FIRST RTS-II COACH ARRIVED IN DETROIT 30-YEARS AGO
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2008
- 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 opportunity to release the results of the 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, DDOT unveiled its new bus fleet to the media. The department had anticipated that the new RTS fleet would drastically improve the quality of DDOT bus service.
This video compiles newsclips from three local newscasts (WJBK-TV2, WWJ-TV4 (now WDIV) and WXYZ-TV7) that covered the media event back in 1978.
GM's first newly designed transit bus since 1959 began service in Detroit on Monday, June 26, 1978. The DDOT #1300-series RTS's (#1300-1369) featured in this video were the first Model TH-8203 (second series - "Series 03") RTS-II coaches to be manufactured by GMC Truck & Coach.
(video posted for educational purposes only)
For more Detroit transit videos visit:
www.detroittransithistory.info... 
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Oh how those pristine coaches were soon defiled in the most unmentionable ways!
Baul104, This is awesome! I love this old video, Man I am crying, I miss these good ol GMC RTSes.
Yeah, but unfortunately, those original GMC RTS coaches weren't without their problems. Numerous mechanical and design flaws involving brakes, oil leaks, door malfunctions and air conditioning failures eventually resulted in the #1300-series fleet being recalled by GM. Even those original large-size "elephant-ear" mirrors seen in the video were a pain for the drivers. Some years later, after continuous cooling and suspension issues, DDOT management vowed not to purchase any more fleets of RTSs.
Until later on.
The First 40ft. RTS with 6v71 engine enters in service at 1979 T8W series debuted, the WMATA Metrobus
I miss those buses back in the days on Flatbush Avenue i miss the old rts bus
FYI: The various RTS series went from the "Series 01" to the "Series 08." The first RTSs to roll off the production line beginning in the fall of 1977 were the RTS-II "Series 01." Anytime there were major design changes a new "series" was launched. The DDOT buses featured in this video were RTS-II "Series 03." For some reason there were no "Series 02" ever produced. The longest series to remain in production was the "Series 06," launched in 1986 and built by GMC, TMC and NovaBUS through 2002.
This is a great video. I really miss the originally slanted RTS II buses. I rode those in here in Massachusetts as a kid. Has bus service improved in Detroit since?
@hbc2nddetroit Just a note here, the very first order of RTS-03 buses went to none other than NFTA Metro-Buffalo, New York. The serial numbers of the NFTA RTS buses were 001-065 (fleet numbers 5001-5065)
The so-called "square-back" design became standard with the "Series 04" model. The "series 04" RTSs began production in May of 1981. This add-on housed a/c components intended to improve problems the a/c units encountered in the series 01 and series 03 models, that originally had the slant-back design.
I ride the MBTA here in Boston and at times I ride the PVTA in Springfield. PVTA used the RTS II buses through the mid 1990s. They were cool buses.
Thanks for the info. But according to GMC production list records posted online by Ohio Museum of Transp. (OMOT), the book RTS Buses by Evan T. McCausland, and Apr-May 1978 local newspaper clippings in my possession, the Detroit fleet (the first "102-inch wide" mass-produced RTSs) were delivered in May of 1978. The Buffalo, NY (NFTA) fleet (the very first 40-foot long "96-inch wide" RTSs) were delivered beginning in Nov. of 1978, six months later.
Remember that the New Looks from GM's Diesel Division of Canada were manufactured well into the early 1980s when they introduced the Classic, which was basically an updated New Look.
Well back in 1977 1978 GM thought it would be a new sleak design that would represent a modern era. However, it was discovered that the slanted design would pose problems to the A/C units. So they had to be refitted for a straight design. Any RTS models after 1979 had a flat back. I liked the slant thought it was cool at that time.
"All" of the RTS coaches built by General Motors for mass production were RTS-IIs. The "two" goes back to when the bus was in its experimental stages and some of the prototypes had "three" axles. These were known as the RTS-3. The one that went into mass production had "two" axles, hence the "RTS-II" The "two" remained until it was removed sometime after TMC took over RTS production in 1988. However, there were various "series" of the RTS during its 30 years of production.
Broward county had the square back rts and they ran like a champ.
It is funny that in Springfield, the later version of the RTS buses were replaced with the Gillig Low floor buses. At one time all transit authorities had GM and Flixible buses that had similar design models. MBTA has low floor buses now but not sure what manufacturer they are. I miss the RTS II buses.
