Hello to everyone!
I just wanted to get some feedback on an idea I've been working on...
So, no one likes when the bus is too hot or cold inside, and with doors constantly opening and windows open, it takes a lot of energy to keep a bus interior at a comfortable temperature.
Buildings use revolving doors to keep temperatures constant- they take up a bit of space, but also reduce energy use, and provide a way to regulate the entrance and exit of people. Revolving doors are always accompanied with conventional doors, in case of emergency exit, and to facilitate entrance and egress or disabled persons and large deliveries.
So the idea would be to have a revolving door for most passengers, with an occasionally used conventional door for disabled people and people with a lot of luggage. Not sure how people would like the experience of going through a revolving door on a bus- any one have an opinion regarding this idea?
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Which is your favorite Bus of the Future?
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What should buses look and ride like in 2050? As gas prices and congestion increase and environmental quality decreases, these questions have never been more important. Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus has been asking bus manufacturers and the public to share their ideas via this blog, and Art Center College of Design students have been translating them into new and exciting designs for the Bus of the Future.
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13 comments:
Are you serious?
Before I make up my mind on this idea, could you give some more information on the spacing? The door would need to be twice as wide to have people go in and out. The rear door would also need to be twice as wide. In addition, there still needs to be space for emergency doors. I just don’t see how it fits unless the bus of the future is something I can’t picture. Perhaps the bus of the future is twice as wide.
Most revolving doors are also at grade level. This allows me to walk from the street into the building. To get on a bus, I generally have to make a small step up. To get off the bus, I have to step down. If there are also people pushing the revolving door behind me, would I get pushed down into the street if the curb is too far away?
When I board a bus my hands are sometimes full. I have things that I carry with me. I have my fare in my hands ready. I would now have to push the revolving door at the same time.
It is an interesting concept, but perhaps you can provide a diagram so I can buy into the concept.
Thanks.
I think it's cool to think of completely different ways to approach things, however I think this idea is not practical on a bus. Besides the spacing issues, it takes time to rotate through a revolving door, and I feel this would limit expediency of passengers boarding. Speed of passengers boarding is very important, and effects travel times for buses. Travel time is one of the big hurdles for many people who shun public transit, and even just a one second delay per passenger over time could add up to minutes of delay on commutes that are already lagging far behind most private automobile commutes.
If anything about the boarding and unloading process is to change I would hope it would make things more time efficient. Perhaps prepay kiosks at stops so riders board without having to fumble to pay during the rushed loading process.
Hello Anonymous and Gary,
Thanks for your comments.
A few comments back regarding your concerns:
True, The standard revolving door for buildings is 8 feet in diameter- equal to the width of today's buses; but HEET's- high entrance/ exit turnstiles, commonly used in Subway systems (think NYC), are roughly 40" in diameter, or about half of the diameter of the standard revolving door. Commonly referred to as "Iron Maidens", HEET's operate in the same way I am envisioning for the bus- they are unidirectional, serve the function of regulating high-volume flow, and work for people of all shapes and sizes, given that they are not relegated to wheelchairs.
Check out the figure 2 on the following link for more info regarding HEET's: www.scribd.com/doc/2440814/RFP-B-Accesible-Entrances_at_TTC_Stations
If two were put on the bus, one for entrance in the front and one for exit at the rear, than maybe this could direct passenger flow more efficiently- and as I mentioned before, there would be an auxiliary door for disabled people and people with large bags. I'll post a rough floor plan ideation in a bit.
The curb height issue may be addressed by modifying the way a bus stop and bus interact. In cities like Curitiba, Brazil, bus stops and buses are at the same level, eliminating the need to 'step on' or 'step off.' Check out the link- http://www.urbanhabitat.org/node/344
While Curitiban buses have their own designated lanes, a luxury that BBB has not been afforded, one can still look to these stations for inspiration for tasks such as payment and information.
