After completing their bus operator's training course, nine new bus drivers have joined the Lane Transit District (LTD) team. The operators started bus operator training and education on Jan. 22, 2024, and graduated on March 22.
“You play such a key role in our community,” said Pete Knox, LTD board member representing Subdistrict 5. “I am a lifelong rider and have developed close, personal friendships with so many bus operators over the years. Part of what makes serving on the board special is my love for the bus and the connection it provides to the greater community.”
During a nine-week period, trainees went through a curriculum taught in the classroom and behind the wheel to teach candidates about customer service, laws governing bus operations, LTD operations and how to operate the district’s 40- and 60-foot fixed-route buses, as well as its EmX buses that serve the bus rapid transit routes.
“You can move up in this agency. This is only the beginning if that’s what you want it to be” said Bill Mullican, LTD training instructor. “Our planners, supervisors, our bosses have all been drivers. This isn’t where it ends for your guys – you have so much longevity here because this is a wonderful place to work.
The district is in the midst of a major recruitment push to fill the bus operator need. LTD is promoting its news on social media, live stream television, broadcast television and radio to inform potential candidates about the opportunities and benefits of working at LTD. The next class of operators begins on April 15, 2024.