Now DDOT is slowly getting rid of all of their D40LF New Flyers.
Also in 1979 the first 35ft. with 6v71 enters in DDOT used in Mini Loop routes
I took those buses when I was on high school on 1992. I can believe Now Im a bus operator.?
At 4:07 of that video that bus driver was smoking. A source of probably customer complaints. Only 30% of those new buses should of been RTS models. Rest should of been GMC new look buses that should of been purchased in 1977 while GMC was still making them in the US, as they are more sturdier, With rebuilds can run up to 28 years old. It was probably GMC old look buses they replaced. Detroit was a city that suffered heavy during the exodus out of US nortthern citys in the late 60s, 70s.
One noticeable difference was that "sloping-back" roofline. Because of A/C overheating issues GM redesigned the RTS, adding a square rear cap unit to house improved A/C components-resulting in a square-back appearance, standard since 1980. GM offered a A/C retrofit kit for RTSs built prior to the redesign, also giving those buses that square-back look.
In 1981, all DDOT RTSs purchased from 1978-80 were sent back to GMC Truck & Coach in Pontiac and retrofited with these A/C housing kits.
Well SEPTA kept their RTS fleet as slantbacks, and instead installed a Sutrak roof-mounted A/C unit.
All of the GMC built DDOT RTS-IIs were Detroit Diesel 8V-71s, except for the seventeen 35-footers (#1701L-1717L), which were delivered in November of 1979. These were 6V-71s.
"You can tell they're new, theirs no graffiti on them yet"
And the New Flyers too
Yes you are right, the series 06 was built for a very long time. I do not know why the Series 08 do not sell well. I would think Nova would want to continue with the Series 08 or build a Series 09, but I guess they know what they are doing.
Well, if you really want to know check out my other vids in the "DDOT Service Issues" series, more of which will be posted sometime in the future.
@Crowflug That was the 700 series RGRTA buses.
Thank you for the reply here. Mr. Mallett, Sr. seemed to be a smarrt speaker and a capable administrator. Did service conditions improve under his tenure as D Dot Director?
Notice someone sitting in the Operators seat of the RTS Bus holding a smoke? at about 4:07 ? Did they still allow Bus Operators and anyone else to smoke on the buses back then?!?
The last I heard he (Conrad Mallett, Sr.) was still alive and in his early 80's. He served as DDOT director under Mayor Coleman A. Young from about 1977 until 1983. His son, Conrad Mallett, Jr., a former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (retired), is the one who's now in the political spotlight.
Well I guess Detroit has suffered immensely due to the massive auto manufacturing job losses. It seems Mr. Mallet was trying to improve service and was a capable administrator.
I think that Conrad Mallett was a good speaker and handled the concerns well. Is he still alive today?
They did. However, the air conditioning temperatues wer einsufficient and it was not blowing enough air, so they had to reofrat it completely. The original A?C for those buses came from a back vent and then they had to be modified.
@gmcbuses The NFTA in Buffalo, along with New York City MTA, Detroits system from 1978, and up, when ever new buses wher bought 30% should of been RTS buses, other 70% should of been GMC New look buses made in Canada as they are the buses that are the most sturdiest. In 1978 buses made by Flexible wher bought for New York City"s MTA system. Very good buses. Why I"m saying this is in 1992 RTs buses purchased in Buffalo in 1982 wher starting to fall apart. They wher in service 13 years.
96,0000.00 was a lot especially for 1978 dollars. Of course since GM was in MI it would only be politically sensible and economical for Detroit DOT to purchase their buses from GM. Today god only knows where these buses are made.
Ahh yes. Thanks.
I thought these were RTS I buses, not RTS 02.
they have a slant in the rear. RTS 02 is a Square Back. . . . .
RTS II Series 03. Any changes made created a new series.
Series 04 had the flat back from the start years later and it was retroactively added to later Series 03 models.
Actually the service worsened. During the late '70s and through the 1980's the City of Detroit and its suburbs bickered over plans to build a regional subway or light rail system, neither of which were ever built. In the mean time, compounded by numerous other problems, the bus service was neglected and continued to deteriorate. The system wouldn't recover to "somewhat" respectable levels until the mid-to-late-'90s.
This RTS II of GMC is no opereted todays?
No, most have been scrapped by now.
Sounds like 6v71?
and bus service in Detroit STILL sucks!
Dang its 2024 and the service still poor lol same stuff