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hbc2nddetroit
Добавлен 29 авг 2008
THE "RTS-II" COACH ARRIVED IN DETROIT 30-YEARS AGO
June 26, 2008, marked thirty years of the RTS (Rapid Transit Series) Advanced Design Bus operating along the streets of Detroit.
In early 1978, the Detroit Department of Transportation (D-DOT) surveyed its riders to gather their opinions regarding the quality of the city's bus service. Unfortunately, the survey results were not good. However, DDOT management took advantage of an opportunity to release the results of its survey to coincide with the launching of its new fleet of GMC "RTS-II" coaches. During a press conference held at the west-side Coolidge Terminal, on Friday, June 23, 1978, the department unveiled its new bus fleet to the media. The department had anticipated that the new ...
In early 1978, the Detroit Department of Transportation (D-DOT) surveyed its riders to gather their opinions regarding the quality of the city's bus service. Unfortunately, the survey results were not good. However, DDOT management took advantage of an opportunity to release the results of its survey to coincide with the launching of its new fleet of GMC "RTS-II" coaches. During a press conference held at the west-side Coolidge Terminal, on Friday, June 23, 1978, the department unveiled its new bus fleet to the media. The department had anticipated that the new ...
Просмотров: 5 050
Видео
DDOT DIRECTOR UNVEILS THE FIRST OF NEW REHABBED BUSES
Просмотров 3,6 тыс.11 лет назад
In these two new-clips (from WXYZ-TV ch.7 and WDIV-TV ch.4), Detroit Department Of Transportation Director Robert C. Polk proudly shows-off to the news media the first five of 89 coaches his department sent to Blitz Body Co. of Chicago to be rehabbed. These completely overhauled coaches now sport a new paint job, new seats, new lighting, new engines, new exhaust systems and new brakes. This is ...
FORMER D-DOT DIRECTOR GRILLED OVER REHABBED BUSES
Просмотров 1,5 тыс.13 лет назад
In this WKBD-TV50 news-clip from June of 1985, newly appointed DDOT Director Robert C. Polk (who had just been appointed director in November of 1984 by Mayor Coleman A. Young) comes under attack by the Detroit City Council over a controversial $6.8 million bus repair contract. The contract involved the complete overhauling of 89 dilapidated DDOT buses, with repair costs averaging between $74-7...
FIRST DDOT (SEMTA) "RTS" BUSES UNVEILED AT GMC TRUCK & COACH
Просмотров 5 тыс.13 лет назад
A SNEAK-PEEK AT THE FIRST SEMTA/DDOT WHEELCHAIR-LIFT RTS BUSES On May 2, 1978, the Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) and GMC Truck & Coach in Pontiac, MI held ceremonies to unveil to the media the first five SEMTA "Series 03" RTS-II coaches earmarked for the Detroit Department Of Transportation (DDOT). Meanwhile, WXYZ-TV Channel 7 reporter Jack McCarthy went behind the scen...
GRUMMAN-FLXIBLE "870" CRACKED A-FRAME PROBLEMS
Просмотров 17 тыс.14 лет назад
In December of 1980, a total of 2,656 Grumman 870 Advanced Design Buses in 27 cities, including New York, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, were taken out of service by their manufacturer, the Grumman-Flxible Corp., to reinforce the undercarriages on the buses. Because of a design flaw, numerous Grumman 870s built between 1978 and 1980 began to develop cracks in their supporting A-frames, forci...
D-DOT SERVICE ISSUES BACK IN THE DAY [Video-4]
Просмотров 7 тыс.15 лет назад
On the Tuesday, October 9, 1979 edition of Channel 7's "Special Report" with Bill Bonds, WXYZ-TV took a somewhat light-hearted approach while looking at the numerous problems and broken promises DDOT riders had to endure during the late 1970's. Enjoy! Although bus service in Detroit has improved tremendously in recent years, things have not always been rosy for D-DOT (the city of Detroit's tran...
D-DOT SERVICE ISSUES BACK IN THE DAY [Video-3]
Просмотров 8 тыс.15 лет назад
Although bus service in Detroit has improved tremendously in recent years, things have not always been rosy for D-DOT (the city of Detroit's transportation department). Over the years beginning around the mid-1970s and well into the mid-to-late'80s the city's transit system would encounter numerous obstacles and would struggle to maintain adequate service. In this video clip from the Summer of ...
DETROIT'S FIRST WHEEL-CHAIR LIFT "RTS" COACHES
Просмотров 14 тыс.15 лет назад
During the summer of 1978, the first wheel-chair lift equipped RTS coach (Model TH-8203) was delivered to the Detroit Department Of Transportation (DDOT). After the city's first fleet of seventy (70) non-lift equipped RTS's (#1300-1369) began arriving in May, these lift equipped coaches would complete the remainder of the department's 111 coach order. Between August and October of 1978, forty-o...
