The following items are excerpted from news releases issued by California Transit Association members. If you are a member of the Association and would like to submit an item to be considered for inclusion in the Member News Library, please email your press releases to Managing Editor Stephanie Jordan (sjordan@freelancecomm.com). Photos and cutline information with your news release submissions, when possible, are encouraged.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Los Angeles Unified School District and L.A. Metro Announce Partnership to Provide Free Transit Passes for All LAUSD Students 
Los Angeles Unified School District and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) recently announced a game-changing partnership to offer TK-12 students unlimited rides from October 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023, at no cost to families.
Under the proposal passed unanimously by both the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education and Metro Board of Directors at their respective board meetings on September 14 and 23, Los Angeles Unified will invest approximately $1.4 million per year for the next two years (cost sharing of $3 per student per year) to participate in Metro’s Fareless System Initiative Phase 1 plan.
Metro will provide every TK-12 student in Los Angeles Unified with a TAP card that can be used for free transit on all Metro-operated transportation, as well as several adjoining municipally operated transportation providers, including, to date, Culver City, Norwalk, Downtown Area Short Hop (DASH), Montebello, and Santa Monica. Los Angeles Unified will distribute TK-12 TAP cards to students, help promote the program to students and families, and support families with the registration and replacement processes.
“Getting free Metro TAP cards into the hands of every Los Angeles Unified student will be a game changer,” Los Angeles Unified Interim Superintendent Megan K. Reilly said. “Our commitment in providing free transportation will expand our students’ world views. They’ll be able to access additional educational opportunities such as internships, employment and other meaningful experiences and recreational activities outside of their immediate neighborhoods.”
“Now more than ever, as we recover from the pandemic, it is critical that our youth have access to public transportation,” Metro Board Chair and Chair of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Hilda L. Solis said. “In January 2020, I was proud to author a motion at Metro to explore providing free transit for students in LA County. Today, that vision is now being fulfilled – through Metro’s Fareless System Initiative. Students across the county will now be able to use our transit system to get to and from school, extracurricular activities, and jobs without worrying about how to pay for it.”
In September 2019, Los Angeles Unified Board Member Dr. George J. McKenna III launched the first-ever “any line, any time” pilot program for student transit passes. The program was funded by Just Transit, a project of the 11th Hour Project of The Schmidt Family Foundation, and provided free transit passes for the Junior class at Manual Arts High School, which is in the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z).
Metro’s Fareless System Initiative seeks to use fareless transit as a tool to help L.A. County residents deal with the ever-rising cost of living here and help recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 70 percent of Metro riders are considered low-income. Phase 1 of the plan offers fareless transit to K-12 and community college students in schools or districts that partner with Metro. In August, Metro tested fareless transit with six schools and districts, distributing more than 5,600 test TAP cards to students. Metro is currently working with more than 30 other schools and districts to finalize contracts to offer fareless transit to their students. Los Angeles Unified is by far the largest school district to take part in the program.
“We thank Los Angeles Unified for seeing the value of our fareless initiative for the district’s nearly half a million students in Los Angeles,” Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said. “I’m particularly excited that this program is the largest unlimited-use student program in the nation. Los Angeles Unified and other participating students can use transit freely throughout L.A. County, not just to and from their schools. I hope we can convert young people to transit enthusiasts at an early age with the help of this initiative.”
“With Metro being free, I save money and time so I can use that time on my studies and the money on food,” Dorsey High School senior Osiris Powell said. “As a Fire Academy student, I feel safe on the Metro because I know the procedures and safety precautions to help people and myself. The best part for the students at Dorsey is that there is a train stop right in front of the school.”
Los Angeles Unified transports approximately 40,000 students serving communities spanning over 710 square miles. In addition to riding Los Angeles Unified yellow buses, many Los Angeles Unified students ride Metro buses and trains to schools and outside the school day. Efforts across the state have recently been made to address the transit needs of student populations in addition to initiatives led by Metro. The City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation launched its DASH to Class program in August 2019, which offers free rides on DASH buses for K-12 students in the City of Los Angeles.
OCTA to Host a Day of Service Animal Training Aboard OC Bus
Whether it’s the loud pop of a car engine, the screech of a car tire as it hugs a turn, or a group of teens talking loudly as they wait to board an OC Bus, the streets of Orange County can be full of distractions for a service animal trying to stay focused. That’s why the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) once again was proud to host a day of free service-animal training aboard OC Bus on Oct. 2.
During the training, service and therapy animals were welcome to ride special OC Buses for free between the Anaheim-ARTIC Metrolink station and stops at Downtown Disney and GardenWalk shopping mall in Anaheim.
