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Norwalk Transit District Rolled Out New Buses Today

NORWALK, Conn. -- Mayor Harry Rilling joined the Commissioners of the Norwalk Transit District on Thursday as a new fleet of vehicles slated for Norwalk’s Commuter Rail Shuttle services were introduced. 

Mayor Harry Rilling

Mayor Harry Rilling

Photo Credit: Facebook

The Transit District recently purchased twelve, twenty-nine foot, low floor shuttle vehicles.

The vehicles were manufactured by the Gillig Corporation in Hayward, Calif.. Production of the vehicles began in August and their 3,000 mile journey across the country to the Transit District facility was recently completed. The unit cost for the vehicles is $391,943. The total procurement cost for the twelve vehicles is $4,703,316. Eighty percent of the funding for these vehicles comes from the Federal Transit Administration and the remaining twenty percent is funded by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

The vehicles feature the most recent technology available today, including information technology systems (ITS) that provide automatic vehicle location (AVL), mobile data terminals providing communication between drivers and dispatchers, video surveillance, and digital and audio announcement systems.

The AVL feature will communicate with--soon-to-be- installed--message boards at the wheels hub and the South Norwalk Rail Station giving customers “real time” information on the next bus arrival. The buses "kneel," making entry easier for all passengers as well as increasing accessibility for persons with mobility challenges.

In addition to the kneeling feature, ramps at the front entrance are deployed for wheelchair access with two dedicated securement locations for wheelchairs in each vehicle. The new shuttles feature new higher efficiency cooling systems, the latest in transmission technology and comprehensive corrosion management.

The Commuter Shuttle services that will benefit from these new vehicles are those originating at the South Norwalk Rail Station and going to such locations as Norwalk Hospital, Norwalk Community College, the Merritt 7 complec and employment locations along Main Avenue and Danbury Road. Customers will benefit from the enhanced technologies and will enjoy comfortable and reliable service provided by a new fleet of vehicles.

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