Torrance Transit

Last updated
Torrance Transit
Torrance Transit logo (2010).svg
Founded1940;84 years ago (1940)
Service areaSouth Bay
Service type bus service
Routes12
Fleet63 buses
Daily ridership7,300 (weekdays, Q4 2023) [1]
Annual ridership1,868,200 (2023) [2]
Fuel typeGasoline, CNG
Chief executiveKim Turner
Website transit.torranceca.gov

Torrance Transit is a transit agency primarily serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,868,200, or about 7,300 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

Contents

History

Torrance Transit inaugurated service on January 15, 1940 using three leased 1931 Mack-33 buses. [3] The new agency provided primarily municipal transit and maintained a bus terminal in downtown Los Angeles until 1959, when the City Council voted to discontinue bus service entirely. Mayor Albert Isen vetoed the council's action, arguing that "every first-class city has its own bus system." [4]

Routes

Torrance Transit does not operate on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day. Service on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day operates on Sunday schedule.

Bus fleet

Gillig Phantom (left, red and white livery) and New Flyer C40LFR (right, new livery) buses for Torrance Transit (2012) Torrance Transit Old & New Buses (6973206332).jpg
Gillig Phantom (left, red and white livery) and New Flyer C40LFR (right, new livery) buses for Torrance Transit (2012)
Torrance Transit 2012 New Flyer Xcelsior on Route 3 in Downtown Long Beach Torrance Transit 2012 New Flyer XN40 -331 (18947222559).jpg
Torrance Transit 2012 New Flyer Xcelsior on Route 3 in Downtown Long Beach

Active fleet [18]

Make/ModelFleet NumbersYear
New Flyer C40LFR 300–3092010
310–3292011
New Flyer XN40 330–3382012
339–3622016

In the early 21st century, Torrance Transit's fleet was made up of Gillig Phantom (delivered in 1992, 1996, and 1997) and Gillig Advantage (delivered in 2000 and 2002) buses. [19] Each bus is numbered 4--. The fleet is maintained at the facilities department on Madrona Avenue, constructed in 1986.

In 2010 Torrance Transit began replacing its bus fleet with a purchase of 10 gasoline-electric hybrid New Flyer (NFI) GE40LFRs; 20 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered NFI C40LFRs were delivered in 2011, joined by 9 more CNG NFI XN40s in 2012. [19] The new buses were delivered with a new paint scheme which marked the start of a rebranding effort by the agency. [20]

ZEST

In 1993, Torrance Transit rolled out the Zero Emissions Surface Transit (ZEST) bus, a 25-seat, 29-foot coach which was the largest battery-powered transit vehicle in the United States at the time. ZEST was built by Specialty Vehicle Manufacturing Corporation (SVMC) using a Hughes Aircraft Company-developed powertrain, at a cost of US$300,000(equivalent to $608,000 in 2022). [21] SVMC in turn had subcontracted the assembly of ZEST to the ACL Technologies division of AAI Corporation, a defense contractor. [22] [23] ZEST had a claimed range of 75 miles (121 km) or 10 hours of operation, and the battery pack was designed to be easily replaceable to minimize the time spent out of service while charging. [24]

After several years in operation, service was trimmed back from the morning and afternoon peak commutes to just a lunchtime shuttle from employers to restaurants in order to extend its life. [25] In an interview, John Hall with Torrance Transit stated "[The battery technology] is a long way from where it needs to be. Its useful hours [of service] are not enough. We have learned a lot making this a worthwhile investment. It has a ways to go before it gets to an everyday transit application." [26]

Hybrids

In 2000, Torrance Transit took delivery of two Orion VI hybrid buses equipped with Lockheed-developed HybriDrive series hybrid powertrains. One of the buses, fleet no. 401, was damaged beyond repair in a fire that occurred on September 25, 2002; nearly four years later in June 2016, Orion Bus Industries agreed to buy back the burned hulk from Torrance for $80,000. [27] The remaining Orion VI continued to serve through at least 2010, [28] but was dropped from the fleet by 2014. [19]

The ten gasoline-electric hybrid New Flyer GE40LFR buses delivered in 2010 were procured as part of a joint purchase with other California transit agencies, with Montebello Bus Lines serving as the lead agency. Under the terms of the pilot program, the federal government subsidy was increased from 80% to 90% of the cost of each hybrid bus. [29] [30]

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References

  1. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Torrance Transit marks 70 years with new gasoline-electric fleet". Metro Magazine. August 10, 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. ↑ Shanahan, Dennis F.; Elliot Jr., Charles (1984). Historic Torrance: A Pictorial History of Torrance, California. Legends Press. ISBN   978-0-9608808-1-2. as quoted in the In motion newsletter, volume 1, issue 1
  5. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 1".
  6. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 2".
  7. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 3".
  8. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route R3".
  9. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 4X".
  10. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 5".
  11. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 6".
  12. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 7".
  13. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 8".
  14. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 9".
  15. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 10".
  16. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 10X".
  17. ↑ "Torrance Transit Route 13".
  18. ↑ "Torrance Transit About Us".
  19. 1 2 3 "Table L-2: Fleet Inventory as of June 30, 2014". Short Range Transit Plan, FY2015-2017 (Report). City of Torrance. October 2014. p. 29. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  20. ↑ Green, Nick (December 10, 2009). "Torrance buses going green inside and outside". Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Torrance: 25-Seat Electric Bus Joins Public Transit Fleet". Los Angeles Times. September 21, 1993. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  22. ↑ "AAI Transportation Systems: Electric Vehicles". AAI Corporation. Archived from the original on 23 October 1996.
  23. ↑ White, David Allen (May 1997). Networks and Business Development: Analyzing the efforts to Start an Electric Bus Manufacturing Plant in South Boston (PDF) (Master in City Planning thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. p. 38. ACL/AAI, located in California, was hired by SVMC to assemble several electric buses. Unable to pay ACL/AAI for their work, ACL/AAI never completed all of the buses.
  24. ↑ "Zero Emissions Surface Transit" (PDF). The Transit Advocate. Southern California Transit Advocates. October 1993. p. 6. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  25. ↑ Looper, Mark (24 May 1999). "[Alternative fuel vehicles] at the Torrance City Yards Open House". altfuels.org. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  26. ↑ Realizing Electric Bus Deployment for Transit Service (Report). University of South Florida, Center for Urban Transportation Research. April 1998. p. 30. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  27. ↑ Turner, Kim (June 13, 2006). Sale of Bus #401 to Orion Bus Industries (Report). City of Torrance. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  28. ↑ "Table L-2: Fleet Inventory as of June 30, 2010". Short Range Transit Plan, FY2010-2012 (Report). City of Torrance. October 2010. p. 15. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  29. ↑ Transit – Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to participate in a Cooperative Procurement Pilot Program (Report). City of Torrance. October 17, 2006. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  30. ↑ "City of Montebello adds to hybrid bus fleet". Los Angeles Daily News. December 12, 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
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