Public Comment

How Van Hool Co. Benefits From Measure VV

By Joyce Roy
Thursday November 13, 2008 - 09:53:00 AM

The ink is barely dry on AC Transit’s Measure VV and Van Hool can’t wait to get a return on their investment. The ABC Company that “sponsored’ Measure VV is the agent for Van Hool buses. (I wonder if it would have passed if more people knew that!) So with indecent haste, the general manager is asking the board to approve more Van Hools at this Wednesday’s board meeting!! 

First, the general manager wants the board to authorize him to negotiate a contract for 45-foot Van Hool “suburban style commuter buses” for use on Transbay routes. Except they aren’t; they are Greyhound-like over-the-road buses like the MCI, inappropriate particularly when you consider most of them begin and end on hilly, winding roads. The reason AC Transit bought 30-ft buses for routes in the hills is because residents complained about big 40-foot buses so now 45-foot buses are proposed! And, in May the board had not settled on 45-foot buses and they asked for a competitive process. The Van Hools would cost $511,119 each and an American built and tested 40-foot suburban style commuter bus would cost about $340,000! 

Then there is a re-run of the general manager’s request in May to purchase 19 more of the Van Hool 60-foot articulated buses that were nixed by the board. They do not need them now anymore than they did in May and the board asked him to verify the need for them. He simply says, “A compelling need still exists to purchase 19 articulated buses to complete the fleet composition plan and replace aging buses.” In other words, trust me! 

The cost of each 60-foot articulated would be $592,289 so $11,253,491 for 19 buses. That will use up most of the $14,000,000 they are expecting from Measure VV this year. 

When, and if, they do need more 60-foot articulated buses they should buy a true low floor bus like the one produced by New Flyer which is readily accessible to the elderly and disabled and, in fact, everyone so dwell time would decrease. Or was the Measure VV claim that it would keep “seniors and people with disabilities independent” just hype to get people to vote for more funds to buy buses seniors find treacherous? 

Let’s hope the board sees though these charades and stops letting Van Hool and their willing accomplices, the general manager and general counsel, drive AC Transit’s decisions. If they don’t, AC Transit should consider changing its name to VH Transit. 

In this last election, 113,003 thinking voters voted for change at AC Transit. 

 

Joyce Roy is founder of AC Transit Activists for Change (ACTAC).