Next L.A. / A look at issues, people and ideas helping to shape the emerging metropolis : It’s High- Tech, but You’ll Still Have to Stand Behind the Yellow Line

The stealth bus?

The Hawthorne defense firm that designed the B-2 bomber is now working on a bus of the future: a high- tech vehicle built with material similar to that used on the radar- avoiding, batwinged plane.

No, it’s not true that the concept of a stealth bus was designed to come in handy when a bus misses a stop- and when confronted by enraged riders, supervisors could simply deny its existence: “What bus?”

The new bus is seen by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and 19 other transit systems as a possible answer to the problems of rising fuel and maintenance costs and tough clean air requirements.

Buses have become heavier, not only making them more difficult to drive but also increasing fuels costs, said Lawrence Schulman, associate administrator of technical assistance and safety for the Federal Transit Administration.

As envisioned, the stealth bus- made out of a lightweight glass composite that is similar to but stronger than fiberglass-would look like a conventional aluminum-skin bus. But it would run on four wheels instead of six, weigh 18,000 pounds instead of 28,000 and run on natural gas instead of diesel fuel.

“It will probably feel different,” Schulman said, “If you stand or ride behind it, it will be virtually emission free.”

For riders, the stealth bus would be easier to use. Doors would be wider to minimize “dwell time,” the time it takes for passengers to get on and off. A low floor would eliminate steps and allow passengers in wheelchairs to more easily board the bus, while eliminating the need for heavy lifts.

The bus also would include a feature that is now appearing on some buses across the country-a computer voice that announces bus stops.

“It’s great imaginative use of defense technology for peaceful uses,” former MTA board member Marvin Holen said.

Engineers at Northrop Grumman Corp’s military aircraft division have begun doing stress tests on the bus frame, including jostling it at various speeds and crashing a car traveling at 25 m.p.h. into its side to test its ability to hold together.

Barring federal budget cuts, the first prototypes will hit the streets in a few years. The U.S. Department of Transportation is largely funding the $56- million project.

Changes in the design are expected before the bus is turned loose on Wilshire Boulevard.

“That is one of the many exciting aspects of t his project- to work with constantly improving technology to bring the bus passenger of the early 21st Century a state- of- the- art-vehicle that will set a new standard in our industry,” said MTA Chief Executive Officer Franklin E. White.