Greater Portland, Maine, Metro is adding six new replacements buses to its fleet throughout the month of September, which will replace vehicles older than 2005.
The new low-floor, 40-foot diesel buses are larger than the buses they are replacing and feature several upgrades and enhancements, including; Portland Metro’s new branding, more seating, bike racks with room for three bikes instead of two, Wi-Fi and USB ports, and the introduction of Automated Voice Announcements (AVA) to the Greater Portland Region.
“Stop announcements help hearing and visually impaired transit users through audio announcements and visual signage,” said Portland Metro General Manager Greg Jordan. “New transit passengers and visitors who may be unfamiliar with our routes will also benefit from advanced notice of upcoming stops.”
Stop announcements are programmed messages that play onboard and outside of the bus. AVA uses the GPS locations of the bus in relation to the upcoming stop to determine when to play the next announcement. Voice and digital announcements are available only on the new buses. Portland Metro plans to add AVA technology to all future replacement buses, which include seven to nine new vehicles expected in fall 2020 and two new electric buses expected to join the fleet in 2021.
“These announcements will help visually impaired riders to travel independently on Metro,” said Randy Bellavance, a long-time resident at the Iris Network and facilitator of a support group for visually impaired individuals. He also serves on local and state chapters for the National Federation of the Blind. “With the new AVA, we won’t have to ask the driver or other passengers where the bus is going,” he added.
Technological enhancements, along with system modernization, partnerships, route expansions and public awareness have helped Greater Portland Metro increase its ridership by almost 35 percent in the last five years.
