The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) was found to be operating at an overall healthy level and making good use of taxpayer dollars, according to a new federal review that inspected almost every area of administration and operation over a three-year period.
The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Triennial Review found the RTA in compliance with all 21 areas of inspection, including operations, finance, maintenance, civil rights and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, grant management, service planning, general management and organization. The audit covered fiscal years 2016 through 2018.
During the three-year review period, RTA’s ridership hovered between 8.5 to 9.3 million boardings, and the agency’s farebox recovery ratio (or the percentage of operating costs covered by passenger fares), exceeded the state’s required minimum farebox ratio.
During the review period, RTA launched the Route 200 with service between San Bernardino, Calif., Riverside and Disneyland; as well as RapidLink Gold Line service between Riverside and Corona. RTA also expanded free Wi-Fi to all buses, launched the real-time bus arrival service BusWatch and forged partnerships with area universities and colleges so thousands of students could get unlimited rides. Other projects commenced during the review period when RTA opened a transit hub in Temecula, offered quarter rides to youth and modernized bus stops and signage throughout the service area.
RTA Chair Bridgette Moore said the federal review reflects RTA’s commitment to using taxpayer dollars wisely.
“This is great news for RTA,” Moore said. “Passing this important review with a perfect score reflects our conservative business approach, our passion for customer service and our commitment to operating a world-class transit system.”
The review is required every three years for agencies such as RTA that apply for and receive federal funding. Over the course of several months, auditors interviewed RTA management, collected and examined documents and reviewed the agency’s facilities to ensure performance and adherence to federal transportation policies and requirements. No deficiencies were found in any of the reviewed areas.