A roundtrip training bus departed every 20 minutes, allowing trainers to ride with their animals to practice boarding, riding, and exiting the bus. Trainers were encouraged to ride multiple times.
“Service dogs are more than just companions, they provide essential support to individuals with physical or mental disabilities,” said OCTA Chairman Andrew Do, also Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. “The OCTA Service Animal Training is a unique opportunity to help service animals in training get a real-life experience in a transit environment.”
Program alumni, friends and family were all invited to attend.
For more information, click here.
BART Board Approves COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Employees and Contractors
The Coronavirus Pandemic of 2019 ("COVID- I 9") has brought tremendous challenges to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART). Since the national emergency shutdown in March 2020, when ridership dropped below 5 percent, BART has lost over 20,960 days of productivity and had 2,377 employees use pandemic related leave demonstrating the breathtaking toll the pandemic has had on our staff and service. Those effects continue as we face challenges with the Delta variant increasing the transmissibility of the disease. In response to the pandemic and its variants, numerous federal, state, and local entities, including three of the four largest counties in the Bay Area, have implemented vaccination requirements to protect workers and the public.
Whereas in winter 2020 BART saw between a three- and nine-fold increase in cases, and the current prevalence of the Delta variant causing positive cases at a 54 percent higher rate for unvaccinated employees, BART must take responsible action to protect our ability to function. BART has a duty to provide a safe and healthy workplace, consistent with COVID-19 public health guidance and legal requirements, to protect its employees and the public as services reopen and more employees return to workplaces.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"), the California Department of Public Health ("CDPH"), and County Health Officers, COVID-I9 continues to pose a risk, especially to individuals who are not fully vaccinated, and certain safety measures remain necessary to protect against COVID-19 cases and deaths. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent transmission and limit COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. Unvaccinated employees are at greater risk of contracting and spreading COVID-I9 within the workplace and BART facilities, as well as to the public that depends on our services.
Therefore, all BART employees and Board members shall be fully vaccinated against COVID-l9 by December 13, 2021, with exceptions made only for those who qualify for a Reasonable Accommodation or a Religious Exemption. The Board also directs the General Manager to bargain over the policy and impacts of this decision prior to the requested implementation of the policy on December 13, 2021. During this time the Board directs BART to prioritize culturally competent outreach and conduct an education campaign for the remaining unvaccinated population. Finally, the Board directs the General Manager to implement vaccination requirements for consultants and contractors who perform work on BART property.
Improvements Coming to Marin Access
For more than 50 years, Marin Transit has provided transit service to older adults and people with disabilities in Marin County. Today, Marin Transit provides ADA paratransit service and a suite of mobility programs and services under the Marin Access brand to meet people where they are and get them to where they want to go.
As Marin County’s population continues to age, the District is committed to ensuring that there is a robust transit system that will empower older adults and people with disabilities to live independently, travel with confidence, and remain connected to the community.
Based on community feedback, the agency’s vision for Marin Access is to further unify all of its services and programs so riders can call one phone number or click one link to learn about mobility options, complete the eligibility process, and schedule trips. This will simplify the rider experience and make it easier to identify what transportation options are right for each unique rider.
To help achieve this vision, last month the Marin Transit Board of Directors unanimously concurred with the staff recommendation to award a new Marin Access contract to Transdev Services, Inc., contingent upon the General Manager denying any timely request for reconsideration made by Vivalon (the incumbent, formerly known as Whistlestop). While this will mean a change in service providers in the coming year, Marin Transit will strive to make the transition seamless for passengers, from scheduling rides to the drivers and vehicles on the road.
Transform Tri Delta Transit
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (Tri Delta Transit) is seeking community input to improve transit service in eastern Contra Costa County. After receiving feedback from residents last fall, the agency developed service improvements in response to the identified needs.
Tri Delta is now seeking feedback on these suggested improvements. The feedback survey is also available on paper or can be taken over the phone by calling 925-285-8076 8am to 8pm weekdays. Those who complete the survey will be entered to win one of three $35 Amazon gift cards.
“Tri Delta Transit would like to thank all those who have participated so far, and encourage others to do so, because your feedback is important to how transit progresses in eastern Contra Costa County,” stated Tri Delta Transit CEO, Jeanne Krieg.
Proposed improvements include bus service to the new Oakley Park & Ride lot, expansion of Tri MyRide services in both Antioch and Pittsburg, and service to the new Los Medanos College Brentwood Center.
Public input collected with the survey will be used to fine-tune the proposed service improvements, which, if approved by the Tri Delta Transit board, will be implemented in late winter 2022.
