Whether it was making a difference on the streets, in the maintenance shop or behind the scenes, several Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) employees have earned top honors for 2016.
The administrative employee of the year was RTA’s Project Manager Andrew Frost. Maintenance employees of the year were Jean Arroyo, Antonio Castillo, Dan Cooke, Daniel Rodriquez, Reginald Stewart, and Albert Vega. Coach Operators of the year were Paul Aliado, Timothy Bruner, Monica Guice, Benny Iverson, Herman Miller, Felita Moore, Alexander Moreno, Robert Owens, Enrique Rueda and Carl Waithe.
“I am proud of the success we achieved in 2016,” said RTA Chair Linda Krupa. “RTA employees are an exceptional bunch who are dedicated to their jobs and focused on improving our customers’ quality of life.”
Frost was instrumental in establishing a whole new way of delivering bus service in downtown Riverside. His biggest contribution to RTA came during the second half of 2016 when the Agency was making preparations to close the Riverside Downtown Terminal and shift the way it delivered service in the downtown area.
To facilitate this change, Frost coordinated the creation of 18 new bus stops, improvements to 16 existing stops, installation of 18 new shelters, and replacement of sections of sidewalk to bring the changes to ADAcompliance. In addition to construction, the project involved traf fi c lane closures, removing six mature trees, notifying businesses, getting city approvals, processing change orders, daily problem solving and consensus building.
The maintenance and coach operators of the year not only set the standard for excellence during the year, they also had perfect attendance, no disciplinary actions, and a perfect safety record.
The Maintenance Department, which employs more than 60 mechanics, groundskeepers and supervisors at two facilities, kept the vehicle fl eet and bus stops in excellent condition. During the year, the group achieved 1,000 days without a lost-time injury, which was a testament to RTA’s seasoned employees who are passing on safe work habits and positive attitudes to new employees.
In a department that never shuts down, crews are working around the clock on general maintenance, repairs and new technology. Last year, the department inspected 37 new buses before they hit the streets to ensure the vehicles were clean, safe and reliable.
The year was also a busy one for RTA drivers. RTA’s 280-plus coach operators manned a fleet of 224 buses on 44 routes. When the year ended, RTA buses had handled 8.9 million boardings. RTA expanded service to include four new Metrolink stations, extended a student ride program at area colleges and universities, and began offering free Wi-Fi on all buses.
RTA coach operators are trained to be safe, courteous and put the customer fi rst. Fact is, they do much more than move people from place to place. Sometimes they are guardians of the streets helping fi nd and assist people in need. Every RTA bus is considered a safe place for children and teens in crisis, and every year drivers play a strong role in connecting dozens of individuals with intervention and outreach services.
