I believe Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) in North Carolina was one of the longest running operators of RTS buses. They had them from 1980 until 2021. Their last models were rebuilt 2000 Nova Bus RTS-06s.

When I drove out of the 59th St. Garage in Manhattan in the 80s the RTSs were beloved by the drivers for their smooth ride & easy handling.

Awesome video, excellent commemoration for this legend of transit! Loved the RTS in the late 80's on the x27 out of Gleason with the expeess seats ...and in the mid 90's with the raised cloth seats and Alcoa wheels when the x27 switched to Ulmer - right before the arival of the great MCIs...😎👍

In the RTS 03 segment, the photo featured for the T8H-603 was NFTA bus 5023 assigned to the Cold Springs Garage working the (defunct) 9-Parkside route in Buffalo, NY. NFTA was the very first recipient of that variant, receiving sixty five of those buses and placing them into service November 1978. Their fleet numbers (5001-5065) corresponded with the serial numbers 001-065. In 1980, another batch was put into service, fleet numbers 5066-5078. Among the differences with these, besides updated trim, was the addition of a rear door wheelchair lift.

I miss the RTS Bus. I used to like hearing the back door slam when I was a kid. And I loved to see when it scared someone out of their sleep. 10:39 The back door was LOUD.

12:07 what a great product! They executed it so well keeping the clean look. Wish it succeeded. Less than 40 were made. Probably only 30 on the road still. Mostly in good Texas weather.

Long lives the RTS.

Man Those RTS history can fill a library nice work sonic 👌

Also, after the 04 rolled out, transit agencies already running 01s and 03s retrofitted them with either rear mount or roof mount aftermarket AC units. The rear mount units required a fiberglass cowl to cover it, thus eliminating the distinctive slope on the rear of the bus. The only agency to keep the slope, but refitted with roof mount Sutrak units was SEPTA (Philadelphia).

I love my rts’s but with the awesome sounding 2 stroke Detroits

The Millennium RTS design was also changed from a V-drive powertrain configuration to a T-drive like most other buses

YAY RTS!!

One of my favorite transit busses. I didn't know they were made for so long since TARC[who I was hoping to see a pic of] stopped using them well before their last Flxible Metro said bye-bye in the early 00s, that ran with them. I wonder if they ever got passenger friendly windows, that was one thing people hated about them, especially the non a/c models with the back window.

My personal nickname for this model (when they were in use in my city) was "moon buses". They looked science-fictional, like Star Wars Imperial stormtrooper armor. You could have plunked one down on the set of the 1980's original Battlestar Galactica, or had Gil Gerard behind the wheel as Buck Rogers, and it would have fit right in!

I’m going to miss those busses

Noice! Just subbed 👍

There are rumors about RTS Articulated, it's supposed to Puerto Rico AMA 84813 to 84820. Because this ones and the MAN SG310 84801 to 84812, originally supossed an Articulated Fleet of 20 units like the information on AMA 1983-1984 booklet. But AMA reject the RTS Mega due to one reason, they need a rear axle turns like front axle to curve on narrow streets

I honestly thought the RTS and Novabus LFS were the same bus but high floored as toddler mainly because of their front window

What's up Sonic and that was a great history lesson about the RTS . The GOAT of Transit Bus !!!

Man i miss the rts where they ruled south florida back in the day (80's and 90's).

Being born in 2007, i was lucky I got to ride on the RTS-06 buses as the Winston Salem Transit Authority (North Carolina) ran them up until 2021. 1600-1620 were RTS-06 from 1996 and were retired around the time the Gillings were brought in by 2010 and 2013. I'll get the rest of the facts from a Wikipedia page i found for the WSTA and give an update

I never knew they had a hybrid or a fuel cell version I miss the RTS bus PVTA was my home system for 16 years so I have mixed memories of that area but PVTA is a good system overall.