RTD Installs Permanent Operator Barriers Across Entire Fleet
San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) is installing permanent barriers across its entire bus fleet to further enhance Bus Operator safety. The permanent barriers will replace the temporary vinyl shields installed in 2020 as a precautionary safety response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
RTD began installing the Vapor vShield barriers on 50 of its Metro buses beginning September 2021. The Vapor vShield offers a protective barrier for Operators while promoting maximum comfort inside the cockpit. Duel operated fans with varying speed promotes air circulation and comfort for the Operators, while laminated anti-glare AS2 rated safety glass offers protection and visibility of side mirrors. A retractable portion of the window can be partially or fully opened during normal operation. In the event that an Operator feels unsafe, a push of the button will fully close the window.
“These barriers support RTD’s safety core value—to create a safe and responsible environment for our employees, our customers, and our community,” said Maintenance Superintendent Brad Menil. “With a retractable shield, the transparent barrier still allows for customer interaction, while offering a physical barrier of protection in the event that the Operators would need it.”
Different but comparable permanent barriers will also be installed in the rest of the buses to make the entire fleet equipped with protective barriers.
“Safety is a top priority at RTD and this is a significant accomplishment,” said RTD Board Chair Michael Restuccia. “I am proud of the way RTD continues to implement enhancements that take care of both our frontline employees and passengers.”
CIRCLE Coalition Seeks to Educate Federal Lawmakers and Intercity Rail Stakeholders on California’s Growing Intercity Passenger System
The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN), and the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) announced recently the formation of California’s Intercity Rail Corridors Linking Everyone (CIRCLE), an advocacy coalition. The coalition will seek to educate federal policymakers on the unique nature of Amtrak state-supported services, raise awareness of California’s growing passenger rail system and proposed capital investments, and build stronger relationships with national intercity rail stakeholders.
California maintains one of the most successful intercity passenger rail networks in the country. Over the last four decades, the state has invested over $3.2 billion in improving its intercity passenger rail network. Pre-pandemic, one out of every five Amtrak riders boarded a train in California.
The Capitol Corridor route provides service between San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento and Auburn and is managed by the CCJPA; the Pacific Surfliner route provides service between San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Luis Obispo and is managed by the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency; and the San Joaquins route provides service between Bakersfield, Oakland and Sacramento and is managed by the SJJPA.
Combined, the three routes carried over 5.6 million passengers throughout California in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 and the corridors all respectively rank in the top 10 in ridership in the nation. The LOSSAN corridor is the largest intercity rail corridor in the United States outside of the Northeast Corridor, carrying over 2.5 million passengers annually. The three California routes are responsible for nearly 50 percent of Amtrak’s state-supported business unit revenue.
“We look forward to working together with our sister agencies to raise awareness about our growing rail corridor services and the important role our state plays in maintaining Amtrak’s state-supported services,” said Donna DeMartino, Managing Director, LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency. “As the nation’s largest intercity rail corridor outside of the Northeast, I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure that our national policies allow us to continue to provide innovative and modern passenger services and amenities to our growing ridership bases.”
“Our intercity rail corridor services are leading the way in providing more affordable and equitable access to transportation, enhancing connectivity across transportation modes, and helping to reduce our state and nation’s carbon footprint,” said Stacey Mortensen, Executive Director, SJJPA. “We have found that we are most effective in telling our story when we act as one voice, I am looking forward to jointly enhancing our advocacy and collaboration in Washington.”
“During my work on the Northeast Corridor Commission, I learned firsthand the power passenger rail voices can have if they come together around shared priorities and principles,” said Robert Padgette, Managing Director, CCJPA. “I believe CIRCLE will help fill a gap in intercity passenger rail advocacy by ensuring that the voice of the nation’s leading state for intercity passenger rail has a seat at the table. We must do more to educate the nation about our leading and growing service corridors.”
TRANSIT PEOPLE AND HAPPENINGS
Longtime CEO Larry Rubio Announces Retirement 
Chief Executive Officer Larry Rubio announced his retirement from the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), ending a 33-year career of distinction, leadership, and passion for fostering a world-class workplace and providing unsurpassed public transportation to the residents of Riverside County.
Since 1988 Rubio has held a range of different positions before becoming the chief executive officer in 2001. While he was at the helm, the Agency led the charge in clean-burning fuel; established a legacy of superior financial health and years of clean audits for operating and capital budgets that soared above $130 million; emphasized a commitment to innovative new services, such as mobile ticketing and free WiFi ion buses; and created thriving partnerships with area colleges and universities to provide free rides to thousands of students every year.
