![Crews are now creating pathways for the primary and secondary wiring conduits to bring power from Edison to the equipment controlling the charging pad at the Lancaster transfer center. [contributed]](https://www.theavtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AVTA-installing-wireless-charging-system-.jpg)
The construction project will impact passengers who use the park’s transfer center to connect with public transit. AVTA intends to relocate several of its boarding locations, as construction will make the bus bays inaccessible from Feb. 1 through March 1.
During construction, Routes 10, 94, 785, 786 and 787 will board passengers along the southern side of the park on Avenue K-8. Route 4 and the Lake L.A. Express will board passengers along the eastern side of the park on 10th Street West, and Routes 1, 5, 11 and 12 will board along the northern side of the platform, which will not be obstructed by construction.
The in-ground inductive charging system was developed by Utah-based WAVE Inc. Once completed, AVTA will have the capacity to wirelessly charge the batteries of up to four electric buses each hour, enabling them to remain in service as long as their diesel counterparts.
AVTA also plans to install a WAVE charging pad at the Palmdale Transportation Center as part of its pilot program to demonstrate this new technology. Construction at the Palmdale Transportation Center is expected to begin within the next two weeks.
“As a Board, we have a goal of 100% electrification of our bus fleet, and as we begin building the
charging infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for a complete fleet conversion,” stated Board Chairman Marvin Crist. “Growth is an important factor, and this technology allows for future fleet expansion without range limitation. Wireless charging is the wave of the future and will enable electric buses to operate all day without having to take time to re-charge batteries back at the yard.”
Crews are now creating pathways for the primary and secondary wiring conduits to bring power from Edison to the equipment controlling the charging pad at the Lancaster transfer center. The charging pad will then be embedded at ground level, matching up with a receiver pad mounted underneath the bus. A bus simply needs to roll over the pad to enable the equipment to wirelessly couple and begin charging the bus’s batteries.
“The wireless charging system is truly state-of-the-art technology, and our partnership with WAVE is a key component in our strategy to become the nation’s first fully electric bus agency,” stated Executive Director Len Engel. “It’s exciting to see our vision for the future becoming a reality.”
The project is funded in part by grants from the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District and the Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich.
[Information via news release from the Antelope Valley Transit Authority.]
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2934C37 says
TO THE FUTURE TESLA WAS DOING THIS..
Laughing says
Will this affect wildlife (birds, animals, humans really) due to the size and strength of the magnetic field it generates? What will it do to communications in the immediate vicinity?
Honest questions since I do not know enough about wireless charging on this scale.
Tim Scott says
Those are good questions.
Generally, a magnetic field, even a very strong one, doesn’t carry very far. From reading about these induction charging systems one obstacle that has to be overcome is getting the coil in the bus low enough to couple efficiently. That makes me think there wouldn’t be any effects over significant distances, but I’m not planning to spend a lot of time laying on the floor of buses while they charge.
I’m guessing that wildlife would find the transfer center sufficiently hostile already that this won’t make much difference to them, but that also is just a guess.
Shunnon says
I love how we keep pace with the rest of the world.
Loam says
Why can’t the busses just plug in between runs? It may be cool technology, but why pay money to tear up the lot just so the bus driver can sit at the wheel for 20-30 minutes?
Sometimes, I think AVAQMB and the county just have money to burn.
” Dumb as dirt. Who did this and why are they still employed?”
It’s a government agency; no one gets fired. Heck, when/if it gets corrected, taxpayers will fund it AND AVTV and/or AVAQM will get good publicity out of it.
Tim Scott says
It wouldn’t cost that much less to put in cable based chargers, and the maintenance on the charging system would add up to eat the difference quick enough. Put the whole system under pavement you have no moving parts and nothing exposed to vandalism or accident. It’s a win.
Ralph Kramden says
If the money wasted, er, used for these overpriced buses were used for less expensive hybrids, we could have more newer and cleaner busses that would help reduce more greenhouse gasses than these handful of battery busses. That doesn’t even take into account the environmental impact that creating and disposing of these batteries.
Somebody somewhere is making a killing off of this.
dumbandblind says
Wow this is an awesome first step! I hope the city considers next to equip houses with free solar panels.
William says
Hmm. One would think that BYD would be chipping in some $$$s to wirelessly charge its own buses. If not, why not?
“The project is funded in part by grants from the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District
and the Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich.”
Is Antonovich personally providing funds or is that a misprint? Where is the rest of the funding coming from?
BTW AVTA needs to move its 2 bus stops from 10st Sreet West just north of Rancho Vista Boulevard next to the Antelope Valley Mall. What a stupid place to put them at the busiest intersection in the Valley where the buses don’t have a turnout lane and block the right lane of traffic just as cars have crossed the intersection. Dumb as dirt. Who did this and why are they still employed?
When the AV Mall was built, there was a lot of room to design things like bus stops and other traffic features as there was nothing there, so why the bad design planning? It’s not like they had to squeeze everything into an established, high density urban setting.
