The
following actions were taken
by the RTA Board of Directors
at their monthly meeting on
December 18, 2003.
Board
Approves First Phases Of
Bus Rapid Transit
Riverside
County may see its first
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
system, also thought of
as an above ground subway,
by the year 2005. The
Board approved the first
phases of the BRT plan,
which includes plans to
make enhancements to the
Agency s current system
and a proposal for the
first BRT route.
The
first BRT route will travel
along the Magnolia corridor,
connecting downtown Riverside
and the University of
California, Riverside
to Corona. There will
be multiple buses operating
ten to fifteen minutes
apart and making limited
stops. The route would
be ideal for Metrolink
commuters because it s
a relatively straight
shot to Corona s Metrolink
Station.
Prior
to launching BRT, RTA
will begin an aggressive
effort to enhance customer
services. An Advanced
Traveler Information System
(ATIS) will provide passengers
with signs showing exactly
when the next bus is scheduled
to arrive. Improvements
will also be made to shelters,
benches, lighting and
signage at the more heavily
used bus stations to encourage
ridership by non-transit
dependent customers.
Board
Approves Online Sales As
Part Of Youth Pass Program
The Board unanimously approved
RTA s marketing plan for
a youth pass sales program,
including an initiative
to begin selling passes
online via the RTA web site.
The Agency is currently
developing the site, which
will offer customers the
opportunity to order bus
passes and tickets securely
on the Internet using a
Visa, Mastercard, Discover
card, or ATM debit card
carrying the Visa or Mastercard
logo. Plus, for each 31-Day
pass ordered online, RTA
will donate 5% of the purchase
price to the participating
school of their choice within
western Riverside County.
The Agency expects to have
the web site up and running
by the end of January 2004.
In efforts to reduce duplication
of service between the Moreno
Valley Mall and the Marketplace
Metrolink Station, the Board
unanimously agreed to discontinue
service on Route 99. Similar
to Route 99, Routes 16E
and 208 also serve the Moreno
Valley Mall and the Metrolink
Station. Public comment
on the route cancellation
began in September and concluded
last month. The last day
of service for Route 99
is Wednesday, December 31.
RTA
To Offer Free Fare With
Valid Metrolink Pass Or
Ticket
The Agency hopes to encourage
Metrolink passengers to
ride RTA buses to and from
the train station, now that
they can board certain RTA
routes free of charge. The
Board unanimously approved
an agreement with the Southern
California Regional Rail
Authority (SCRRA), allowing
Metrolink passengers to
ride specified RTA routes
for free. With a valid Metrolink
ticket or pass, customers
can take any of the following
RTA routes, free of charge:
1, 3, 15, 16, 16E, 21, 22,
29, 38, Intercity Dial-A-Ride,
Jurupa Dial-A-Ride, and
CommuterLink routes 204,
206 and 208.
RTA’s
Fy 2002/2003 Audit Approved
By Board
The Board approved RTA’s
FY 2002/2003 audited financial
statements and single audit
report, which were presented
to the Board last month.
RTA s Annual Report, Get
On and Grow , is now available
for download off of the
Agency s web site at www.RiversideTransit.com
or by calling (951) 565-5000.
Board
Elects New Officers
City of Calimesa Councilman
Jon Winningham was voted
in as the new RTA Board
Chairman. He will replace
City of Riverside Councilman
Ameal Moore, who held the
position of Chairman for
two years. Voted in as First
Vice Chairman was Mayor
of San Jacinto, Jim Ayres.
City of Beaumont Councilman
Jeff Fox will hold the post
of Second Vice Chairman.
RTA
Welcomes New Board Member
The Board welcomed Lake Elsinore
Councilman Daryl Hickman
who replaces former Lake
Elsinore Mayor Pamela Brinley
on the RTA Board. Bob Schiffner
will serve as an alternate
to Director Hickman.
RTA's
Employee Of The Year
CEO
Larry Rubio revealed the
recipients of the Agency’s
most coveted award, Employee
of the Year. The honor
is given out every year
to three employees in
the following categories:
Administrative, Maintenance
and Coach Operator. Each
of the recipients has
shown exemplary job performance
in the past year, good
attendance, no accidents,
and no injuries.
The
Administrative Employee
of the Year is Dave Carson,
who is a Systems Analyst
in RTA s Information Technologies
department. The Maintenance
department had a three-way
tie, with the honor going
to Joe Guerra, Jack Henry
and Jerry Williams. There
was a two-way tie for
Coach Operator of the
Year, with the honor going
to Janet Holiday and Chuck
Monroe.
The next Board meeting is
Thursday, January 22, 2004
at 2 p.m.
For
more information contact:Jim
Kneepkens, Director of Marketing (951)
565-5170
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