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About Trolley Buses

Trolley buses (also known as "trolley coaches" or "trackless trolleys") are rubber-tired vehicles with motors powered by electricity from overhead wires. "Trolley" refers to the trolley poles on the roof of the bus that are used to transmit the electricity from the overhead wires. Thus, "Electric trolley bus" is a redundant term, but must be used occasionally to differentiate real trolley buses from the faux trolley cars and cable cars that are actually small buses.

The first trolley bus service in this country was in Hollywood's Laurel Canyon in 1910. Trolley buses began operating on Staten Island, New York, in October 1921, and in Philadelphia in October 1923. Philadelphia has had continuous trolley bus service since that time.

Although their operations are less flexible than that of motor buses, trolley buses are more energy efficient, much quieter, and much less polluting. Also, they operate better on hills, require less maintenance, and are longer lasting than motor buses. Modern trolley buses have an auxiliary power unit (APU), which allows the buses to travel off-wire for several blocks and avoid anything blocking their normal route, such as an excavation in the street or a street fair. The use of trolley buses is generally restricted to lines on which a high-enough frequency of service can justify the expense of the electric power system installation and vehicle costs.

San Francisco has the largest trolley-bus fleet of any transit agency in the U.S. and Canada. San Francisco's trolley buses (as well as its streetcars and the cable motors for the cable cars) are almost entirely pollution-free, since their electric power comes from the city's hydroelectric Hetch Hetchy Water & Power Project. For many people, trolley buses' quieter, cleaner service outweighs the unsightliness of the overhead wires necessary for their operation.

A history of Trolley Buses in San Francisco is available.

Electric Trolley Bus (ETB) Procurement Program

Muni’s Current Fleet:

16 Routes

344 Electric Trolley Buses:

  • 60 Articulated trolley buses (all from the New Flyer bus manufacturer, acquired in 1994). Articulated trolley buses are 60-feet long and have the "accordion" framing in the middle of the vehicle to allow for maneuverability.
  • 284 standard trolley buses (from Flyer and ETI). Standard trolley buses are 40-feet long. All the older Flyer trolley buses will be phased out during mid-to-late 2003.

Muni's Future Fleet:

16 Routes; in addition, Muni is looking at plans to convert some diesel lines to electric trolley buses.

333 Trolley Buses:

  • 33 additional articulated 60-foot trolley buses (60 articulated New Flyer buses remain in the fleet for a total of 93 articulated 60-foot trolleys).
  • 240 40-foot standard trolleys. All 284 standard Flyer buses (acquired 1976-1977) are being retired.
 
photo of new electric trolley bus (25kb)
 
The new standard size ETI vehicle
   

Procurement Program Highlights

Electric Transit Inc. (ETI), holds the contract to manufacture trolley buses for Muni.

ETI has a 3-step manufacturing process that begins in the Czech Republic, moves to Hunt Valley, Maryland, and ends at Pier 15 in San Francisco:

Prototypes: Two 40’ Standard Prototypes and one 60’ Articulated Trolley Bus Prototype completed 9,000 - 12,000 miles of prototype testing on 17 Muni routes in San Francisco in 1999 - 2002.

Bus Production:

  • All 273 ETI Standard and Articulated frames, motors, and controls were completed for Muni in the Czech Republic.
  • Next, ETI buses continue assembly with body, paint, under-flooring, and wiring in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
  • Final assembly of ETI buses is at Pier 15 for final flooring, seats, signs, wheelchair lift, pre-delivery testing, and delivery to Muni for testing and revenue service. Number of local jobs created in San Francisco: approximately 57 jobs.

Production delivery schedule:

2001 - 2003.

Total Project Budget for ETI trolley buses and Facilities Modifications is $234,504,193-- funded by federal (81.5%), state (5.2%) and local (13.3%) sources.

Major ETI Trolley Bus Features

New Passenger-Focused Vehicle Features

  • ADA-compliant with wheelchair lifts, two locations for secured wheelchair placement, bus kneeling.
  • Security cameras covering entire vehicle for passenger safety.
  • Audio and visual interior "next stop" announcements.
  • Bright electronic signs on all four sides of the vehicle.
  • Wider aisles and doors with step treadles.
  • Capacity: Standard: 41 passenger seats and 42 standees on 40' standard vehicles; 54 passenger seats and 70 standees on 60' articulated vehicles.

New Operator Safety and Convenience Features

  • Ergonomic operator area to suit short-to-tall operators.New system eliminates the need to hand-crank trolley bus poles when they come off the overhead wires.Remote control mirrors.
  • Security cameras covering entire vehicle for operator safety
    • .
  • Operator's side window shade for glare reduction.Hands-free microphone for in-bus announcing.
  • Operator's enclosure for security and safety.

Technical Specifications of New 40-foot Standard Trolley Buses

  • Vehicle Weight: approximately 31,500 pounds
  • Number of Seats & Standees: 41 seats, 42 standees
  • Propulsion System: Microprocessor-controlled GTOsEmergency Propulsion Unit: NiCad batteriesTraction Motor (Skoda): 275-hp DC motor with forced air coolingCurrent Collection System: Kiepe Retrieverless System
  • Auxiliary Power System: 230V AC, 24V DC, 12V DC auxiliaries

Other Technical Information

  • Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): EMI testing was successful on both the Standard and Articulated.Regeneration: Power regeneration features of the vehicle are very successful. A study indicates the new fleet overall may consume equal or less energy than the previous fleet at peak capacity.Electrical Shock Hazard: The new hot coach detector has features to: Articulated joint: The articulated joint is a new design by Hubner. Hubner articulated joints will be new to Muni maintenance.
  • Emergency Power Unit (EPU) Batteries: The EPU is often used on Muni routes and in the yards. Operators can go off-wire through activating the power-lowering system.

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