We recently had a conversation with Barb Cline, executive director of Prairie Hills Transit, about the impact LiquidSpring smart suspension systems have had on her fleet.
Barb Cline has been working in mobility for more than 30 years. As a leading force behind rural transportation in the western third of South Dakota and advocate of public transportation on a local, state, and national level, she knows the mobility industry inside and out. Mechanically inclined, she is also acutely aware of what mobility vehicles require to ensure comfort, safety, and longevity. Which is where LiquidSpring comes in. We have been working with her team for years to ensure smooth rides, happy drivers, and satisfied passengers.
LiquidSpring outfits a fleet of lift-equipped and accessible vans and busses that travel approximately 40,000 miles each month. Their 16,500 square-mile service area includes six counties and tough-to-access and -navigate roads, with many poorly maintained and gravel sections. Transporting elderly, handicapped, and medically fragile passengers can be a challenge. Cline acknowledges these conditions as a major reason for her decision to implement LiquidSpring smart suspension systems on her fleet, telling us that when she ran comparison drives with some of her passengers, they loved the smooth, comfortable ride provided through the new suspension systems. She adds,
“There’s also a Sport Mode that the drivers can enlist when they get into high winds, which we have a lot of, and it really settles the bus so the passengers don’t even notice.”
Cline works with her rep Travis, who has been with her since the first install, regularly to place systems on older vehicles, and ensure proper installation on new vehicles. Travis even visits Prairie Hills Transit to train her mechanics and gain a better understanding of her company’s needs, now and in the future. Cline closes her conversation with, “I would say the support is great and the product is very well made.”
We look forward to continuing to work with Cline and the team at Prairie Hills Transit.
