Topeka residents are invited this week to try out options for the city’s new paratransit fleet before any purchases are made.
Paratransit bus models from Goshen and Glaval will be accessible from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at the Quincy Street Station, 820 S.E. Quincy. Passengers and members of the public are encouraged to weigh-in on the decision.
Goshen Pacer II
Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority staff and board members will be present. Representatives from the manufacturers will be on-site as well, prepared to answer questions and receive feedback.
According to a Metro release, the bus service is trying to “find what best suits the needs of (the) Metro, and more importantly, their passengers.”
Glaval Sport
Replacing the 15-bus fleet is expected to cost $1.2 million — an amount already set aside in Topeka Metro’s capital outlay budget for this fiscal year.
The buses need to be replaced because they are pushing seven years old and 190,000 miles, maintenance director Alan Parrish said previously. Usually the paratransit buses are replaced after five years and 100,000 miles, he said.
Once the buses are purchased, Parrish said, it will be another nine to 10 months before they are put into operation.
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-06-18/public-asked-weigh-paratransit-buses