Fresno FAX 2024 Gillig BRT Plus (2404) Full Ride

NEW buses have joined the FAX fleet! Within the past month or two, FAX accepted the delivery of twelve 2024 Gillig BRT Plus buses, which began to enter service earlier this month, with the first four units (2403-2406) entering service on August 9th, 2024. Over the next few weeks, the rest of the '24 units would enter service, with all but one of the twelve units entering service by the 17th. As of the making of this video, 2408 has yet to enter service, but it is likely to enter service in the coming days. These buses mark the first order of buses from Gillig since 2021, and also mark the first significant spec change since 2019. These buses bring back the 1999-2019 FAX seat fabric, which was last used on buses 1905-1906, before being replaced with the 2016 FAX15 seat fabrics, until now. In addition, a row of seats next to the Q'Straint Quantum automated wheelchair securement was removed, with a barrier in its place. Also, the front row of priority seating was changed to the same types of seats seen on the FAX 2011 and 2012 Gillig BRT buses. The depot parking stall slot holder was also moved from the drivers' area to closer to the door. From the outside, the most notable change is the rear lights, with the top circular lights being replaced with larger amber lights instead of red lights. In addition, two additional rows of brake lights were included. Other than that, it is still a regular Gillig BRT Plus with a standard L9N/Allison combo that has been standard on FAX buses since 2018. Meanwhile, FAX is preparing for service its first ever Hydrogen Fuel Cell buses, buses 2401 and 2402, which are New Flyer XHE40 buses. This also marks the first time FAX has ordered Xcelsior buses, and the first time FAX has ordered from New Flyer since 2009. Once fully in service, these fourteen buses in total, the final three remaining 2005 New Flyer C40LF buses (0508-0510) are expected to be retired, along with a handful of the fourteen remaining 2006 New Flyer C40LFR buses (0601-0606; 0608-0615). In addition, they will cause the reallocation of various 2009 New Flyer C40LFR buses (0901-0916) into the spare fleet for use when regular buses are out of service for maintenance, etc. For the time being, they are being used as subs on various routes, meaning it shouldn't be too difficult to catch one. Enjoy the video! Year: 2024 Model: Gillig BRT Plus Engine: Cummins Westport L9N Transmission: Allison B400R Unit #: 2404 Route: 26 Capture Device: iPhone 15 Pro (Date of Recording: 8/21/2024)