Gillig Low Floor

The **Gillig Low Floor**, sometimes nicknamed the "Advantage", is a low floor transit and shuttle bus. The chassis is constructed from stainless steel, and the body is constructed from aluminum. The Low Floor has two derivative models: the Gillig BRT and Gillig Trolley Replica.

## Design history

What would become the Gillig Low Floor was developed for the Hertz Corporation as a courtesy shuttle bus dubbed the **H2000LF**. It was commissioned by Hertz who had wanted to offer their customers, particularly to those with luggage and with limited mobility, a bus that was easily accessible. The bus featured one door at the centre, carpeted floor, and waist-high luggage racks along one side of the bus. The low floor bus would later be made available to other companies and adapted for transit use with the first orders being placed in 1998.

Early Gillig Low Floor buses, including the H2000LF, had a smaller front windshield with a more pronounced destination sign cap. The front end was revised with an enlarged windshield beginning with the 2002 model in late 2001. Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority were among the first to take delivery of Low Floors with the new windshield. In 2005, a Gillig BRT front option was added, debuting with Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, while a Gillig Trolley Replica option was also added.

In the autumn of 2017, Gillig introduced an alternate appearance for the Low Floor. It has BRT headlights and a raised "Plus" roofline that merges into the front cap. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority was the first to take delivery of such buses.

### Alternative fuels

In 2002, Gillig delivered the first diesel-electric hybrid bus to Metro Transit in the Twin Cities. Two additional hybrid buses were subsequently delivered to Metro Transit in 2003.

After design refinements, Gillig made the diesel-electric hybrid option available in 2004. Design changes include adding a rooftop battery unit to the rear. The Allison parallel hybrid system was the initial option, and an option for the Voith parallel DIWAhybrid system was made available in 2008. The Central Contra Costa Transit Authority became the first customer to order the Voith option. The BAE Systems HybriDrive series system became an option in 2011.

Gillig partnered with Enviromech Industries in March 2010 to supply CNG systems for use in Gillig buses. Gillig was able to bid on low floor CNG contracts and won their first CNG order for the Seattle Tacoma Airport car rental shuttle.

On November 5, 2016, the Central Contra Costa Transit Authority unveiled the first fully-electric-powered Gillig Low Floor. The 29-foot Trolley Replica buses features an electric drivetrain with accessories from BAE Systems. The bus can be charged wirelessly during layovers and can be plugged in at the garage while it is out of service. The buses were funded in part by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

At the 2017 American Public Transportation Association Expo, Cummins and Gillig announced a partnership to develop and offer Cummins’ electric drivetrain in Gillig buses. The battery electric Gillig Low Floor was unveiled in May 2019. It uses a direct-drive traction motor with peak torque of 3500 Newton-metres. A 444 kilowatt hour lithium ion battery provides an estimated range of 150 miles. The bus uses plug-in charging. Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica, California was the first to receive the battery electric Low Floor.

## More photos

Original front design (1996-2001) on a 29' Gillig Low Floor.Current front design (2002-present) on a 40' Gillig Low Floor.Original rear design (1996-2006) on a 29' Gillig Low Floor with no center door.Gillig Low Floor with hybrid option.Gillig Low Floor with BRT front option and hybrid optionInterior of Lane Transit District 6206.Driver's console of Lane Transit District 6206.
## Operators

