Double-decker buses aren't just for sightseeing and Londoners anymore. The iconic buses are a great way for transit systems to quickly and easily carry more people, which is one reason cities are experimenting with them.
New York may bring them back, and San Francisco's Municipal Railway (which runs the city's buses) has [tested them on some of its busier routes](https://more-deals.info/cars/2007/12/review-double-d.html). Riders were surprised riders who expected to see the two-story rides, which are more often associated with hauling tourists. Passengers loved the comfy seats and nice views - not to mention the novelty.
Riders aren't the only people who love double-deckers. Transit agencies see a lot of benefits to using them.
The buses allow cash-strapped agencies to increase capacity on busy lines without taking up more space on the street or the maintenance yard. That's an important consideration these days, because mass transit ridership is hitting record levels. Articulated buses, (also known as bendy buses) carry the same number of passengers as double-deckers but have twice the footprint and higher maintenance costs because of the accordion connector joining the two halves of the bus.
San Francisco Muni spent a month last year testing double-deckers built by Alexander Dennis Ltd., the same outfit that builds the buses tooling around London and Hong Kong. Muni says riders gave the buses generally favorable reviews; a final report on the test is expected later this year.
New York used double-deckers on Fifth Avenue before giving them the heave-ho in 1953. The city tried to bring them back in the 1970s, but it didn't go over so well. But Howard Roberts Jr, president of New York City Transit, says the iconic vehicles are a relatively cheap and easy way to improve service.
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Photo of a double-decker sightseeing bus in Las Vegas by Flickr userRoadsidepictures.*
