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27 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 m ETRO m AGAZINE > and universities, the expansion or re- vision of bus routes, and adding more bike racks. Popular initiatives for attracting Baby Boomers, include outreach to senior liv- ing communities, travel training, tar- geted marketing, increasing space for mobility aid devices, and either free or discounted fares. W h e n a s k e d w h a t t e c h n o l o g y o r equipment they are adding to increase efficiencies or improve safety, many transportation agencies are reporting the implementation of computer aid- ed dispatch/automatic vehicle location systems, security cameras, enhanced trip planning and automated stop an- nouncement systems. A d d i t i o n a l i m p r o v e m e n t s b e i n g made include expanded use of alter- natively-propelled vehicles and adding automatic passenger counting systems, as well as LED lighting and bus displays. At New York MTA, new initiatives un- dertaken by the agency in the last year, include adding a bus operator security door, improved fre detection, security cameras onboard buses; proactively ad- dressing pedestrian safety in alignment with the city's "Vision Zero" action plan; increased observational rides and on- street observations and direct engage- ment with bus operators ; enhanced bus operator training with emphasis on distracted pedestrians and cyclists; re- searching new technologies to help mit- igate collisions; collaborating with the Department of Transportation on trafc engineering and streetscaping. Meanwhile, other agencies report they are working on either expanding their existing fleet or purchasing new buses to replace outdated vehicles, im- proving bus stop and transit center ac- cessibility, expanding late night service, improving security both on-board buses and at pickup points, and creating rapid or targeted bus routes. THE NUMBERS A closer look at the numbers reveals 48,770 buses are 35 feet or longer, mak- ing up 71% of the total vehicles reported, with 14,210, or 21%, of vehicles 35 feet and under. Fifty-eight percent, or 39,879, With 8,539 vehicles, natural gas is the environmentally-friendly fuel of choice, followed closely by hybrid-electric vehicles with 7,277 vehicles. This year, electric vehicles get their own category and make up 4% of the total 16,964 alternative-fueled vehicles reported, which was 530 vehicles more compared with 2013. Overall, alternatively-fueled vehicles make up 25% of the total 68,835 vehicles reported. In 2004, alternatively-fueled vehicles made up only 13.6% of the total vehicles reported. Natural Gas: 50% Hybrid-Electric: 43% Electric: 4% Other: 3% 1. MTA New York City Transit 4,667 2. New Jersey Transit Corp. 3,053 3. L.A. Metro 2,721 4. Chicago Transit Authority 2,024 5. Toronto Transit Commission 1,638 Buses 35 feet and over remain the most popular choice, with 48,770 total buses, followed by buses 35 feet and under and articulated vehicles, with 14,210 and 5,855, respectively. Compared to 2004, the totals are very similar with buses over 35 feet totaling 46,437 buses, however, that total constituted 77% of the total, with buses under 35 feet making up 15% of the sum. FLEET MIX ALTERNATIVE FUELS TOP 5 BUS FLEETS IN 2004 0 25000 50000 35 ft. and over Under 35 ft. Artic 71% 21% 8% (48,770) (14,210) (5,855) 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000