“I’m thankful to the many great people in my life who mentored and guided me along this journey,” Rubio said. “I am appreciative of all the employees who make this Agency the best in the nation, and I’m grateful to my supportive wife and family who were always by my side. I know our extraordinary employees and members of the Board of Directors will continue to move RTA forward with their innovative and dedicated service to the Agency and our community.”
During Rubio’s tenure, RTA gave customers more reasons to ride the bus and more places to get on board thanks to the creation of major transit hubs in Corona, Perris, Riverside, Moreno Valley and Temecula. The Agency also established itself as a model workforce that, at one point, climbed to nearly 900 talented drivers, skillful mechanics and people working behind the scenes who all worked tirelessly to keep buses rolling every day, carrying nearly 10 million boardings a year.
All this hard work didn’t go unnoticed. Among his accolades and awards, Rubio in 2004 was named Hispanic Magazine’s Most Influential Latino in the Inland Empire. In 2008, RTA was named one of the 10 Great Transit Systems to Work For, and in 2011, Rubio earned California Transportation Foundation’s Manager of the Year.
Perhaps Rubio’s leadership was put most to the test during the coronavirus pandemic, which sidelined bus routes, crippled the economy, and shuttered businesses and schools. During that time, Rubio remained a steady leader, even postponing his retirement as RTA fought hard to keep buses rolling and staff employed.
RTA’s Chair of the Board Linda Krupa credits Rubio with creating a culture of innovation, efficiency, and customer service. “Larry Rubio has been an excellent leader, a dedicated public servant and a steady guide for progress. His deep knowledge of the transit industry, uncommon humility, ability to form lasting partnerships, innovative thinking and success in making RTA a thriving, community-focused agency has put RTA in a class of its own.”
The RTA Board of Directors expects to name a successor later this month.
Celebrating Quicker Muni Trips on a Safer Geary
The sky was gloomy, but the mood was celebratory at the Japantown Peace Plaza on Oct. 20. Fortunately, the rain stopped just long enough for the SFMTA, along with Mayor London Breed and other city departments and community members, to celebrate the completion of the Geary Rapid Project. This major civic improvement project has helped to revitalize one of San Francisco’s busiest corridors between Market and Stanyan streets with more reliable bus service, safer streets, upgraded utilities and new trees.
One safety improvement in particular was a much-anticipated addition for residents of the Fillmore, Japantown and St. Francis Square communities: a new signalized crosswalk at Geary and Buchanan. That and three other new crosswalks in the area are providing safer crossing opportunities for people walking and helping to reconnect neighborhoods that were divided by the Geary Expressway and “urban renewal” in the mid-twentieth century.
Pre-pandemic, the combined Geary routes boasted one of the highest bus riderships in the country, with more than 56,000 daily customers relying on the 38 Geary and 38R Geary Rapid. As riders return, they are experiencing a faster, more reliable ride. Dedicated transit lanes, bus stop optimization and signal retiming were implemented at the beginning of the project in late 2018. These quick-build improvements alone resulted in 38R Geary Rapid travel time savings of up to 20 percent. More recent improvements include coloring the transit lanes red to improve compliance and installing 12 new transit bulb-outs—sidewalk extensions at stops that reduce delays by allowing buses to remain in the travel lane. The Transit Signal Priority system, which helps buses get the green light at intersections more often, has also been upgraded. Now that the full suite of transit improvements has been installed, the agency will begin to assess how well they’re working and anticipates sharing full evaluation results in 2022.
Other upgrades include a host of safety improvements to address Geary’s designation as a high-injury corridor. Thirty-four new pedestrian bulbs-outs were built along the corridor to shorten crossing distances for people walking and slow turning vehicles. Other additions include accessible pedestrian signals, curb ramps, countdown signals and longer crosswalk timing to allow people of all abilities to cross Geary safely. The Tenderloin, where there is a disproportionate number of severe and fatal collisions, was a focal point for many of these improvements.
This three-year capital project was completed on time and on budget. To minimize the need to dig more than once, construction was coordinated with other City agencies, including 1.5 miles of new sewer mains and almost three miles of upgraded water mains by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). Public Works has rejuvenated 1.5 miles of deteriorated streets between Masonic and Van Ness avenues with fresh paving.
The Geary Rapid Project is the first of two phases of improvements planned as part of the Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Outreach and preliminary design is currently underway on the second phase, the Geary Boulevard Improvement Project, which would bring similar transit and safety improvements west of Stanyan Street to 34th Avenue.
Leadership Transition at TransForm
The last year and a half have brought change and transitions for so many organizations, and TransForm is no exception. After nearly a year under his direction, Darnell Grisby has moved on from his role of Executive Director at TransForm.
