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The following actions were taken during the RTA Board of Directors'monthly meeting on July 24, 2008
Ridership Continues to Climb
Board members received new data showing ridership continuing to increase. Leading the system in gains for June were CommuterLink and Dial-A-Ride services with increases of roughly 72 percent and 31 percent, compared to the previous year.
U-Pass Agreement Extended
Board members authorized a one-year extension of the U-Pass partnership between RTA and UC Riverside. The agreement allows UC Riverside students to ride any RTA fixed route for free by swiping their student identification cards through the bus farebox. Ridership has grown from 70,000 trips in Fiscal Year '07 to more than 110,000 trips during Fiscal Year '08. UC Riverside will continue to finance the program, as well as the RTA-operated Crest Cruiser trolley, which aim to reduce campus traffic and increase the use of public transit throughout Riverside County.
RTA to Launch Pilot Program for Riverside Community College District
More than 30,000 Riverside Community College District students may soon qualify for free bus rides thanks to a Board decision to launch a free-ride program similar to the one offered at UC Riverside. The program would allow RCC students at all three campuses (Riverside, Moreno Valley and Norco) to use their student ID cards to ride the bus for free, beginning August 21. Funding for the one-year demonstration program would come from the jurisdictions in which RCC students live: Corona, Moreno Valley, Norco, Perris, Riverside and the County of Riverside.
Board Approves Purchase of New DAR Vehicles
Board members approved the purchase of 59 vehicles for the Agency's Dial-A-Ride program, which serves qualified senior citizens and persons with disabilities. The vehicles, which can accommodate 12 passengers, are designed to help the Agency handle increased demand for the special service, which increased 17 percent during Fiscal Year 2007 and 21 percent during Fiscal Year 2008. The lion's share of the new vehicles will replace those in RTA's fleet that have exceeded their useful life and are eligible for retirement. Board members also approved the purchase of 16, 26-passenger vehicles for use on several routes, including the new CommuterLink routes 212 and 214, which will serve the San Jacinto and Hemet areas with express service to Riverside and Escondido.
Grant Applications Ratified for New CommuterLink Routes
Board members ratified grant applications that would help pay for the operation of two new express routes in the San Jacinto and Hemet area during fiscal years 2011 and 2012. RTA staff is in the process of securing two federal grants --- the Federal Job Access and Reverse Commute Program, and the New Freedom Program --- for transit services to employment centers and expanded mobility options for area residents. A portion of the cost to operate the new express buses on Routes 212 and 214 would come from Measure A, Riverside County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation. The new express routes are expected to start service as early as January 2009. The routes are expected to be financed by the same federal grants for the first two years of service.
Grant Application Ratified to Provide Extended Evening Service
Board members ratified a grant application that would finance the cost of operating extended evening service on seven routes. The extended service is designed in part to assist individuals who work nontraditional shifts at employment centers throughout the county. The proposed expansion would add roughly one hour to the weekday and weekend schedules of routes 1, 16, 19, 20, 22, 25 and 27. Funding for the expansion would come from the Federal Job Access and Reverse Commute Program and matching funds from Measure A, Riverside County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation
Coach Operator Carl Waithe Recognized for Service
Board members recognized Coach Operator Carl Waithe for going above and beyond the call of duty to recover a lost checkbook belonging to Riverside Unified School District President Chuck Beaty. While on a test drive of a bus, Carl spotted the checkbook on the side of the road. Carl took the checkbook back to RTA Headquarters, where he left a message with Mr. Beaty, saying it was in safe hands and waiting to be picked up. Mr. Beaty picked it up the next day.
The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday, September 18 at 2 p.m.
For more information, contact:
Bradley Weaver, Marketing Manager (951) 565-5172
bweaver@riversidetransit.com |
