Novabus LFS articulated bus
I’m as nostalgic as the next guy, but modern buses like this have streetcars (light rail?) beat hands-down. These Novabus LFS articulated buses are the latest in NYCTA’s fleet of 5,600. With 784 million ridership, the NYC bus system is by far the largest in the country. They motor up and down all the main streets; during weekday business hours, they show up every 5-10 minutes. Not only is the NYCTA’s bus fleet fairly modern, but they replace it continuously, bringing in a few hundred new ones every year.
The Novabus LFS (Low Floor Series) pictured here are just coming into service, 328 having been delivered since 2011. The have a “semi-low” floor (Not sure what they means; it seemed low to me), are articulated – enabling a longer, higher capacity bus that can still make tight turns, are 62 feet long, and are air-conditioned. They are made by Novabus, a Canadian subsidiary of Volvo, at a new (2009) plant in Plattsburgh, NY.
The bus shown in #5777, identifying it as a Novabus LFS, serving the Bx1 line, which runs from Mott Haven to the end of the Grand Concourse. I enjoyed my rides on it, smooth, comfortable, and uneventful. Both times, the bus was full, but not over-crowded. One loud woman was berating her two girls for eating too messily and leaving some crumbs and food bits on the bus; she also began to call out loudly, “Why aren’t we moving?” when the bus stopped inexplicably for 2-3 minutes. Two guys behind me were chatting. One said that his wife gets on his nerves at times, adding, “She’s lucky I’m on parole.” I refrained from lecturing him on the evils of domestic violence.