The past has been splendid, the future is bright, and the road ahead ANNUAL is full of possibilities. 2019 REPORT 2 | RIVERSIDE TRANSIT AGENCY 2019 ANNUAL REPORT It’s a pleasure to present you with Riverside step closer to paying their fares with their Transit Agency’s 2019 Annual Report. This smartphones. We also celebrated the findings past year was an exceptional one defined of a new study that ranked RTA number one by strong ridership, exciting new services, in customer satisfaction among Southern emerging technology and, of course, our California transit agencies. never-ending commitment to take public MESSAGE transit to places it’s never been before. That’s not all. In terms of our financial health, RTA remained as solid as ever, FROM THE During the fiscal year — July 1, 2018 staying under budget and, according to an through June 30, 2019 — more people chose independent audit, performing at an elite CHAIR & CEO RTA as their preferred way to get to work, level and making proper use of taxpayer to school, shopping, and to visit friends and dollars. family. When the year ended, our buses had handled a healthy 8.7 million boardings, an With technology and transit practices increase from the previous year. evolving at break-neck speed, it’s truly an exciting time to be a bus rider. And equally It was a busy year, indeed. Customers thrilling, perhaps, to be part of a transit benefitted from more weekend service. agency with so much to offer these riders. College students reaped the rewards of a RTA is proud of its success both on and flourishing free-ride program. Youth took off the road, and we pledge to continue advantage of a special 25-cent fare during delivering world-class service to our valued their summer and winter breaks. Senior customers. citizens signed up for training sessions to ride the bus. And folks in Southwest County This annual report showcases just some of celebrated the opening of a new transit hub the many accomplishments we had during at the Promenade Temecula. the past year. We hope you enjoy it. And, as always, thank you for riding the bus! It was also a year for blazing new trails. In January, former Board Chair Randon Lane became the first person to ride every RTA route back to back. Later in the year, Bridgette Moore​​​ Larry Rubio we kicked off a pilot program for mobile Chair of the Board​ CEO ticketing that brought our customers one RIVERSIDE TRANSIT AGENCY 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | 3 GOVERNING BOARD RTA is governed by a board of directors comprised of 22 elected officials from 18 cities in western Riverside County and four members of the County Board of Supervisors. MISSION STATEMENT The Riverside Transit Agency, Riverside County’s Bridgette Moore Jeff Hewitt Anthony Kelly, Jr. multi-modal transportation provider, shall Chair County of Riverside City of Jurupa Valley provide for a variety of transportation needs City of Wildomar District 5 in a cost-effective and efficient manner for all Steve Manos the residents of our member communities. The Berwin Hanna Art Welch City of Lake Elsinore Agency is committed to providing safe, reliable, First Vice-Chair City of Banning courteous, accessible and user-friendly services to City of Norco Greg August our customers. Nancy Carroll City of Menifee Alonso Ledezma City of Beaumont Second Vice-Chair David Marquez City of San Jacinto Linda Molina City of Moreno Valley City of Calimesa Kevin Jeffries Scott Vinton County of Riverside Jeremy Smith City of Murrieta District 1 City of Canyon Lake Malcolm Corona Karen Spiegel Jim Steiner City of Perris County of Riverside City of Corona District 2 Andy Melendrez Brandon Plott City of Riverside Chuck Washington City of Eastvale County of Riverside Zak Schwank District 3 Linda Krupa City of Temecula City of Hemet Chair Bridgette Moore 4 | RIVERSIDE TRANSIT AGENCY 2019 ANNUAL REPORT MILESTONES During the year, there were plenty of milestones to celebrate. From the opening of a new transit hub to expanded student-ride programs to one person’s epic crusade to ride every bus route, the things we accomplished during the year put us in a league of our own. BOARD MEMBER ENDS EPIC JOURNEY Looking for someone who knows how to get around on the bus? Just ask former RTA Chairman Randon Lane. He’s ridden on every bus route. All 48 of them. Both ways. Lane’s public transportation odyssey — which stretched from his home city of Murrieta to San Bernardino, from Corona to Escondido, Riverside to Disneyland, and everything in between — came to an end in January 2019 when his Route 10 bus stopped at RTA headquarters in Riverside. That final trip made Lane the first person to ride every bus route from end to end, east-west and north-south. That’s 2,000 miles! For