Buses are a critical part of public transportation, helping reduce traffic congestion in cities, while providing accessible, affordable travel for thousands of people every day. To keep this infrastructure running well, everything behind the scenes must operate smoothly and efficiently. That includes entry and exit points in bus stations and garage facilities, especially the overhead doors.
High-performance doors, such as the Spiral® and Fast-Seal® from Rytec, are the ideal solution for the fast-paced transit industry, featuring the low maintenance, dependability and longevity these facilities need.
Speedy Operations
With their fast opening and closing speeds, Rytec’s high-performance doors ensure superior functionality and increased efficiency. The Fast-Seal door opens at speeds of up to 50 inches per second, and the Spiral door opens at speeds up to 60 inches per second, allowing for improved bus traffic flow into and out of the facility.
Durable and Reliable Performance
High-performance doors are engineered to withstand the rigorous demands of the fast-paced transit industry. Their low-maintenance design assures smooth, continuous operations without extensive maintenance. With fewer wear parts and proven to last for millions of operating cycles, they bring dependability and longevity to high-traffic transit facilities. Rytec doors are built with integral weatherseals and full-height vinyl door seals to withstand harsh weather and environments. In addition, the Spiral door has a rigid aluminum slat construction that eliminates the need for a second security door.
Fast Repairs
Spiral doors feature a counterbalance system, patented Spiral design and AC drive that increase door longevity and require minimal preventative maintenance. The Fast-Seal® door can take a hit without sustaining damage. The Break-Away™ bottom bar can be reset in just seconds without tools, keeping buses moving efficiently through your facility with minimal door downtime and maintenance.
Energy Savings
Rytec’s high-performance doors are manufactured with energy-efficient materials and their high-speed performance helps reduce energy consumption and minimize temperature loss. Specially designed seals on the sides and bottom form an energy-efficient seal when the door is closed. This leads to reduced air infiltration, which helps lower heating and cooling costs within a transit facility.
Advanced Technology
Rytec doors are integrated with the Rytec System 4® Controller for greater functionality with self-diagnostics and intelligent monitoring. For enhanced safety, fabric doors include the Pathwatch® safety light system, which uses intuitive, customizable visual alerts to warn drivers and pedestrians, helping increase threshold safety. Spiral models include SmartSurround® Advanced Detection and Alert System for increased visibility to door movement. In addition, the Rytec Connect® remote door monitoring and management system ensures 24/7 tracking of door operations.
High-Performance Doors at Metro Transit
For all these reasons, Metro Transit in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, chose Rytec doors to keep its bus facility moving.
As a leading transportation resource for the Twin Cities, Metro Transit has more than 600 buses covering a 900-square-mile service area. In 2023, it provided more than 30 million bus rides – a 14% increase over 2022 ridership. In one facility, 120 buses regularly exit and enter the building up to three times a day. “These doors open and close all the time,” said Metro Transit Facility Technician Matt Homan.
The facility upgraded its overhead doors to address aging infrastructure and inefficient amenities so it could continue to efficiently serve its growing rider base. The facility previously installed an exterior Spiral door, which proved superior in efficiency and reliability to other panel doors. Because of this positive experience, the company expanded its Rytec lineup with a new interior Fast-Seal fabric door.
Rytec doors have helped Metro Transit keep operations running smoothly and efficiently while reducing energy and maintenance costs. Homan has noticed a big difference between the older panel doors and the Rytec doors. “They move so much faster than the old panel doors. These are just up and down – and the boilers run a lot less, so it’s energy savings,” he said.
The advanced door technologies have helped prevent accidents and downtime. “The lights work great. The driver can pull up and see them turn yellow, and he knows it’s going to start coming down. Then it starts flashing red, and that’s when it’s moving. So he’ll wait until it cycles, and then it’ll open up again for him. So it saves on drivers hitting our doors,” said Homan.
Now that he’s seen the Rytec difference, Homan said he’d tell other transit facilities to upgrade their doors, too. “The reason I recommend Rytec doors is that they’re easy to repair. There’s not a lot of moving parts, and if they do get hit, the majority of the time, you can just reset the bottom, which is very easy to do.”
High-performance doors play a key role in ensuring fast, reliable access to bus garages and maintenance facilities. Their speed, durability and dependability keep buses on schedule so riders get where they need to go, right on time.
Learn more about Rytec’s high-performance doors for transit facilities or contact us today to learn more about high-performance transportation facility doors.
