABI bus sales representative.

The 60-foot-long, 102-inch-wide bus seats 47 and features five doors — two on the left side of the vehicle.

"It feels bigger because of the height," Ingraham said of the BRT hybrid's 137-inch roof height.

Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson, one of the local dignitaries who had the opportunity to ride the BRT hybrid Wednesday, described the bus as "very open and comfortable."

"It's a nice vehicle," Ellertson said. "It's got a big price tag on it, but it's obviously a nice vehicle, and the ride was interesting. It was quiet. They've obviously put a lot of planning into the aesthetics rather than just the basic transportation."

BRT, often described as "light rail on rubber tires," is seen as a way to provide the speed and reliability of light rail without the infrastructure costs, said Hal Johnson, BRT project manager for UTA.

"What we're trying to do is to build a light rail-like service but do it with buses," Johnson said.

Passengers would board and exit BRT vehicles at rail stops, much like they do at TRAX stations in Salt Lake County, he explained. The buses also would travel on a set corridor, allowing them move through traffic quickly.

Exactly how that would work in Provo and Orem is still being evaluated, Johnson said. Cities that are currently using a BRT system have designated lanes for the vehicles, and in some cases have built lanes physically separate from automobile lanes.

"We still need to look at how much right of way we can get (in Utah County) and how much we need," he said. "We've anticipated that we'd have some exclusive right of way in this corridor."

The Orem-Provo transit corridor is one of three potential BRT service areas UTA is partnering with state and local agencies to study.