PBA Member, ABC Companies and Proterra Inc, announced the official opening of the largest electric motorcoach charging facility in North America. Located on a 3.5-acre campus in Newark, California, the facility is equipped to charge up to 40 electric motorcoaches with 20 dual-cable EV charging dispensers and can support up to 1.4 megawatts of EV charging power. The facility enables enhanced service, delivery, training and support for the growing number of Van Hool 100% electric motorcoaches, which are powered by Proterra’s battery technology. Read more...

PBA Member, Motor Coach Industries, announced the delivery of three zero-emission, battery-electric MCI J4500 CHARGE™ coaches to Roberts Hawaii, the largest transportation provider in the 50th state. Roberts Hawaii is the first US operator to run the MCI J4500 CHARGE™ zero-emission coaches in tour and charter operations. Supported by funding from the Hawaii State Energy Office and the Hawaii Department of Health through the Diesel Replacement Rebate Program, Roberts Hawaii fully electric motor coaches help to meet the state’s net-negative emissions targets and future-skills workforce development initiatives. Read more...

Have You Contacted Your Senators and Representatives Yet?

Senators. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Tax Exemption Act in the Senate (S.1944). S.1944 is companion legislation to the House bill (H.R. 3510) re-introduced in May.

Bill H.R. 3510, reintroduction of a bill that would eliminate the tax burden for those who received CERTS Act money during the pandemic, was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means after being sponsored by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.). The bill has since garnered the support of Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Jared Golden (R-Maine), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), and John Rose (R-Tenn.).

We need your help to advocate for our industry! Please contact your Senators and ask them to support S. 1944 and contact your Representatives and ask them to support H.R. 3510. Below are two easy forms that will only take a few minutes of your time to complete.

Registration is open for the 10th Annual PBA Motorcoach Safety & Preparedness Workshop scheduled for August 16, 2023.

This year's sessions have been designed to address issues that a variety of our members are seeking. Members and their key staff will be able to pick and choose which topics are most relevant to their job responsibilities.

Session Topics:

• Regulatory and Compliance Updates from FMCSA
• ADA Compliance with Jill Nagy, Summers Nagy Law Offices
• Vehicle Inspections and Panel with PA State Police
• Camera Use Discussion - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with John Bailey & Rich Rombach, Bailey Coach
• Branding & Marketing Your Company with Michelle Damiano, Impressions WHQ
• Mechanic's Roundtable
• DEF: Basic After Treatment System

Get more information and register today!

PBA is joining New England Bus, Connecticut Bus, Greater New Jersey Motorcoach, New York Bus and Mass Bus on September 6, 2023 at the Spa at the Norwich Inn, Norwich, CT. The content will include presentations that affect the collective association members from CARB 24 to knowing your rights when pulled over by the police. Sponsor opportunities available. Click here for more information and to register. If questions, please give us a call at the PBA office.

Marketplace - March 25-26, 2024

The 2024 Marketplace will be hosted by Happy Valley Adventure Bureau at the Nittany Valley Sports Centre in State College, PA on Tuesday, March 26.

Annual Conference - June 17-20, 2024

The 2024 Annual Conference will be hosted by Visit Ithaca in Ithaca, NY! While we will be experiencing the area with FAMS, Dine-Around Night and Opening & Closing venues at area partners, the meetings will be held at Hotel Ithaca. The beautiful, renovated Hotel Ithaca is located in the heart of downtown Ithaca and is less than 1 mile from both Cornell University and Ithaca College.

Shapiro Administration, Transportation Stakeholders Discuss Transportation Investments, Highlight 2023 Progress

In just six months, 74 bridge projects have been completed – including the quick repair to I-95 in Philadelphia – and 1,200 miles of roadway were improved. Read more...

Gettysburg to Test Bus Parking 

Bus parking places will be created under a 90-day pilot program, a divided Gettysburg Borough Council decided last week. Under the program, some “under-utilized” on-street parking spaces are to become slots for buses, Borough Manager Gable said during a recent council workshop meeting. Read more...

PennDOT Reopens Key State Roads in Bucks, Northampton Counties Weeks Ahead of Schedule

Less than two weeks after roads were closed due to devastating flooding, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has reopened all state roads in Northampton County and Route 532, a key state road in Bucks County, weeks ahead of schedule.  Read more...

Congress Members Express Concern Over EPA’s Emission Standards

More than 30 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle signed off on a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expressing concerns over a rule that would set stricter greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles.

On July 18, members of Congress, led by Reps. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., and Chris Pappas, D-N.H., sent a letter to the EPA regarding the “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3” rule. The rule would require 25% of new heavy vehicles sold in the United States to be all-electric by 2032. In the letter, Congress members noted how the proposed rule was rushed. Read more...

CVSA Brake Safety Week August 20-26, 2023

During Brake Safety Week, inspectors will be paying special attention to brake lining/pad violations. Read more...

FMCSA 2024 Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Fees

On June 22, FMCSA published an amended UCR fee schedule final rule for 2024. The final rule is effective July 24, 2023. Read more...

FMCSA Removes Four Devices From Registered ELD List

Devices from All Truckers ELD, PrimELD, and Secure ELD have been removed from the list of registered ELDs. FMCSA has placed these ELDs on the revoked services list because they failed to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A, effective July 25. Read more...

MTA’s Traffic Mobility Review Board Meets to Discuss Congestion Pricing Tolling Scenarios

The Traffic Mobility Review Board (TMRB), the six-member panel that will issue a recommended tolling structure for congestion pricing to the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) Board, recently held its first public meeting. Read more...

Canada Announces ELD Violation Penalties

On July 10, Transport Canada announced that enforcement officers across the country will now be able to issue fines to drivers or carriers for violations of the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours-of-Service Regulations. Fine amounts range from $300 to $1,000 for drivers, and $600 to $2,000 for motor carriers. Read more...

Believe it or Not, Bus Travel is Back 

With extreme weather and logistical challenges sending air travel into disarray, travelers are increasingly turning to an oft-overlooked and folksy alternative: long-distance, inter-city buses. Read more... 

Autonomous Buses on the Road for Trial in Central Florida City 

Beep has officially hit some streets in Florida. July 24th was the first day these autonomous shuttles were on the road as part of Altamonte Springs’ pilot program meant to give residents more transportation options and fight congestion. Read more... 

AI and the Travel Industry: What to Know

You've likely been hearing quite a lot about artificial intelligence (AI) lately and its potential to alter how the travel industry functions in the future. From generating itineraries to helping with business planning, AI's capabilities are seemingly vast. But what else needs to be considered? Read more...

Study Reveals Most Eco-Friendly Way to Travel

Wanderu recently published the results from its latest study, showing that buses are even more eco-friendly than trains (by up to 50%).The study also checked out the average carbon dioxide emissions for each of these travel modes. The Congressional Budget Office has reported that transportation is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S., and 83% of emissions in the transportation sector come from cars and trucks. Based on the study's fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emission data, the most sustainable mode of traveling in the U.S. is via intercity bus, followed by trains. Intercity buses use 280.1 passenger miles/gallon, while trains use 79.8 passenger miles/gallon. Read more...

40 Years on the Road with Willie Nelson: Inside Bus Driver Tony Sizemore's Life with the Icon 

The music legend's bus driver Tony Sizemore has done it all during his 40 years of touring him, from meeting U.S. presidents to being locked up. Read more...

ICYMI

Alerts, Invitations, Press Releases, and more are sent out to our Members as needed. Here are the emails we sent out since last Go News below.

• NEW Session Added to the Motorcoach Safety & Preparedness Workshop!