Quote Originally Posted by stasu1213 View Post
I had suggested years ago on this site that DDOT and SMART bring back the shorter shuttle like busses on lighter lines and during off hours and on weekends for runs such as 610, 580, 635. Many naysayers had said that it was a bad idea. I had suggested this idea to DDOT and SMART but both had shot it down. ...
If I found this in 10 minutes of searching the internet, it must be pretty well known in the industry that smaller buses cost less than the large buses. What reason, then would SMART and DDOT have for keeping the large buses? Planning for peak times?

Cost Driver 4 – Average Bus Size

The second most important factor that drives system costs is the average size of its buses as measured by seating capacity. Surprisingly, bus size impacts OpEx costs more than it impacts capital. Each additional seat adds 2½% to OpEx costs and 1½% to capital

In other words, a system consisting of 40-seat buses costs almost 50% more to run than a 20-seat system. Average seating capacity ranges between 12 and 51. Increasing bus size decreases reliability. Vehicle system failures rates double as seating capacity increases from 36 to 48 seats. We find that the size related cost impact is due predominantly to increased costs in maintenance, administration, and materials rather than in operations.