Guided by its core values around shared leadership, TransForm is excited to announce that three long-time, respected staff has stepped in to guide the organization over the coming months. Joy Massey, Darrell Davis, and Dave Severy make up the organization’s interim leadership team and together bring over a dozen years of experience at TransForm leading programs, building capacity, and managing operations across the organization. The interim leadership team is supported by a dedicated and hard-working Board of Directors with experience in the transportation, housing, land use, and climate policy sectors, led by Co-Chairs Alice Chen and Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz. Together, this team will chart the path forward for TransForm and prepare the organization for permanent leadership in the 2022.
MST Celebrates Completion of Its South County Operations and Maintenance Facility In King City
After 13 months of construction, Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) celebrated completion of its South County Operations and Maintenance Facility in King City on October 11. The groundbreaking, held under pandemic restrictions, allowed for only 12 attendees in July of 2020. However, this month MST Board of Directors, community leaders, architectural and construction partners, along with staff were excited to come together safely, to celebrate the successful completion of its newest operations facility.
The King City location will support existing and future transit needs in the surrounding rural communities of Monterey’s South County. The 11,000 square foot facility will primarily serve transit vehicles that serve residents of southern Monterey County communities. The facility will support 35 staff in MST’s maintenance, administrative, and bus driver functions. Up to forty buses will be operated from and maintained at the new facility. By operating from the facility in King City, MST buses will travel less miles resulting in a 900-ton annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The $13.5 million construction project brought approximately 190 local jobs to the area through direct and indirect activities, providing an economic return of $77.5 million to local communities during the midst of the pandemic and related unemployment.
The MST South County Operations and Maintenance Facility is the first facility in the nation completed that utilized the Build America Bureau’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Rural Project Initiative loan program. By using TIFIA, MST saved approximately $5M in interest payments when compared to traditional private financing sources. Additional funding was provided by Federal funds, State of California SB 1 funds, as well as TAMC Measure X and local funding.
Service out of the new location is expected to begin in December.
Neshati Honored with AIRE Awards
The Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District’s Governing Board honored the 75th Street Quarry and Macy Neshati, executive director and CEO of the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA), with the 2021 Achievement in Reducing Emissions, or AIRE, Awards.
“Thanks to the 75th Street Quarry and Macy Neshati’s effort, the air quality in the Antelope Valley has benefited,” Board Chairman Marvin Crist said. “As a result, they have earned the distinction of being named the recipients of the 2020-21 Pete Knight Memorial AIRE Award, the AVAQMD’s highest honor.”
“This is one of the first years the agency has awarded the AIRE Award to two people because they are both very deserving,” AVAQMD Executive Director Bret Banks said. He has worked with both recipients since 2014. “Both these folks are really smart, they’re forward thinking, sincere, principled, humbled, which is a really interesting quality in this situation, ethical, and very professional.”
Banks read from Neshati’s nomination form when he introduced him. “Dedicated transit professional, fair and equitable leader, a mentor and a visionary,” Banks said. Neshati has been involved with heavy equipment and transit agencies since 1979. He joined BYD Coach and Bus in 2014 as senior vice president of BYD Heavy Industries. He helped build a sales team that led the company to record levels of battery electric buses. He also managed the construction of an additional 450,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse base in Lancaster, leading to the creation of more than 700 jobs in the Antelope Valley.
“Since joining AVTA in 2018, Macy has demonstrated to the AVTA Board, to the AVTA staff, riders and our entire Antelope Valley community, a sincere heart for the transit agency and for obtaining AVTA’s groundbreaking, zero-emission goals,” Banks said.
Neshati said it’s not his award, but the Board’s award, adding that it started with the AVTA Board of Directors’ vision. “A very, very dynamic and visionary Board,” he said. “We started this path in 2014, I just happened to be lucky enough to be the one shepherding it through its final phases. But again, I attribute it all to the vision of the board of directors that started this journey for us and to this amazing staff.”
Neshati accepted the award on behalf of the agency.
“It you noticed, Macy, it has your name on it, not the Board’s name on it because of the things that you do and how you do them,” Crist, who also serves as chairman of the AVTA Board of Directors, said. “It’s important that everybody understands that it takes a leader and you shepherded it across the finish line. What you’ve done and how you’ve done it is very, very important.”
The AIRE Award first launched in 1999 in observance of National Pollution Prevention Week, which is observed annually on the third week of September. In 2005, the AVAQMD Governing Board renamed the AIRE Award in honor of the late Senator William “Pete” Knight, in recognition of his key role in the creation of the AVAQMD as a locally controlled air district.