### United States

* Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District - Alameda & Contra Costa County, CA
* Alamo Rent-A-Car
* Albany Transit System (ATS) - Albany, GA
* Albany Transit System (ATS) - Albany, OR
* Altoona Metro Transit (Amtran) - Altoona, PA
* Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA) - Ann Arbor, MI
* Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) - Palmdale & Lancaster, CA
* AppalCART - Boone, NC
* Athens Public Transit - Athens, OH
* Autoridad Metropolitana de Autobuses (operated by First Transit) - San Juan, PR
* Avis Rent-A-Car
* Avon Transit - Avon, CO
* Basin Transit Service - Klamath Falls, OR
* Beaver County Transit Authority - Beaver Falls / Rochester, PA
* Belle Urban System - Racine, WI
* Beloit Transit System - Beloit, WI
* Ben Franklin Transit - Richland, WA
* Benicia Breeze - Benicia, CA
* Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority (BARTA) - Reading, PA
* Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System - Bloomington & Normal, IL
* Breckenridge Free Ride - Breckenridge, CO
* Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) - Brockton, MA
* Broome County Transit (B.C. Transit) - Binghamton, NY
* Broward County Transit - Fort Lauderdale & Broward County, FL
* Brownsville Urban System (BUS) - Brownsville, TX
* Bull Runner Transit (University of South Florida) - Tampa, FL
* Butte Regional Transit (B-Line) - Butte County, CA
* Cache Valley Transit District - Logan, UT
* Cambria County Transit Authority (CamTran) - Johnstown, Cambria County & Somerset County, PA
* Cambus (University of Iowa Transit) - Iowa City, IA
* Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA) - Gloucester, MA
* Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) - Hyannis, MA
* Capital Area Transit - Raleigh, NC
* Capital Area Transit System (CATS) - Baton Rouge, LA
* Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) - Albany, NY
* Capital Metro Transit - Austin, TX
* Cascades East Transit (CET) - Bend, OR (On Order)
* Cedar Rapids Transit - Cedar Rapids, IA
* Central Arkansas Transit Authority (CATA) - Little Rock, AR
* Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) - Central Contra Costa County, CA
* Central New York Regional Transportation Authority (CENTRO) - Syracuse, Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga & Oneida counties, NY
* Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) - Columbus & Franklin County, OH
* Chapel Hill Transit - Chapel Hill & Carrboro, NC
* Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) - Charlotte, NC
* Charlottesville Transit Service (CTS) - Charlottesville, VA
* Chatham Area Transit - Savannah GA
* Citibus - Kingston, NY
* Citibus - Lubbock, TX
* City of Loveland Transit - Loveland, CO
* City Utilities of Springfield - Springfield, MO
* Cities Area Transit (CAT) - Grand Forks, ND & East Grand Forks, MN
* Clark County Public Transit Benefit Area Authority (C-TRAN) - Vancouver & Clark County, WA
* Clarksville Transit System (CTS) - Clarksville, TN
* Collier Area Transit (CAT) - Collier County, FL
* Community Connector - Bangor, ME
* Community Urban Bus Service (CUBS) - Longview & Kelso, WA
* Concord Kannapolis Area Transit (Rider) - Concord, NC
* Connecticut Transit (CT Transit) - Stamford, Hartford & New Haven, CT
* Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) - Portsmouth, Dover & Exeter, NH
* Coralville Transit - Coralville, IA
* Corvallis Transit System (CTS) - Corvallis, OR
* County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) - Scranton, PA
* Crawford Area Transportation Authority - Meadville, PA
* CyRide - Ames, IA
* DASH (Alexandria Transit Company) - Alexandria, VA
* Davenport CitiBus - Davenport, IA
* Decatur Public Transit System - Decatur, IL
* Delaware Area Regional Transit
* Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority - Des Moines, IA
* Detroit Department of Transportation - Detroit, MI
* Disney Transport - Walt Disney World Resort, FL
* Duluth Transit Authority - Duluth, MN
* Durham Area Transit Authority - Durham, NC
* Dutchess County Public Transit - Dutchess County, NY
* Eau Claire Transit - Eau Claire, WI
* Erie Metropolitan Transportation Authority (the e) - Erie, PA
* Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) - Escambia County, FL
* Estuary Transit District - Centerbrook, CT
* Eureka Transit Service - Eureka, CA
* Everett Transit - Everett, WA
* Fayette Area Coordinated Transport (FACT) - Fayette County, PA
* Fayetteville Area System of Transit - Fayetteville, NC
* Five Seasons Transit - Cedar Rapids, IA
* Flint Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) - Flint, MI
* Fresno Area Express (FAX) - Fresno, CA
* Foothill Transit - San Gabriel & Pomona Valleys, CA
* Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corporation (Citilink) - Fort Wayne, IN
* Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) - Fort Worth, TX
* Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS) - Gainesville, FL
* Galesburg Transit - Galesburg, IL
* Go West Transit - Macomb, IL
* Golden Gate Transit - San Francisco, Marin & Sonoma County, CA
* Grant Transit Authority - Moses Lake, WA
* Grays Harbor Transit - Aberdeen, WA
* Greater Bridgeport Transit (gbt) - Bridgeport, CT
* Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (GDRTA) - Dayton, OH
* Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation (CityBus) - Lafayette & Tippecanoe County, IN
* Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (operated by First Transit) - Lynchburg, VA
* Greater Mankato Transit System - Mankato, MN
* Greater Portland Transit District - Portland, ME
* Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) - Richmond, VA
* Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) - Greensboro, NC
* Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) - Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News, VA
* Harrisburg Capital Area Transit (CAT) - Harrisburg, PA
* Harvard University Shuttle - Cambridge, MA
* Hazleton Public Transit (HPT) - Hazleton, PA
* Hertz Corporation
* Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) - Tampa & Hillsborough County, FL
* Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART) - Danbury, CT
* Hub City Transit - Hattiesburg, MS
* Huntington Area Rapid Transit - Huntington, NY
* Huskie Line - De Kalb, IL
* Indiana University Campus Bus Service - Bloomington, IN
* Indianapolis International Airport Shuttle Service - Indianapolis, IN
* Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (Indy-Go) - Indianapolis, IN
* Intercity Transit - Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater & Yelm, WA
* Intracity Transit - Hot Springs, AR
* Iowa City Transit - Iowa City, IA
* Island Transit - Oak Harbor, WA
* Jackson Transit Authority - Jackson, TN
* Jacksonville Transportation Authority - Jacksonville, FL
* JATRAN - Jackson, MS
* Jefferson City Transit - Jefferson City, MO
* Jefferson Transit - Jefferson County, WA
* Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority (KRT) - Charleston, WV
* Kansas City Area Transportation Authority - Kansas City, MO
* Kenosha Transit - Kenosha, WI
* King County Metro Transit (Metro) - Seattle, WA
* Ketchum-Sun Valley Public Transit Authority - Ketchum, ID
* La Crosse MTU - La Crosse, WI and vicinity
* LakeXpress - Lake County, FL
* Lane Transit District (LTD) - Eugene & Lane County, OR
* LeeTran - Lee County, FL
* Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) - Allentown & Lehigh Valley, PA
* Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee - Lewiston and Auburn, ME
* LINK Transit - Chlean & Douglas Counties, WA
* Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (Wheels) - Livermore & Amador Valley, CA
* Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) - Lowell, MA
* Luzerne County Transportation Authority (LCTA) - Wilkes-Barre & Luzerne County, PA
* Madison Metro - Madison, WI
* Manchester Transit Authority (MTA) - Manchester, NH
* Marshalltown Municipal Transit - Marshalltown, IA
* Mason Transit Authority - Shelton, WA
* McCarran International Airport - Las Vegas, NV
* Merced County Transit - Merced, CA
* Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA) - Haverhill & Lawrence, MA
* MET Transit - Waterloo, IA
* Metra - Columbus, GA
* Metro Area Transit (MAT) - Fargo, ND
* Metro Area Transit - Omaha, NE
* Metro Regional Transit Authority (MRTA) - Akron, ON
* Metro Transit - Kalamazoo, MI
* Metro Transit - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
* Metropolitan Area Commuter System - Fairbanks, AK
* Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority - Washington, DC
* Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority - Charleroi, PA
* Middletown Area Transit (MAT) - Middletown, CT
* Middletown Transit - Middletown, NY
* Milwaukee County Transit System - Milwaukee, WI
* Minnesota Valley Transit Authority - Burnsville, MN and surrounding suburbs
* Modesto Area Express - Modesto, CA
* Monroe County Transit Authority (Pocono Pony) - Stroudsburg, PA
* Montebello Bus Lines - Montebello, CA
* Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) - Monterey & Salinas, CA
* Mountain Metropolitan Transit - Colorado Springs, CO
* Nashua Transit System (NTS) - Nashua, NH
* National Rent-A-Car
* New Castle Area Transit Authority (NCATA) - New Castle, PA
* Newburgh Beacon Bus Corporation - NY
* Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) - Buffalo, NY
* Norwalk Transit District - Norwalk, CT
* Norwalk Transit System - Norwalk, CA
* Ohio State University Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) - Columbus, OH
* Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) - Orange County, CA (On Order)
* Ozark Regional Transit - Springdale, AR
* Pacific Transit System - Raymond, WA
* Paducah Area Transit System - Paducah, KY
* Palm Tran - Palm Beach County, FL
* Park BWI Airport - BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, MD
* People's Transit - Romulus, MI
* Petaluma Transit - Petaluma, CA
* Petersburg Area Transit (PAT) - Petersburg, VA
* Philadelphia International Airport shuttle (operated by First Transit) - Philadelphia, PA
* Pierce Transit - Pierce County, WA
* Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) - Clearwater, FL
* Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) - Springfield & Holyoke, MA
* Pocatello Regional Transit - Pocatello, ID
* Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) - Pittsburgh, PA
* Port of Seattle (Seattle Tacoma Airport) - Seattle, WA
* Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority - Portage County, OH
* Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) - Woodbridge, VA
* Poughkeepsie Transit - Poughkeepsie, NY
* Prince George's County Transit (The Bus) - Prince George's County, MD
* Pueblo Transit - Pueblo, CO
* Pullman Transit - Pullman, WA
* Razorback Transit - University of Arkansas
* Redwood Transit System (RTS) - Redwood, CA
* Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) - Columbia, MD
* Regional Transportation Commission - Reno, NV
* Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) - Rhode Island
* Ride-On - Montgomery County, MD
* RiverCities Transit - Longview & Kelso, WA
* RoadRUNNER Transit - Las Cruces, NM
* Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) - Rochester, NY and Vicinity
* Rochester Public Transit - Rochester, MN
* Rogue Valley Transportation District - Medford, OR
* St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission - St. Cloud, MN
* St. Louis Metro - St. Louis, MO
* Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services (STARS) - Saginaw, MI
* Salem Area Mass Transit District (Cherriots) - Salem, OR
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) - San Diego, CA
* San Joaquin Regional Transit District - Stockton, CA
* San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (SLO RTA) - San Luis Obispo County, CA
* San Luis Obispo Transit (SLO Transit) - San Luis Obispo, CA
* San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) - San Mateo County, CA
* Sandy Area Metro - Sandy, OR
* Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) - Santa Barbara County, CA
* Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority - San Jose & Santa Clara County, CA
* Santa Fe Trails - Santa Fe, NM
* Santa Rosa CityBus - Santa Rosa, CA
* Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) - Sarasota County, FL
* Sequoia Shuttle - Sequoia National Park, CA
* Shoreline Metro - Sheboygan, WI
* Shuttle-UM - University of Maryland
* Sioux City Transit - Sioux City, IA
* Sioux Falls Transit - Sioux Falls, SD
* Skagit Transit - Skagit County, WA
* South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART) - Wilsonville, OR
* South Portland Bus Service - South Portland, ME
* Southeast Area Transit (SEAT) - New London County, CT
* Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) - New Bedford & Fall River, MA
* Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) - Cincinnati, OH
* Spokane Transit Authority (STA) - Spokane, WA
* SporTran - Shreveport & Bossier City, LA
* Springs Transit - Colorado Springs, CO
* Springfield City Area Transit - Springfield, OH
* Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD) - Springfield, IL
* StarMetro - Tallahassee, FL
* Steamboat Springs Transit - Steamboat Springs, CO
* Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) - (Suburban) Detroit, MI (2001-2019)
* Sun Tran - Tucson, AZ
* Texas A&M University - College Station, TX
* TheBus - Honolulu, HI
* The Free Enterprise System - Louisville, KY
* The Jule - Dubuque, IA
* The Rapid - Grand Rapids, MI
* Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) - Ithaca & Tompkins County, NY
* Torrance Transit - Torrance, CA
* Town of Warwick - Warwick, NY
* Transfort - Fort Collins, CO
* Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) - Fort Wright, KY
* Transit Authority of River City (TARC) - Louisville, KY
* TransIT Services of Frederick County - Frederick County, MD
* TRANSPO - South Bend, IN
* Transport of Rockland - Rockland County, NY
* Tri Delta Transit - Eastern Contra Costa County, CA
* Tulsa Transit - Tulsa, OK
* Twin Transit - Centralia & Chehalis, WA
* UConn Transportation Services - Storrs, CT
* University Transit Service - University of Virginia
* Utah Transit Authority - Salt Lake City, UT
* Vail Transit - Vail, CO
* Valley Metro - Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
* Village of Kiryas Joel - Kiryas Joel, NY
* Visalia City Coach - Visalia, CA
* Volusia County Transit (Votran) - Volusia County, FL
* Waukesha Metro Transit - Waukesha, WI
* Wave Transit System - Mobile, AL
* Western Contra Costa County Transit Authority - Contra Costa County, CA
* Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) - Youngstown, OH
* Whatcom Transportation Authority - Bellingham, WA
* Windham Region Transit District (WRTD) - Windham Region, CT
* Winter Park Transit - Winter Park, CO
* Worcester Regional Transit Authority - Worcester, MA
* Woodburn Transit System - Woodburn, OR
* Yolo County Transportation District - Woodland, CA
* Yosemite Transportation System - Yosemite National Park
* Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority - Yuma, AZ

## References

1. ↑ Hertz Introduces the H2000LF -- The Bus of the Future (press release). The Hertz Corporation. 19 May 1997. Retrieved on 02 March 2014.
2. ↑ BAE Systems HybriDrive® Series Green Propulsion System Orders Surpass 3,500 (Press release). 23 May 2011. Retrieved on 28 May 2011,
3. ↑ EMI Natural Gas Fuel Systems for Gillig Buses. 27 March 2010. *NGV Global News*. Retrieved on 28 May 2011
4. ↑ [http://www.baesystems.com/en/article/zero-emission-buses-in-service-at-walnut-creek Zero-emission Buses in Service at Walnut Creek. Press release. BAE Systems, 31 Jan. 2017. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
5. ↑ Roman, Alex. “A Closer Look at GILLIG, Cummins Battery Electric Bus Partnership.” Metro Magazine, 01 July 2019.
6. ↑ Altoona Test bus 1016. The Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. Retrieved on 01 May 2012.
7. ↑ Altoona Test bus 1109. The Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. Retrieved on 01 May 2012.
8. ↑ Altoona Test bus 1306. The Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. Retrieved on 04 September 2014.

* Gillig Low Floor Spec Sheet (2001)
* Gillig Low Floor Spec Sheet
* Personal notes & sightings