RTS-06 model with narrow front door RTS-06 WFD model with wide front door (and bike rack in front) |
|
| Manufacturer | GMC Truck and Bus (1977-1987) Motor Coach Industries (1987-1995) Nova Bus (1995-2003) Millennium Transit Services (2006-2009) |
|---|---|
| Production | 1977-2003, 2006-present |
| Assembly | Pontiac, Michigan (1977-1987) Roswell, New Mexico (1987-2003, 2006-onwards) Saint-Eustache, Quebec (1997-2003) Niskayuna, New York (1996-2003) |
| Predecessor | GM New Look |
| Successor | Nova Bus LFS (when discontinued in 2003) |
| Engine | Detroit Diesel, Cummins, or Caterpillar engines |
| Transmission | Allison or ZF transmissions |
| Wheelbase | 178 in (4.52 m), 238 in (6.05 m), or 298 in (7.57 m) |
| Length | 30 ft (9.14 m), 35 ft (10.67 m), or 40 ft (12.19 m) |
| Width | 96 in (2.44 m) or 102 in (2.59 m) |
| Height | 119 in (3.02 m) (over roof-hatches; rooftop A/C, hybrid drive, or CNG options added to height) |
The Rapid Transit Series (RTS) bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors (the last generation of that company's long bus heritage) and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back into production in 2011. First produced in 1977, the RTS was GMC's entry into the Advanced Design Bus project (the other entry was the Flxible Metro by competitor Flxible) and is the descendant of GMC's entry in the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Transbus" project. The RTS is notable for its futuristic (at the time) styling featuring automobile-like curved body and window panels. That design has become as classic, though remains more contemporary as that of its predecessor, the GMC New Look which had a curved windshield, but flat side glass and body panels. Most current buses are now made by specialized coach manufacturers with flat sides and windows.
GMC sold the RTS design and patent rights to Transportation Manufacturing Corporation (TMC) of Roswell, New Mexico, in May 1987 though the two companies did a joint order for the New York City Transit Authority to prepare TMC for the production. TMC would sell the design and patents to NovaBus in September 1994 in the midst of an order for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Production under NovaBus would continue until 2002 when NovaBus left the U.S. market.
The production was revived, however, by Millennium Transit Services, who tried to manufacture the bus in both high- and low-floor configurations. However, after poor sales and failure to secure awarded deals, Millennium ceased production on the RTS and went out of business in 2009. In September 2011, MTS re-entered the market and announced they will showcase their latest RTS product at the 2011 APTA Expo in New Orleans. It also announced plans to introduce a 42.5 foot version of the standard floor RTS, which would go into production in the near future.
The RTS was offered in 30-, 35-, and 40-foot (12 m)-long models and was built using a modular design that allowed the same parts to be used for all three lengths, the longest of which could seat up to 47 passengers. It was originally powered by either 6 or 8 cylinder versions of Detroit Diesel's venerable Series 71 two stroke diesel engine channeled through an Allison V730 or ZF 5HP-500 transmission. Later models could be powered by a 6 cylinder Series 92, or the Series 50 engines.
Contents |
The RTS is the descendant of GMC's entry for the Transbus project which in turn was the descendant of the RTX, an experimental model for which a prototype produced in 1968 with notes of its production dating to early as 1964. Both the RTX and the Transbus were similar in terms of design to the RTS though had major differences in having a less-rounded body design, a one-step entryway, and (in the case of the Transbus) a 45-foot (14 m) length.
Wanting a backup plan in the case that the Transbus project was abandoned, GMC decided to modify the RTX/Transbus design and in 1970 began the project that became the earliest RTS with the first prototype being assembled in 1973 at which point the project went onto hiatus [1]. Though closer to its predecessors than the production models, the RTS name debuted with this prototype. After the project was revived in 1974, GMC would later withdraw from the Transbus project and focus their energies on the RTS.
Through the history of the RTS, there have been six generations of production plus two experimental variants (one of which not having made it beyond the prototype stage).
At the time the RTS entered production in the U.S., GMDD (GMC's Canadian production arm) considered producing the RTS for the Canadian market. However, an outcry of protest from key transit providers over not wanting the "futuristic" RTS led GMDD to produce the Classic, an updated New Look that was first produced in 1983. The Classic would prove popular with US agencies as well.
When the Classic was retired in 1996, NovaBus decided to begin limited production of the RTS for the Canadian market. Produced from 1997 to 2001, most of the RTS models made for Canadian agencies were the RTS-06 WFD variant with the majority being sold to agencies in the eastern part of the country. Currently, the Toronto Transit Commission and the Société de transport de l'Outaouais of Gatineau, Quebec are the only transit agencies in Ontario and Quebec to use the RTS buses. The TTC has a current fleet of 52 buses and the STO has a fleet of 12 buses.
Quebec-based Dupont Trolley Industries, specializing in rebuilding buses, previously offered a rebuilt RTS known as the Victoria with several styling changes. These buses are fairly uncommon, with most examples found in the fleets of transit operators in Montréal's suburbs.
Contrary to belief, the RTS design is and was not manufactured under license in other parts of the world.
Some confusion exists with certain models of Daewoo Bus's buses (BH115 and BH115E) in Asia, whose external styling closely resembles that of the RTS. However, their structure is completely different from the RTS's modular assembly and the two share no mechanical commonality.