D-DOT SERVICE ISSUES BACK IN THE DAY [Video-2]
Просмотров 6 тыс.15 лет назад
Although bus service in Detroit has improved tremendously in recent years, things have not always been rosy for D-DOT (the city of Detroit's transportation department). Over the years beginning around the mid-1970s and well into the mid-to-late'80s the city's transit system would encounter numerous obstacles and would struggle to maintain adequate service. In this video clip from the Summer of ...
D-DOT SERVICE ISSUES BACK IN THE DAY [Video-1]
Просмотров 3,1 тыс.15 лет назад
Although bus service in Detroit has improved tremendously in recent years, things have not always been rosy for D-DOT (the city of Detroit's transportation department). Over the years the city's transit system would encounter numerous obstacles and would struggle to maintain adequate service. DDOT's first round of service problems escalated during the Winter of 1977-78, as problems compounded d...
FIRST RTS-II COACH ARRIVED IN DETROIT 30-YEARS AGO
Просмотров 17 тыс.15 лет назад
June 26, 2008, marked thirty continuous years of the RTS (Rapid Transit Series) Advanced Design Bus operating along the streets of Detroit, MI. In early 1978, the Detroit Department of Transportation (D-DOT) surveyed its riders to gather their opinions regarding the quality of the city's bus service. Unfortunately, the survey results were not good. However, DDOT management took advantage of an ...
THE FIRST RTS-II COACHES DELIVERED BY G.M.C.
Просмотров 27 тыс.15 лет назад
In the Fall of 1977, GMC Truck & Coach held a media event to show-off the first RTS (Rapid Transit Series) bus fleet to roll off their assembly line. On Friday, September 23, 1977, the General Motors Corp. paraded before the news media its first newly designed transit bus since 1959, during ceremonies that were held at the GMC Truck & Coach plant in Pontiac, MI. The first "RTS-II" buses to begi...
1:05: "We've never had any fuel spill, or a fire..." February 3, 1984: "Y'all hold my beer and watch this."
These buses, once the A frame issues were resolved, served exceptionally well in the San Juan greater metro area of Puerto Rico, under the AMA transit authority.
I love the rts I own 2 of them and 82 GMC and a 90 tmc
Timeless industrial art. Proof public transit can be beautified.
Moved to Long Beach from Los Angeles in 1980, and they were still running plenty of the sloped rear RTS ll (or series 1) buses and not only did I love the look of these, they rode amazing and had very modern features and interiors for the time. We just lost our family car months after arriving/moving and wouldn’t have another till late ‘84, so it would be an understatement to say we rode plenty of these buses! On bus trips to LA, I clearly recall they had the flat or ‘square’ rear buses first which was a clear update or series 2 with other small insignificant detail changes and I remember finding these far less appealing and sleek looking as our Long Beach buses were. But eventually they changed the rear caps on the LB buses as well, most were new with the square rear ends and some were retrofitted with the flat/square ‘caps’ added due to updated engine/AC/hardware to the series 1 models. Best looking public transit busses to date in my opinion!
Dang its 2024 and the service still poor lol same stuff
09/07/1962 bus rider 🪪 Medicare Card
Too bad GMC doesn't build coaches today, they were so innovative, except for the ugly spat they had with Greyhound over the Scenicruiser.
I remember as a young European boy, coming with my parents on a holiday to Canada and U.S., I couldn’t get over the huge bumpers on U.S. cars and buses. We just never had those ice breakers up front. Everything was cool and an eye opener for me. I also was under the illusion that everyone was rich and well off compared to what I was used to back home. 😅
$101,000 per unit in 1978 is close to $0.5M dollars in 2023. The extra $10k for the wheel chair is equivalent to $50k extra in present times. Never knew how expensive those lifts were.
Such a timeless design
There was a D-DOT bussing crisis at the time. Older busses that were built since the mid 1960's. We're broken down. There were delays after delays. D-DOT didn't get new buses until 1979.
I got to ride the Santa Monica grummans as a kid with my mom. Only once as a solo passenger.
😂😂😂 Polk fulla more shit than a Christmas turkey.... blitz had to have been in his pocket.
I did not know these came out in the 70s. I thought these came out in the 90s
Wow this is exactly what they did in Puerto Rico in 1980. They replaced a lot of their GM fishbowl buses with this same type of RTS II buses. It was sensational how the traveling public loved them (me included) and they were a big step forward for the Metropolitan Autobus Authority (AMA) at that time. Watching this video took me back to P.R. 43 years later. Loved the "GMC" logos they had front & back. Only difference was that we got the squareback buses and not the fastback models like in this video. They were white with blue interiors and very similar to these, except for the colour. They also kneeled which the elderly loved. Thank you for this video.
I hated those new buses. I loved the new look fishbowls.
Those buses look like 70s buses
That is because this new report is from 1978.
Duh!!
Its really sad that those RTS didn't make it to serve AC Transit, It would've been totally awesome.
Today Marks 45 years since the 1st RTSs made their debut in the USA
San Juan wait the RTS 04 in 1980, AMA hates the 8v71, they preffered 6v71. But Detroit in urban areas with 8v71 RTS's wow a bombshell. So this RTS 03 receive the 6v71 or 6v92 repower in the 90's?
