DOTS Shuttle-UM
This semester, Shuttle-UM is gaining 11 new buses — but the fleet of shuttles is also losing a piece of history as DOTS officials phase out old ones.
Students might enjoy the new bus smell, but the change has left some long-time DOTS employees feeling nostalgic.
While the new buses will be manufactured by Gillig, the old buses came from a motorcycle sidecar and transit bus manufacturer called Flxible. University bus drivers loved the buses for their sleek design, easy handling and low maintenance needs, and at one time, the university’s entire Shuttle-UM fleet consisted of Flxibles.
But the golden age of the Flxible bus came and went, and the company declared bankruptcy in 1996. The 11 buses phased out are some of the last of the Flxible fleet. A single Flxible still circulates throughout the campus.
“Flxible has a very special place in my heart because it was the bus that I trained on when I first started working as a student driver for Shuttle-UM,” said David Davitaia, DOTS senior associate director. “There is no question that Gillig buses are technologically more advanced, greener and more passenger friendly, but my generation of bus drivers will all miss Flxibles.”
DOTS took the buses off the road because after many years of serving the campus, they required too much maintenance for daily use, said Beverly Malone, DOTS assistant director.
The buses are headed for the showrooms at Terrapin Trader, an outlet where collectors and museum curators can shop for university property that has been retired. The Flxibles that aren’t purchased will go to the junkyard.
The new Gillig buses offer passengers more room and feature clean diesel engines, as well as a no-stair design to make getting on and off the bus easier for everyone. At a price of $360,000, the new buses are designed to last 12 years, Malone said.
Students said they understand DOTS might feel nostalgic about leaving behind the Flxibles, but it’s time to let history be history and embrace the new technology.
“It’s sad that the classic buses are retiring, but people will always get accustomed to what’s new,” said junior biology major Jigisha Srivastav. “DOTS has to keep up with technological changes and the demands of riders.”
Although they lack the Flxible’s historical appeal, the new Gillig buses will serve the campus better in the long run, said Lorena Diaz, a sophomore government and politics major.
“The buses are normally crowded, and now there will be more room,” said Diaz. “They’re more fuel-efficient, too, so you can tell that the school is working toward becoming a greener campus.”
More Gillig buses also means a more cohesive fleet, as DOTS has purchased buses from that manufacturer since Flxible’s closure.
But to those who have memories with the classic shuttles, saying goodbye won’t be easy.
“It will be a sad day when we have to get rid of the last Flxible bus,” Davitaia said.
