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The "New Flyer of a Nova"

Jonathan

Back in December of 2018, the CTA brought more 7900-series fleets of the NovaBus LFS, a Canadian-based bus model, which stands for the "Low-Floor Series." This time, these buses has minor changes with the look and aesthetics as well as the windows. First, the windows are completely unopenable, they are also tinted to help reduce light glare levels while riding the bus for maximum passenger comfort during the summer. Next, the rear of the bus is windowless. Passengers are unable to see the view on the back of these buses and it has expanded heating and cooling equipment inside the engine, which makes you feel like you're on a New Flyer bus. Then, on the inside, the advertisement placeholders are on both sides of the bus, not just one side, also similar to the New Flyers and the old "scrap" Novas from early 2000 through 2002. The last thing is the bus destination signage. The digital LED signage is totally different than on the current models from 2014-2016. These signs are built by Luminator and Hanover and it's called the "TwinVisions," as found on the New Flyer XE40s (one unfortunately retired after a fire) and the retrofitted New Flyer D40LF numbered #1249. However, some YouTubers did not like the 'ugly' bold font on the bus signage because it would have been considered less readable and hard to see. These signs are also not fully integrated with Clever Devices either, according to Kristen Forest's YouTube video (click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxUcbsK9jEg), bus #8347 had a blank sign on the top, and on the run numbers, it just shows 4 zeros which is totally weird. The bus was literally running route #56 heading northbound to Jefferson Park Terminal, where you can connect to the Metra station and the Blue Line. These buses were part of a revised modernization program to replace aging fleet of Novas from 2000-2002 by the end of 2019, and that's when the new 'L' cars are set to be on the tracks this winter (it's on production at the CRRC manufacturing plant now in Chicago's far south side)! As with some concerns about it's bus sign not always working, the bus itself is no exception. It's the New Flyer of a Nova and I will consider them as "newbies". It feels like a Pace suburban bus with the ElDorado BRTs too. So with that, this is the next generation of the CTA bus. This is what's going to look like on future Chicago buses with the upcoming electric buses from Proterra? and so on.

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