By Rick Mullen,
Busline Magazine Associate Editor

The following import/export categories include motor buses, coaches, trolley buses and gyrobuses.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau trade figures for July 2021 indicated vehicle imports were down in four categories outlined, compared to July 2020. For the first seven months of 2021, vehicles imports were also down in four categories, compared to the first seven months of 2020.

The United States imported 61 vehicles in July 2021, down 53 percent from 129 vehicles for July 2020. For the first seven months of 2021, the United States imported 678 vehicles, down 20 percent from 845 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

Canada sent 621 vehicles to the United States during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $304,251, up 14 percent from $267,809 for July 2020. The average price per vehicle for the first seven months of 2021 was $308,419, up 8 percent from $285,578 for the first seven months of 2020.

The United States received no vehicles in July 2021, compared to three vehicles during July 2020. For the first seven months of 2021, the United States imported 16 vehicles, down from 108 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

The United States imported 12 vehicles from Canada during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for the first seven months of 2021 was $172,435, up 161 percent from $66,135 for the first seven months of 2020.

The United States imported 21 vehicles during July 2021, up 133 percent from nine vehicles for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 60 vehicles were imported, down 47 percent from 114 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

All of the vehicles were imported from Canada during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $285,459, up 19 percent from $240,198 for July 2020. The average price for the first seven months of 2021 was $298,881, up 21 percent from $246,872 for the first seven months of 2020.

8702306100 Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Both Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine and Electric Motor for 10 to 15 Persons

The United States imported no vehicles during July 2021 and July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, one vehicle was received, the same as for the first seven months of 2020.

The one vehicle was imported from the United Kingdom.

The price for the vehicle for the first seven months of 2021 was $24,694, up from $8,357 for the vehicle during the first seven months of 2020.

8702403100 Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Electric Motor Only, For Transport Of 16 Or More Persons Including Driver

The United States imported 12 vehicles during July 2021, down 57 percent from 28 vehicles for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 163 vehicles were received, up 79 percent from 91 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

China shipped 101 vehicles during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $360,875, up 59 percent from $227,382 for July 2020. The average price for the first seven months of 2021 was $185,996, up 62 percent from $115,011 for the first seven months of 2020.

The United States imported 31 vehicles during July 2021, while no vehicles were imported during July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 72 vehicles were imported, up 16 percent from 62 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

China sent 69 vehicles during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $9,564. The average price for the first seven months of 2021 was $9,190, down 4 percent from $9,598 for the first seven months of 2020.

The United States imported 110 vehicles during July 2021, down 30 percent from 157 vehicles for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 765 vehicles were received, down 1 percent from 776 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

Canada sent 763 vehicles to the United States during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $72,974 , down 10 percent from $81,262 for July 2020. The average price per vehicle for the first seven months of 2021 was $142,838, up 44 percent from $99,257 for the first seven months of 2020.

The United States imported 69 vehicles during July 2021, up 38 percent from 50 vehicles for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 466 vehicles were received, up 37 percent from 339 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

Canada sent 428 vehicles to the United States during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $41,334, up 16 percent from $35,547 for July 2020. The average price per vehicle for the first seven months of 2021 was $39,143, down 12 percent from $44,317 for the first seven months of 2020.

EXPORTS

Export totals for July 2021 were up in two categories, compared to July 2020. Three categories reported decreases for the first seven months of 2021, compared to the first seven months of 2020.

The United States exported 625 vehicles during July 2021, down 7 percent from 672 vehicles for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 3,274 vehicles were sent, down 15 percent from 3,842 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

Canada received 1,548 vehicles during the first seven months of 2021, while Mexico imported 1,109 vehicles.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $71,990, down 14 percent from $84,079 for July 2020. The average price per vehicle for the first seven months of 2021 was $54,455, down 22 percent from $70,181 for the first seven months of 2020.

8702200000 Public-Transport Vehicles With Both Compression-Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine (Diesel Or Semi-Diesel) & Electric Motor

The United States shipped 66 vehicles in July 2021, up from seven vehicles for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 507 vehicles were exported, up from 199 for the first seven months of 2020.

Canada received 265 vehicles during the first seven months of 2021, while Mexico imported 178 vehicles.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $66,610, up from $12,500 for July 2020. The average price for the first seven months of 2021 was $39,485, down 8 percent from $42,918 for the first seven months of 2020.

8702300000 Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Both Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Piston Engine & Electric Motor

The United States exported 19 vehicles in July 2021, the same as for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 241 vehicles were sent, down 24 percent from 316 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

Mexico received 95 vehicles during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $46,768, up 88 percent from $24,929 for July 2020. The average price for the first seven months of 2021 was $26,335, down 16 percent from $31,403 for the first seven months of 2020.

