TransLink has chosen its new bus seats following months of soliciting public feedback.
This past spring, two types of TransLink bus seat designs had a comfy competition at the Lonsdale Quay SeaBus Terminal. People had the chance to sit in two different seats and vote for their favorite. It was all part of TransLink’s new bus seat testing engagement with customers.
After tallying the results, the winner is American Seating Insight, or “Seat A” as it was commonly referred to. It received just over 70 percent of the votes from 680 respondents.
They’ll be unveiled aboard the 14 incoming battery-electric buses late next year and possibly be used on more down the road.
These new TransLink’s new bus seats weigh less, which makes a big difference when it comes to a vehicle’s operability. They’re about 10 pounds lighter than current seats and will make buses up to 250 pounds lighter in total.
For battery-electric buses, every pound counts; the lighter the bus, the further it can travel before requiring a recharge. Right now, the battery-electric buses can travel between 40 and 100 kilometers (about 25 and 62 miles) on a single charge, depending on the model. The next order of battery-electric buses from Nova Bus should be able to travel more than 150 kilometers (93 miles) on one charge.
TransLink is also looking at the possibility of making this seat switch for future buses. Making buses lighter ensures vehicles are cleaner and emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions per kilometer travelled.
