Torrance Transit

History

Torrance Transit inaugurated service on January 15, 1940 using three leased 1931 Mack-33 buses. 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."

Routes

Local 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, while service on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve operates on a Saturday schedule.

Rapid & Express routes

Bus fleet

Active fleet

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. 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. The new buses were delivered with a new paint scheme which marked the start of a rebranding effort by the agency.

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 . SVMC in turn had subcontracted the assembly of ZEST to the ACL Technologies division of AAI Corporation, a defense contractor. ZEST had a claimed range of 75 mi 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.

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. 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."

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 2006, Orion Bus Industries agreed to buy back the burned hulk from Torrance for $80,000. The remaining Orion VI continued to serve through at least 2010, but was dropped from the fleet by 2014.

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.

References

References

1. (August 10, 2010). "Torrance Transit marks 70 years with new gasoline-electric fleet". Metro Magazine.
2. (1984). "Historic Torrance: A Pictorial History of Torrance, California". Legends Press.
3. "Holiday Schedule 2024 {{!}} City of Torrance".
4. (October 2014). "Short Range Transit Plan, FY2015-2017". City of Torrance.
5. Green, Nick. (December 10, 2009). "Torrance buses going green inside and outside". Daily Breeze.
6. "Torrance Transit About Us".
7. (September 21, 1993). "Torrance: 25-Seat Electric Bus Joins Public Transit Fleet". Los Angeles Times.
8. "AAI Transportation Systems: Electric Vehicles". AAI Corporation.
9. White, David Allen. (May 1997). "Networks and Business Development: Analyzing the efforts to Start an Electric Bus Manufacturing Plant in South Boston".
10. (October 1993). "Zero Emissions Surface Transit". Southern California Transit Advocates.
11. Looper, Mark. (24 May 1999). "[Alternative fuel vehicles] at the Torrance City Yards Open House".
12. (April 1998). "Realizing Electric Bus Deployment for Transit Service". University of South Florida, Center for Urban Transportation Research.
13. Turner, Kim. (June 13, 2006). "Sale of Bus #401 to Orion Bus Industries". City of Torrance.
14. (October 2010). "Short Range Transit Plan, FY2010-2012". City of Torrance.
15. (October 17, 2006). "Transit – Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to participate in a Cooperative Procurement Pilot Program". City of Torrance.
16. (December 12, 2008). "City of Montebello adds to hybrid bus fleet". Los Angeles Daily News.