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Ohio Department of Transportation • Office of Transit • Fall 2007 APTA Names Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority the Best Public Transportation System in the Nation By Jerry Masek, GCRTA The Greater Cleveland Regional Tran- sit (BRT) project, created a quarterly report card for sit Authority (GCRTA) has been named public accountability, implemented a Ride Happy NORTH AMERICA’S BEST PUBLIC or Ride Free service guarantee, introduced popular TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM by the trolleys, improved its financial status and compiled American Public Transportation Asso- four straight years of ridership growth. GCRTA car- ciation (APTA) for systems providing ried 57.2 million riders in 2006. more than 30 million annual passen- ger trips. GCRTA was given the award Enhanced customer service affects every passen- in October 2007 for demonstrating ger. On-time performance has improved 28 per- achievement in efficiency and effective- cent. Reliability has more than doubled. Customer ness. William W. Millar, President of satisfaction levels are up an average of 20 percent a APTA, made the announcement. year. Technology now allows up-to-the-minute cus- tomer information in both cyberspace and at pas- “Congratulations to Joe Calabrese and senger facilities. Major vehicle and fa- the employees of GCRTA for being recognized cility upgrades have been completed, as the 2007 best large transit agency in North making service even more convenient America,” says Millar. “Receiving this presti- for 200,000 customers each weekday. gious honor means that GCRTA and its employ- A new bus fleet is low floor, totally ees are the “best of the best” in North America.” wheelchair-accessible and bike-rack equipped. Through a simple “back to the basics” business plan, GCRTA’s focus is to: enhance customer ser- continues on page 2 vice, improve its image and strength- en its financial health. The agency of- fers light rail, heavy rail, Paratransit, “This is a truly fantastic achievement, highlighting the many accom- Community Circulators, fixed-route plishments realized, and improvements made, by RTA, for the benefit buses and trolleys to serve a popula- of our community and our customers. The net result has been four tion of 1.5 million. consecutive years of ridership growth. I thank our supportive Board of Trustees, our entire community, and especially the many great employ- Through hard work and dedication, ees at RTA, who work hard to make our motto a reality, which is to pro- GCRTA improved service quality vide Quality Service to Every Customer, Every Day.” — Joe Calabrese, and image, broke ground on a pre- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority CEO & General Manager mium “New-Starts” Bus Rapid Tran- In This Newsletter Cool Rider - A Regional Approach GDRTA Receives Partnership Award ................. 6 to Public Transit Education ............................ 3 ODOT Co-sponsors Defensive Driving Course ... 6 Crawford County Council on Aging Helps Lynn Rathke Retires .......................................... 7 During Weather Emergency ........................... 4 Transit Welcomes Two New Employees ............ 7 People on the Move: Easter Seals Project ACTION Training Sessions invitation .............................. 4 STC Distributes 22 Vehicles in Cuyahoga Co. .... 8 Cincinnati Metro’s Government Square Transit .... Transit Moves .................................................. 8 Center Wins Architectural Award .................... 5 What’s Happening in Your System? .................. 8 please send your articles and picture to Dave Seech - [email protected] OHIO TRANSFER APTA Names Greater Cleveland RTA the Best continued from page 1 Significant efforts have been put into If you build it, they will come. After ers and students with innovative pass employee selection and training, an a decade of decline, four consecutive programs, resulting in much higher incentive program tied to a report years of ridership growth resulted in market penetration. And GCRTA card and a Ride Happy or Ride Free GCRTA receiving the FTA “Success in tripled the number of employers par- customer service pledge. Innovative Enhancing Ridership” Award in 2006. ticipating in Commuter Advantage, a marketing programs and key commu- GCRTA successfully targeted commut- pre-tax fare program. nity relationships have also boosted The future of the agency is bright. GCRTA’s new “I am proud of the outstanding achievements of When the more than $200 million BRT first-class image. the Greater Cleveland RTA. At a time when our Silver Line becomes operational in nation faces important energy issues, we must 2008, it will be GCRTA’s newest Rapid Services have continue to develop and support our public trans- Transit line, providing first-class ser- been upgraded, portation systems. With its commitment and ded- vice while lowering operating costs. It with trolleys ication to the Greater Cleveland community, RTA has already contributed significantly leading the way. has created a model system