8702400000 Public-Transport Type Passenger Motor Vehicles With Only Electric Motor For Propulsion

The United States shipped four vehicles in July 2021, up 100 percent from two vehicles for July 2020. During the first seven months of 2021, 373 vehicles were exported, down from 1,362 vehicles for the first seven months of 2020.

Canada received 363 vehicles during the first seven months of 2021.

The average price per vehicle for July 2021 was $180,843, down 43 percent from $316,023 for July 2020. The average price per vehicle for the first seven months of 2021 was $49,946, up 40 percent from $35,772 for the first seven months of 2020.

Click on statistics to open .pdf file

UMA Names Scott Michael President/CEO

Scott Michael

The United Motorcoach Association has named Scott Michael president/CEO, following a nationwide recruitment process that began in June. Michael began his tenure at UMA October 4. Previous president/CEO Larry Killingsworth will continue at UMA during the month of October to facilitate a smooth transition.

According to UMA, “Michael is an experienced association executive who comes to UMA following extensive leadership experience in the transportation industry, where he was the president/CEO of the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA).

UMA Vice Chair David Moody of Randleman, NC-based Holiday Companies, led the executive search along with other UMA members.

"After months of work, perusing resumes, Zoom interviews, and in-person interviews,” he said, “I believe that UMA has found the individual with the right skill set and experience to move our organization and industry forward as we rebound, restore and learn what normal is again."

During his over 26 years at AMSA, a trade association for the moving industry that has since merged into the American Trucking Associations, Michael held numerous roles, including serving as the industry’s liaison with its largest customer, the U.S. military, helping improve the process for relocating military families with every change in duty station. He also ran the association’s Membership Department, recruiting and retaining 3,000 members.

The culmination of his work at AMSA was five years as president/CEO, where he strengthened the association’s lobbying team to focus on consumer protection issues, served on an FMCSA Working Group to streamline paperwork, enhanced the criteria for the industry’s ProMover certification program, oversaw the termination of the group’s pension plan, and moved the association’s headquarters to a new location.

He also was executive director of the Moving and Storage Institute, a philanthropic organization that raised funds for scholarships, training, and industry research. He served on the board of directors of the American Highway Users Alliance to promote infrastructure and highway safety, and was the moving industry’s representative to the National Defense Transportation Association.

A graduate of Princeton University, he is a native of Oregon, but currently lives in Alexandria, VA, with his wife and three daughters.

For information on UMA, email info@uma.org.

Mercedes-Benz Offering Motorcoach For North American Market

Mercedes-Benz is premiering its completely new Mercedes-Benz Tourrider – a motorcoach tailor-made for North America.

Some of the features include:
• The New Mercedes-Benz Tourrider: unique Mercedes-Benz design;
• Passenger compartment: comfortable and individually equipped;
• Two driver-oriented cockpits that are functional and luxurious;
• A safe motorcoach: the benchmark for driver assistance and safety systems; and
• Powertrain: powerful, efficient and proven thousands of times.

“Striking and distinctive design, outstanding comfort, pioneering technology, excellent safety levels, amazing individuality in equipment and, finally, remarkable fuel economy, the new Mercedes-Benz Tourrider represents a milestone for motorcoaches in North America. Developed specifically for the region, it combines the characteristics of North American motorcoaches with the unique international know-how of Mercedes-Benz, the inventor of the bus. The new Tourrider is the Mercedes-Benz of motorcoaches,” according to a press release.

Jacksonville Transportation Authority Opens First Coast Flyer Orange Line BRT Route

The Jacksonville (FL)Transportation Authority (JTA) opened the First Coast Flyer Orange Line, a 13-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) route that connects downtown Jacksonville to Orange Park.

“After more than 10 years of planning, building and opening new routes, the First Coast Flyer Orange Line is finally open, completing our BRT program in Jacksonville,” said JTA Chief Executive Officer Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., during an official ribbon cutting hosted Sept. 27 at Florida State College at the Jacksonville Kent Campus. “The Orange Line gives our customers direct access to shopping, college campuses, medical facilities and our entire transportation network at the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla.”

The ribbon cutting was attended by officials from the Jacksonville City Council, Clay County Board of Commissioners, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region IV Administrator Dr. Yvette Taylor, JTA officials and Dr. John Avendano, president of Florida State College at Jacksonville.

The First Coast Flyer Orange Line completes the JTA’s 58-mile BRT system, the largest in the Southeast United States. The Orange Line features 13 branded stops and stations in both directions with real-time passenger information, premium amenities, onboard Wi-Fi, traffic signal priority at busy intersections and segments of bus-only lanes.

The $33 million project is part of a $138 million BRT program that began in 2014 with the ground breaking of the First Coast Flyer Green Line. The FTA provided $90 million in grant funding, along with the Florida Department of Transportation, which provided $24 million in state match to JTA’s local investment.