On the other hand, I like the ‘street’ that enters by the Target and allows you to drive around to Lowe’s and exit on Rancho Vista Boulevard by Chick Fil A. I’m not sure if it’s a real street or a private road. You don’t have a separate driveway for each business reducing congestion on the main thoroughfares.
Actually, they should reconfigure it so that the McDonald’s can only be accessed from that street rather than directly from 10th Street West and/or RV Boulevard. There is always a jerk that wants to exit on 10th West to cross 4 lanes of traffic at rush hour to make a left onto RV Boulevard going west. They should put a curb next to the right hand lane (to its left side) so they can’t do that.
If they can put a man on the ………………….oh, nevermind.
BYD Cheese says
Why would BYD chip in? They have Rex and Marv using the funds of AVTA to finance everything. They’ve even got AVTA paying McKeon to be a consultant. The corruption continues.
Anti Waste says
Talk about cronyism and corruption. Isn’t McKeon prohibited from lobbying for one year?? When did they hire him??? I have not heard about it. How did they keep this secret using public funds?? Someone should contact FPPC or some other watchdog and file a compliant!
Tim says
Yes he is Anti Waste. But that didn’t stop Lancaster from paying him $5K a month for transportation advocacy in May of 2015. Now the AVTA is paying the bill. Must be nice to have the local paper in your back pocket so they can get away with this. I hope The AV Times looks into it. All the documentation is on the city of Lancaster and AVTA websites.
Tom says
I wonder the same about who paid for the new Waste Management road across the street from Rayburn rd. WM is worth 15 Billion $$$ I’M very curious how much WM contribute for there new state of the art road. That’s what big heavy nasty leaky trucks need a new road.
John says
Waste Management is paying for the roadwork.
Tom says
100% of it because no one use it but WM.
Merrilyn says
You have very valid points. I’ve noticed a trend of poor city planning in both Lancaster and Palmdale. We need to pay these people real $ so we can attract the more talented individuals. The traffic in both towns is absolutely awful!
Loco says
No Merrilyn. Lots of cities spend $10 million dollars refurbishing their downtowns and have services for the homeless and mentally ill right there to attract the homeless and mentally ill. Lots of cities try to cram a Super Walmart next to a high school and in a residential area. Lots of cities spend $10 million tax dollars on a worthless spy plane that is now relegated to looking for homeless encampments. Lots of cities use cheap black paint to “improve” their roads while potholes go unfilled. Lots of cities build retail outlets with no rhyme or reason simply because their friends own the property. Lots of cities build baseball stadiums at the far end of their boundaries away from the population centers.
I think you’re being to rough.
Anti Waste says
Do they still have pianos and bird music on The BLVD?
Tim says
Pianos yes. Bird music know. After making up a BS story to the Wall St. Journal that his bird music on the BLVD was lowering crime citywide, our fearless mayor quietly pulled the plug on his zany idea. From the looks of things, bird sounds may attract panhandlers and criminals instead of repelling them.
Feel free to stop by and tickle the ol’ ivories anytime. The panhandlers would love to be enterained.
Tim Scott says
When the AV Mall was built I’m not sure if there was any bus service in the AV at all.
Just Saying says
AV Mall opened in Sept 1990, the AVTA began operations in 1992.
Why says
Why is AVTA paying Buck McKeon $5 grand a month?
Plain and Simple says
Because Chairman Marv and his master King Rex told them to pay him. Plain and simple political cronyism misusing public funds for political payoff.
Why says
Isn’t a congressman who leaves office forbidden by law to do any lobbying for a year? Why was Buck McKeon paid $5 grand a month by the city of Lancaster for advocacy and now is being paid by AVTA the same amount? What is going on? Who can we report this to?
Tim Scott says
If it is against the law it has to be a fairly new law. As recently as 2012 a congressman who happened to be on the house agricultural committee resigned early saying “we aren’t going to get anything more done this term anyway” and went directly to his new office at a lobbying firm in Washington that represents all the major agri-business corporations.
Here's Why says
According to an LA Times article, the “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act” was signed by President George W. Bush in 2007.
The law prohibited ex-senators and top executive branch officials from lobbying Congress for two years after their Capitol Hills service ended; former Representatives had to wait one year. Then-Sen. Barack Obama called it “the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate.”
Tim Scott says
And of course our political entities immediately found a way to drive right through it. Dennis Cardoza would tell you that he didn’t resign from congress and take a job lobbying congress, he took a job with a law firm that does do lobbying, and he advises fellow members of the firm in how to accomplish their goals. Buck McKeon would tell you that his little 5000 a month fee is for lobbying in Sacramento, talking to the department of transportation, anything BUT lobbying congress.
Why says
True Tim Scott. Charles Manson never officially killed anyone. Think he had something to do with the murders? Just because you’re say you’re not “lobbying” congress by providing advice to those who are “lobbying” congress doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to do with the actions. What a joke.