A couple notes about the Evelution of the RTS in 1958 a sketch of the RTX apeared in the GM design studio In 1959 the Newlook went into production in 1968 3 RTX prototyps were built 2 3 axal lowfloor and 1 3 axal standard floor all were 45' long and all compleatly made of fiberglass wich made them light weight only 6 tons they were built for the Transbus project and for GMs gas turbine project in 1969 1 of the RTX busses was used for deplay at GMs Progress of Power event when and the RTX busses were also used in a few citys for testing poupouses however the buses being lowfloor and fiberglass they didnt pass GMs crash test in 1970 the RTS T3 was built the floor was raised to standard tranit height and the body and sub chassis was made from stainless steel with lower fiberglass side skirts the RTST3 it was only 40' 2axal bus because the transit agencys didnt want a 3 axal bus so GM decided to go with 2 axal it being a 2 axal bus it was gona be to heavey to be 45' for only 2 axales at 16 and a half tons because the RTST3 would pass GMs crash test The 3 were built the transbus progect got canceled GM put the Transbus ,RTX,and the RTST3 in storage GM started working on replacement for the newlook in 1975 the Classic bus went on the drawing board however the design studio started working on the RTS ll the RTS ll word got out that GM was working on the RTS ll and it apeared at a apta show and some transit agencys wanted the RTS ll GM wasnt planing on producing the RTS because they were going to go with the Classic for repacesment of the Newlook and do long term testing on the RTS and by the time the classic needed to be replaced the RTS would be ready however there were problems with the Classic deign and deveopment work continued on the RTS ll the demand for the RTS ll higher than the Classic in the USA so GM decided to build both the Classic and the RTS ll in the Newlook bus production would only come from GMDD out of canada and production of the RTS ll and Classic began the Classic was having production problems so profuction of the Classic was held up until 1982 when production was also moved to GMDD so GM Truck&Coach could spennd all their efforts on the RTSll since orders for the RTS were more than for the Classic as fasr as articulated RTSs there were 3 prototypes built by GM a 55' a 60' and 65' atrticulated none were ever ordered so production of the RTS atics never went any further than the 3 prototypes and as far as a 30' 'RTS The transit agenceis asked for a 30' but GM refuesd to build a 30' vertion dont know why GM refuesed to but all the other Manufactures did end up building a 30' vertion of the RTS so if you see a 30' RTS with a GMC badge on it its a cut down or someone has placed it on there themselves i love the RTS 😊

It wasn't a matter of canadian TA not giving them a chance from the start. The canadian government didn't allow them until Novas models. There was on a few imported from the US, those were in B.C with Charter Bus Lines who used them on the YVR airport shuttle. They had a few more on their way up when customs flagged them. Thats when it was found they snuck a few across already. Those busses were grandfathered into Canada, but the new shipment was denied. Canadas answer to the RTS debacle was the Classic. Which to me, being a T.T.C brat, is superior to the RTS as thats what i grew up with dad driving. Tho i do love the RTS as well

Fun fact the Toronto Transit Commision operates those bus and now retired

Rip rts and Rtx 1968-2019

If millennium was successful with NJ Transit there would still be RTS busses around at least until 2011. Instead of the NABI ones.

The WFD (Wide Front Door) RTS increased the value of the RTS, it provided front door wheelchair lift access, which was a big request for years from transit properties. CTA was the main one and the launch customer for it.

What about the Fishbowl and FlXible buses?

The bus at 8:48 I used to ride on those buses

This year makes the 40th anniversary of the MTA enhanced RTS', and this 2 years since the retirement constance of our buses. This buses are best awarded with square backs and diesel powered source(RTS-04s and 06s). I wonder what the hybrid sounds like with these models. But the CNG powered version of these are fuel efficient, but not enough power to it's design. My favorites are these buses with Series 50(even with DDEC version) for less pollutions(except for the engine noise volume). 2019 was the end of the legacy of the countrywide RTS'(except for the privately owned RTS'). Happy 40+ years of these high floor advanced buses.

What’s the name of the intro theme song?

I see you have a couple of pictures of buses from Detroit MI

Believe it or not, the RTSs we had (like the one at 6:48) were hated after their rehabs, mostly by the drivers. Before 2000-2001, the drivers never had any problems with them. But afterwards, they were real hated. From slow takeoffs, to them breaking down alot. I rode a few that was in decent shape, but also some that were falling off the idge. The ones that didn't get rehab (the most decent ones) were retired by 2005. The entire CTA TMC RTS fleet was retired on December 22,2008.

They were OKAY ... but the infamous Grumman Flexble looked better to me, especially in the NYCTA livery.

Curious what the bus at 8:51 is sorry about?

Fun Fact: The Laredo bus company El Metro once used the RTS buses but in 2016 the bus was retired

8:19 the type of bus that got crushed by the Russian Cargo ship's bulbous bow in "The Day After Tomorrow"

Check out this short clip from 1982's Death Wish 2 and look what turns up. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/d56orJyZmtXQmIU.html

There were also RTS buses that ran on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Gary, Indiana had two Novabus 35-foot RTS buses.

TTC had *1* JOB of getting an RTS bus, but no! Let's get the wide front door RTS varient!

9:13 i rode on those busses!!

Has anyone ridden the new NYC hybrid buses? My god these rattle traps are worse than the GM "Fishbowl"! What a pity the RTSs were discontinued. Smoothest riding buses ever. What was the "thinking" behind eliminating them? Yes a lot were 40 y/o but they could be refurbished virtually forever.

I wonder why the low-Floor RTS was Never put in service or the articulated RTS never put in service? 🤔

But they no longer in service

Bro I am shocked

I remember I heard about a Zinc Air battery RTS demo bus built by Novabus Here a link to a video about this Since Air battery RTS bus kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r7J6qtemqLfNYJc.html

They always appeared ‘modern’ looking to me.