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Million Mile Couple
In June, GTA celebrated the drivers who have driven
one or two million passenger miles without a
preventable accident. Twenty-
five fixed-route and paratransit
operators earned the
prestigious honor – including a
husband and wife. Stephen and
Liz McKinnon have served the
riders of Greensboro for more
than three decades each.
Hailing from High Point, Stephen McKinnon attributes
his safe driving record to utilizing all of the skills
developed through training classes and longevity
behind the wheel. Liz McKinnon, born in Greenville,
SC, was Greensboro’s first African-American female
bus operator. She describes her key to safe driving as
“A.G.K.L.M.” – Aim high in steering; Get the big picture;
Keep your eyes moving; Leave yourself an out; and
make sure they see you. Those are valuable goals for
all drivers, but especially for those at the helm of a 40-
foot transit bus.
In the early 1900’s Greensboro relished its use of
modern-day transportation technology with the
deployment of electric powered trolleys and trolley-
buses.
As the original “green” transportation mode, these
electric vehicles, operated by Duke Power, served
passengers with low noise, no emissions, and unlimited
fuel supply for daily transit services. However, the buses
and trolleys were limited in movement to the vicinity of
the overhead catenary wires. They went where the wires
went. Trolley-buses had a little wiggle room to move
around a stalled car or a stubborn mule. It had one path,
and if that path was blocked, you just had to wait. Call it
traffic congestion, 1940s style.
Almost a century later, Greensboro is set to embark on
another foray into electric power with the purchase of
new electric-powered transit buses.
The decision to go with all electric buses was a business
decision. It is estimated that over the 12 year, 500,000-
mile useful life of a bus, Greensboro will save $325,000
per bus in total life cycle costs. The electric buses cost
more to purchase up front, but require less maintenance
and much lower fuel costs when compared to diesel or
hybrid buses. With the need to replace up to 50 buses
over the next seven years, the $325,000 savings will go
a long way. The fact that there are zero emissions and
reduced noise are added benefits.
The new generation electric bus, expected to enter
service by fall 2018, does not rely on the restrictive
overhead wires or a continuous connection to the
electric grid. Its propulsion will come directly from an
electric motor powered by on-board capacitors – or
batteries – with the equivalent of up to 105,000 AA
batteries.
The Future Is Electric
G R E E N S B O R O T R A N S I T A U T H O R I T Y
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