Trippy Ride. Articulated bus bends its way downtown

1 year ago
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An articulated bus, also referred to as a banana bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, wiggle wagon, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, (either a motor bus or trolleybus) is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-decker, and comprises two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside and a cover plate on the floor. This allows a longer legal length than rigid-bodied buses, and hence a higher passenger capacity (94–120), while still allowing the bus to maneuver adequately.
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Articulated buses are typically 18 m (59 ft) long, in contrast to standard rigid buses at 11 to 14 m (36 to 46 ft) long.
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Early examples of the articulated bus appeared in Europe in the 1920s. In 1938, Twin Coach built an articulated bus for the city of Baltimore; this bus, which had four axles on a 47 ft (14.33 m) long body, was only articulated in the vertical direction to accommodate steep grades. 15 examples of the "Super Twin" were built in 1948, but it was not developed further.
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In the United States, articulated buses were imported from Europe and deployed in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
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The main benefits of an articulated bus over the double-decker bus are rapid simultaneous boarding and disembarkation through more and larger doors, somewhat larger passenger capacity, increased stability arising from a lower centre of gravity, smaller frontal area giving less air resistance than double decker buses thus better fuel efficiency, often a smaller turning radius, higher maximum service speed, the ability to pass under low bridges, and improved accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly.

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