Omnitrans Planning Director, Rohan Kuruppu, and the new sbX bus
The first of the new sbX articulated buses arrived at Omnitrans the end of last month. It’s so new, in fact, that it still has shrink wrap on the front and paper covers on the carpet. We thought we’d take you on a tour of what you can expect to see the first time you board when the sbX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) begins in early 2014.
When viewing the sbX bus from the outside, you’re immediately struck by how long the vehicle actually is. At 60-feet, it’s a full 20-feet longer than our regular, fixed-route buses. It also has five doors, two on the driver’s side and three on the opposite side. Five doors are necessary for the express vehicles in order to accommodate both center platform stations and curbside service.
Bus passes and fares will be the same for both the Omnitrans fixed-routes and the Sbx express service, and bus pass vending machines will be available at selected stations. There is a fare box at the driver entrance and two scanners at rear entrances. Simply swipe your pass and you’re good to go.
The inside of the bus feels bright, spacious and comfortable. There are 41 passenger seats and a standing capacity of 65.
Interior view of the sbX bus from the rear seat
On either side of the aisle in rear entrance of the sbX bus are two interior bicycle racks that can hold up to 4 bikes apiece.
The ramps on the sbX bus provide almost level docking for greater ease in the boarding of bicycles and wheelchairs.
The front of the sbX bus has fold-up seats to accommodate up to four wheelchairs, two of them forward-facing and two rear-facing, depending upon the rider’s preference.
sbX uses Q’Straint Wheelchair securement, one of the the world’s most effective wheelchair passenger safety solutions for public transportation
When you are riding sbX BRT, you never have to worry about your cell phone, tablet or computer running out of juice. Just plug your device into one of the electrical outlets available overhead. Each sbX bus also has wifi capabilities.
And finally, if you really want to have fun, grab one of the four seats available within the articulated section of the bus. There’s lots of leg room and you get a bit more sway in your ride!
Twelve more of the sbX vehicles are due to arrive over the next 12 months, and service is scheduled to begin in early 2014.
For more photos, visit us on Flickr!
About sbX
The sbX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project is the first-of-its kind express service to be constructed in the Inland Empire. It is the beginning of an intermodal public transit system in the San Bernardino Valley that will help reduce vehicle congestion while providing the public an environmentally friendly alternative that is sophisticated, cost effective, and time efficient.
The 15.7-mile corridor spans between northern San Bernardino and Loma Linda. It will include 16 art-inspired stations at key university, government, business, entertainment and medical centers as well as four park-and-ride facilities.
Visit the Omnitrans sbX Facebook page!
http://facebook.com/omnitrans.sbx
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Email Juno Kughler Carlson at juno.carlson@omnitrans.org
Omnitrans Public Transit News for the San Bernardino Valley 
Noted: “…greater ease in the boarding of *bicycles* and wheelchairs.”
So bikes will be allowed onboard? Awesome.
Yes. Each sbX bus has 2 interior racks that can hold up to 4 bikes each. Nice, right?
I live down in the Chino Hillls area and I am curious to know. Will there be more SBX routes that would be closer to home?
Right now, the two proposed routes through Chino Hills are the Grand/Edison Corridor and the Euclid Avenue Corridor.