Good thing the entire state of Florida and some other states were lucky, because Miami made a smart move to turn to GMC over grumman at the time and Broward, Orlando and other cities did not pick up any grumman 870's or flixible metro until between 1981-87.
Some of the cracked frame MTA busses were sold to my local transit agency after being fixed. They worked fine when they were here.
I wonder if GMC still make buses up to this day and made the RTS successer model. Heck maybe make limited edition low floor bus with design of GM historical well know buses.
GMC sold off the RTS to TMC in May 1987, though the 1987-1988 NYCT order (completed May 1988) was last to be GMC built (shells by GMC, final assembly by TMC in Roswell). The RTS assets and designs would be under Millennium Transit (MTS), but not sure that happened to their assets in bankruptcy.
Oh how those pristine coaches were soon defiled in the most unmentionable ways!
The truth was, a lot of US and Canadian cities didn’t want these buses and why GM produced with the Classic. RTS had a lot of problems and even Detroit went insofar to buy Canadian-made Classic buses.
Now DDOT is slowly getting rid of all of their D40LF New Flyers.
I like those buses; I still see them sometimes in San Francisco area as Private Shuttles for the Golden Gate Bridge. Moving people around different places. My Dad drove those busses for Santa Clara County Transit, now VTA. VTA has retired its fleet of the Flexibles back in 2010. Those Buses were used from the early 1980s to 2010. Some of my Family work for GILLIG Bus MFG in Livermore, Ca. They really have the best busses, then you have The New Flyer, not sure who makes the Flyer, I thought it was GM or something like that. because we did have AMC making the same looking busses almost Identical. Some of my Family drive buses and I drive Trucks 18 wheelers. I do miss the VTA Flexible by Grumman.
It does make alot of noise
I still miss the GMC RTS bus it was part of my childhood 😢 😔 💯 😭
Man I wish I got to drive the RTS. These were the buses I think of when I think of city buses. As an adult I worked at and drove Greyhound over the course of14.5 years and now drive the city bus. The agency I work for got rid of their last RTS right before I signed on.
September 23, 2022 will be the RTSs Official 45th Anniversary! GMC Created the best buses of the USA, since 1981 the RTS-04s dominated the streets of NYC, along with its offsprings the TMC, and Nova RTSs! Thank you for 38 Years Of Service! 1981-2019
1977 I've seen photos with the slope back rts being in New York city
Its why CTA didn't want any Grummans in the first place.
I love coming back to these videos
They still look modern to this day it’s better then what Gillig’s putting out
💯%
GMC RTS 04?
03s, DDOT wasn't happy with the batches of RTS they got from 1978-1980 and never bought another RTS till 1997, which ironically replaced the original RTS buses that DDOT was still running at the time.
From hearing these videos Conrad mallett was a very eloquent speaker. It appears that he tried very hard to turn that bus system around but he encountered many challenges. From hearing and reading the stories of the past I would give him an A for effort but baby those who watch these videos who were there and rode those buses might disagree. Nonetheless he was an eloquent speaker!
I love how at the end of the channel 7 News clip where the reporter says that you could tell they're new there's no graffiti on them yet lol lol
I love that country music tune at the end of the story who missed the bus?
I’m
These were my favorite buses growing up as a kid in NYC back in the 80's!! I miss those bus sounds, especially when they merge onto an expressway.
How does a bus that was was made 43 years ago look more modern than the buses we have on the road today?
They probably would have still been made if it weren’t for low floors. Millennium transit services failed, and I bet their new T-drive RTS design wasn’t as dramatic as here unfortunately. So hard to find nice information like this video about that company.
So amazing! My favorite bus!
Same here. They still look modern today despite being released 43 years ago!
Jamie Foxworthy Exactly!
Same
@@jamiecinder9412 Millennium RTS did such a nice redesign, I wish they didn’t fail. What a sad ending to such a great start for RTS.
These are basically revamped Silverside/RTS I coaches. In Detroit, these ran well into the early 1990s. Even in the first half of the 80s, GMC was still manufacturing RTS Fishbowl buses.
THIS ONES WITH LIFT ARE 6V71?
6v92 engine
@@LeemWills No, they were 8V71N-powered while units #1701-1717---the 1979 T7W-203 GMC RTS units---were 6V71N-powered.
Wow all 40 footers powered with 8v71N, very rare to use on urban areas. But powerful and high consumption of diesel
Wow I heard what I thought was a rumor yet ended up being true. Those buses were cheaply developed and produced. That's fraud!
Sounds to me he's cutting red tape to get the job done.
This is where it was the best. Was both modern and acessible. Without loosing the coolness of a loud bus engine, high floor height, and comfort. These new low floor hybrid busses will never compare in the fun factor and comfort of riding buses. I miss riding New York’s RTS busses.
Now all RTS buses have been retired. NYC retired their last one in Spring of last year. The RTS has a legacy that will never die!!!!
Only one is still in service, in AMA San Juan on line T8, 2002 30ft RTS, and this one is coming to be a Museum Bus for 1st time ever
T8W - 6v71 Detroit Diesel T8H - 8v71 Detroit Diesel