In regards to expediting the entrance/egress of passengers, why can't bus stations work like subway stations, where fare payment is a task performed before actually getting onto the train? This would reduce the time it takes to get on the bus, and give people something to do while waiting for it in the station. Maybe stations could have more comprehensive travel info, ensuring that passengers know where they are going and that they are getting on the right bus- further increasing efficiency and lowering stress levels of confused persons, (such as myself)
Thanks again for giving me the feedback, and let me know what you think.
Thanks for addressing our comments, and I'm glad to see Curitiba come up in discussion, I remember reading briefly about their efficient bus network in an ecology class.
One potential issues I see with unidirectional front and rear entrances are times when it is necessary to exit the front of the bus. Two examples are when the bus is completely full and a passenger standing at the front wishes to leave, but their way to back entrance is blocked. The other time, and this one concerns me, is when I have a bike on the front rack of the bus, I exit the front to remove my bike as expediently as possible, and also to ensure the driver does not leave with my bike.
Hi Gary,
Thanks for your comment.
We were discussing the idea of having an open area on the bus- for people who want to enjoy a beautiful day while on the bus.
My roommate doesn't like leaving her bike, and has mentioned that she would prefer to be able to put her bike on the bus along side her.
How would you feel about a designated area on the bus for people with bikes? A type of area where you could lean on a seat, hold your bike or fasten it to the wall, and not have to worry about it hanging off the front of the bus.
I'll mess around with the plan for the revolving doors a little more- your points about entrance and egress are really good, so I'll see what comes out of a little more thought and post my findings soon.
I'm thinking about solutions that may lie in regulation of traffic in the bus- Disney does an amazing job with their parking lots in regards to maximizing efficiency by guiding people where they want them to go, rather than leaving the parking location decisions to the individual driver.
I like the sound of an open area, and imagine there would be people besides cyclists that might want to take advantage of such an area. Where would such a place be on the bus, on a second deck? However such a space were designed it would need to have some easy entrance and exit system. I've heard of bikes inside the bus being tried and it failed because of difficulty to navigate inside of the bus with the cumbersome bike.
I am concerned with seating if there is a large open space for bikes. When I get on a bus after I long day, I like to sit down. The large open space would favor a bike over a fare paying passenger. If there was large space in the bus, what would prevent the person with bags of cans getting on board?
I would like to see room for luggage on buses. I take the 3 to the airport and there is no room for suitcases.
I strongly suggest that in designing a new bus that you take into consideration the fact that there is a large percentage of passengers who will not move if you ask them to. As a driver there is only so much we can do. For safety reasons (and ADA reasons)are hands are tied. The notion of an open space on a bus is great, but unrealistic. Referring to transit in other countries is also great but we must realize that the way transit issues are handled in other countries is far different from the way it is handled here. As far as revolving doors are concerned it is an interesting idea but I do not think that that would make a more efficient trip. There is to much traffic and to many people. I love the ideas though.
How about more comfortable seating on some of these buses.
If you have revolving doors, how do motorized wheelchairs enter the bus. or maybe wheelchairs are out dated in the future??
With revolving doors can you enter from either location? or is there one entrance and one exit. Where do you pay a fare. Or is that out dated. (Everyone rides for free...)
Will there be a bus driver? Or just a guide? Everything could be on automatic control, like LAX
Why are revolving doors needed on a bus? While I understand they are more energy efficient for buildings, they would also significantly slow the boarding process for bus passengers (leading to the bus running in idle for longer at each bus stop). As such, they would probably not result in any additional energy capacity.
Also, we must remember that the primary purpose for a bus is transportation. The bus of the future must first strive to increase average travel speeds (traffic light premption, faster boarding, faster accelleration, etc.) before it begins to add other ammenities.
As for the open space, in the end this space would probably just be used for standees on the bus. I think it would make more sense to add extra seats (thereby reducing the cost per passenger to transit agencies), while adding a 3 capacity bike rack to the front of the bus.
The revolving door on the bus has been shared here. Know the details from here
Is that really helpful. I thought it to be an obstacle.
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