Lane, this epic bus journey was all about experiencing firsthand the routes and customers that he and his fellow Board members were making decisions about. “There’s a lot more to public transit than people think,” Lane said. “The conversations I’ve had with our customers and the things I’ve learned along the way have been priceless. This journey has given me a chance to meet some wonderful people and gain a special insight into how and where our buses operate and the evolving needs of our customers.” RIVERSIDE TRANSIT AGENCY 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | 5 FLAG BUS HISTORY RUNS DEEP It’s no mistake that RTA’s buses are red, white and blue. Pretty appropriate for an agency that was practically born on our nation’s bicentennial. Back in 2001, shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks, when patriotism was at a fever pitch and American flags were planted in lawns, hung from roofs and unfurled from the tops of buildings, the RTA Board of Directors decided to fly its own flag on the side of a couple of buses. Many things have changed since 2001, but the flag buses remain in the fleet and continue to serve as a reminder of RTA’s dedication to the victims and first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice at ground zero, to our country and to the men and women who defend it. MORE YOUNGER PEOPLE RIDING THE BUS Summer and winter breaks aren’t usually a strong time for youth bus ridership. After all, it’s vacation and students generally aren’t relying on the bus to get to school or even around town. Not at RTA! A popular promotion that offered quarter rides during summer and winter breaks pushed youth ridership to new levels. During FY19, RTA buses carried a record 214,000 youth boardings, a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year, and 25 percent higher than two years ago. As part of the promotion, RTA encouraged youths up to 18 years old to ride the bus to popular places like the beach, shopping centers, Disneyland, Castle Park and a spectrum of entertainment destinations. The increased youth ridership is reflective of RTA’s overall ridership, which grew to 8.7 million boardings in FY19, up 1.4 percent compared to the previous year. 6 | RIVERSIDE TRANSIT AGENCY 2019 ANNUAL REPORT TEMECULA MOBILITY HUB OPENS Bus riders in Southwest County had reason to smile during the year thanks to the opening of a new transit hub at the Promenade Temecula. After seven months of construction, crews put the finishing touches on the facility for its opening in January on Ring Road. The new hub comes with five shelters, nine benches, improved lighting, sidewalk upgrades and expanded room for buses and customers. With smoother connections between routes, more frequent service and a more comfortable place to wait for the next bus, there’s never been a better time to be a bus rider. Plus, with free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports aboard all RTA buses, there’s a tidal wave of new reasons to leave your car at home and ride RTA. “We know the region is growing and our ridership continues to grow as well,” said Chair Bridgette Moore. “The Temecula Mobility Hub is going to enhance our customers’ travel experience and give new customers another reason to ride the bus.” RIVERSIDE TRANSIT AGENCY 2019 ANNUAL REPORT | 7 DESTINATION WEEKEND Weekend travel got a lot better during the year. In September 2018, RTA launched Saturday and Sunday service on routes 30, 31, 33, 42, 61, 74 and 79. The changes were a relief for customers seeking more weekend travel options and, with few exceptions, made all RTA bus routes operate seven days a week. That’s not all. The changes were part of a bigger overhaul of bus routes designed to enhance productivity, boost connections and improve service. Also during the year, RTA extended Route 40 to more destinations in Menifee and introduced Route 28 to serve Hemet and Perris. COLLEGE STUDENT RIDERSHIP ON THE RISE Thanks to the Go-Pass and U-Pass programs, a growing number of students at Cal Baptist University, La Sierra University, Moreno Valley College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Norco College, Riverside City College and UC Riverside are riding on RTA buses. RTA buses logged 1.4 million student boardings during FY19, up six percent compared to the previous year. The gains can be attributed to several factors, including expanded service, better frequency and later evening service. To ride, students simply swipe their college ID and enjoy traveling anywhere RTA buses go, anytime they operate. More good news came during the year when RTA extended partnerships with many of these schools, giving a whole new generation of students the chance to ditch their cars and ride the bus.