that other public to more than $2.5 billion in economic Downtown loops transportation systems around the country should development. ODOT’s Transportation were revamped aspire to emulate.” — George V. Voinovich, U.S. Review Advisory Council contributed with simpli- Senator for Ohio $75 million for the project. fied routing and unique, low-floor historic-looking trolleys. Operators competed for the right to dress as “The City of Cleveland is proud to be a partner with RTA in motormen or “ambassadors.” Service many efforts, especially the new Euclid Corridor BRT Silver – underwritten by a sponsor – is “free Line project. This project is a catalyst for development for with a smile.” Daily ridership jumped the City, connecting downtown with many of the City’s as- from 700 to 3,900. sets in an environmentally-friendly, technology-driven way. The Silver Line will ensure future generations of Cleveland- To coordinate senior transportation, ers will benefit from a world-class transportation system.” — GCRTA led in the formation of The Se- Frank G. Jackson, Cleveland Mayor nior Transportation Connection, one of the largest collaborative transportation efforts of its kind in the nation. The co- alition brings together municipal, so- cial service and non-profit agencies to address the travel needs of seniors. To maintain and improve its financial health, GCRTA learned to do more with less. Annual expenses were re- duced by $25 million, while services were maintained through better utili- zation of staffing, equipment and facil- ities. More than 450 positions and 106 buses were eliminated. Major facilities, departments, and two municipally-op- erated bus lines were consolidated. Through labor/management coopera- tion, attendance, safety, customer ser- vice and efficiency have steadily im- proved through an incentive-based program called TEAM (Together, Ev- eryone Achieves More). 2 please send your articles and picture to Dave Seech - [email protected] OHIO TRANSFER Cool Rider - cepted by the education community A Regional Approach to Public Transit Education when she received the call from Robert Haag, Mentor Schools Director of El- By Jessie Baginski, Laketran ementary Education, giving approval for the program to be offered in the Cool Rider is a one cool cat who is leaving his paw prints elementary schools. Within minutes of across northeast Ohio. His quest? To teach young chil- that call, several elementary teachers dren the 11-Cool Rules of Riding! His territory? Any location phoned in to book Cool Rider! where young children can be found – preschools, elemen- One of the goals of Cool Rider is to tary schools, recreation sites and community events. cut the path for the next level of tran- sit travel training, the Class Pass pro- Cool Rider is the brainchild of Akron program – a definite at- gram. Class Pass is de- Metro – created to help teach young traction to educators. signed for students in children about bus safety. In the fall of The Cool Rider program grades 4-10 – students 2006, when the marketing profession- includes a 20-minute in- old enough to use tran- als of northeast Ohio’s transit systems class presentation on the sit on their own, but got together to share best practices, rules for the road that are not old enough to drive. Akron Metro unleashed Cool Rider. As applicable for car, bus, or This program will pro- all systems faced substantial decreases train safety, a bookmark vide a 30-60 minute in- in state funding and marketing always with the 11 Cool Rules of class program that cov- feels the pinch, the marketing pro- Riding and proper child ers how to read a system fessionals decided to take a regional safety seat securement, a map and timetables, and approach to their work – they would Laketran activity book, how to plan and prepare share programs and program names and a six-minute video, for your trip on transit. whenever possible to bring continu- featuring that fantastic Classes that complete ity to transit education across the area. feline, Cool Rider. this training are given The program to teach seniors to use a pass that allow the www local fixed route service would adopt Cool Rider crept his .laketran.com teacher to take them as a 1. Stand back from the curb when the name “Freedom Ride” from the way into a few day- waiting for the bus. group, to some other edu- 2. Find the bus number be Portage Area Regional Transportation care programs over fore cational destination in the boarding. Authority, the elementary and junior the summer, each time 3. Have your fare ready when you county using Laketran’s board – exac high bus training program would be proving to be a hit t change please. local fixed routes. The trip 4. Show respec t to other riders – No fighting or throwing thing can be a school field trip adopted from Laketran’s “Class Pass” with even the young- s. 5. Keep your cell phone or after-class activity. In – and the program to teach young chil- est children. Howev- conversations quiet and dren about bus safety would be Akron er, the prime market always use headphones.

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