WeGo Public Transit Safety Message

As part of its ongoing effort to get all riders to mask up, WeGo Public Transit (Nashville,TN) is taking the federal mask mandate to its riders with a special message. A giant face mask has been created in house, and is on display on a parked passenger van at the WeGo Central bus station in downtown Nashville.

“Communicating COVID safety is a top priority at WeGo,” WeGo Marketing, Communications and Sales Director Renuka Christoph said. “As we continue to utilize traditional communication channels for messaging, we hope that masking one of the vehicles in our fleet will garner some attention and help to keep everyone safe.”

The temporary installation is a visual reminder that masks continue to be required on all WeGo vehicles and in all WeGo facilities to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Painted on the front of the mask are the words, “PLEASE MASK UP.”

“We prioritize the safety of everyone who utilizes our public transit system,” WeGo Senior Safety Program Manager Nicholas Oldham said. “All WeGo vehicles and facilities are being tested for COVID-19 on a rotating schedule to help mitigate the risk of communal COVID-19 infectious spread.”

The masked van is slated to remain in place for the duration of the mask requirement. In addition to requiring masks, WeGo continues to disinfect high touch point surfaces and follow stringent health and safety protocols.

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Partners with RTC To Offer Transit Riders Free Access To Books, Audiobooks, Magazines And Movies

Transit riders in the Las Vegas metropolitan area can now access free movies, eBooks, audiobooks and magazines, thanks to a new partnership between the Regional Transportation Commission of southern Nevada (RTC) and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.

The Library District is bringing the library on board all RTC buses through its Libby app. RTC transit riders in the southern Nevada service area can now join thousands of local residents who already enjoy this easy-to-use, free app.

The Library District’s Libby app is simple to use and offers hundreds of options for users to read and watch during their commute. Through the app, transit riders can become library users at anytime, anywhere with their mobile device.

“Our agency is committed to increasing accessibility for our customers, and this is a unique way that we can help support our riders with tools and resources to grow, learn and enrich their lives,” said M.J. Maynard, RTC chief executive officer. “We are excited about this meaningful collaboration with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District to bring the library straight to our transit riders who may not have the ability to access a library location.”

Using a digital device, riders can access the Libby app with RTC Wi-Fi or by scanning the QR code inside each bus. Once downloaded, riders can simply sign up by entering their mobile number, and the library system will instantly verify the new account, allowing immediate access to customers to begin borrowing eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and movies at no cost. For those who do not ride the bus, the Libby app is available for all residents and can be downloaded via the Apple app store, Google Play, or through QR codes featured at RTC transit centers, on buses and bus shelter advertising.

For more information about the partnership and to download the Libby app, visit LVCCLD.org/Anywhere.

Laketran Ridership Recovery Among Top In Nation

Laketran (Lake County, OH) ranked 32nd in a recent Federal Transit Administration report comparing the ridership recovery of 3,000 transit systems nationwide. The report compared ridership data from June 2019 to June 2021, showing a 67 percent ridership recovery for the agency.

Laketran attributes safety, service improvements and its reliable workforce as reasons why Laketran’s ridership has recovered quicker than national averages.

In a recent survey of passengers, 98 percent of customers felt safe while riding transit, which is similar to the result Laketran received surveying its customers in October 2020.

Laketran CEO Ben Capelle said the agency’s ridership recovery is now at about 73 percent, and continues to grow week by week, but it varies significantly by the mode of service.

“We operate three very unique services and the pandemic has impacted each one differently,” said Capelle. “Our local routes have recovered to nearly 90 percent and have been recovering since last summer. Those who rely on us to get to work and shopping have been riding throughout the pandemic, and now we are seeing students going back to campus and seniors who are more comfortable riding since they are vaccinated.”

Launching new service and programs has helped local route ridership return to pre-pandemic numbers. Earlier this year, Laketran launched Transit GO, a new transit benefit program for Lake County employers that allows employees to take Laketran to and from work free. There are 135 businesses and 250 participants enrolled in the program.

Laketran also started new partnerships with two high schools to offer student transit benefits, allowing students to ride for free to improve access to after school jobs, college courses at Lakeland Community College, and extracurricular activities. Laketran has enrolled nearly 100 students since the launch last month.

Laketran’s door-to-door Dial-a-Ride service, that primarily serves seniors and people with disabilities, has seen 76 percent ridership recovery.

Laketran’s commuter Park-n-Ride service to Cleveland has been the slowest to recover.

“Park-n-Ride has not quite hit a 40 percent recovery rate and we’ve seen the majority of that increase in the last month,” said Capelle.

A dependable workforce has also contributed to Laketran’s ridership recovery.