Riverside Transit Agency

Infobox Bus transit
name = Riverside Transit Agency

logo_size = 172


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founded = 1975
headquarters = 1825 Third Street
locale = Riverside, CA
service_area = Riverside County
service_type = bus service, paratransit
alliance =
routes = 39
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hubs =
stations =
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fleet = 230+
ridership =
fuel_type = Compressed Natural Gas
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ceo =
website = [http://www.riversidetransit.com riversidetransit.com] The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) provides public transportation for Western Riverside County, California, operating more than 230 vehicles on 39 fixed routes, six commuter routes and a Dial-A-Ride service.

RTA was established as a Joint Powers Agency on August 15, 1975 and began operating bus service on March 16, 1977.

RTA’s 2,500 square-mile service area is the second-largest in the nation with Riverside and the Pass area to the north, Hemet and San Jacinto to the east, Temecula to the south and Corona and Norco to the west. In addition to Riverside County, RTA provides service to parts of San Diego, San Bernardino and Orange counties. More than 22,000 passenger trips are counted each weekday.

During Fiscal Year 2007, the agency logged nearly 7 million boardings, and has enjoyed strong ridership growth in recent years. Major destinations within the RTA service area include transportation centers, schools, shopping and medical centers, business parks and community centers.

Board of Directors

RTA is governed by a board of directors composed of 18 elected officials from 14 cities in western Riverside County and four members of the County Board of Supervisors. The member jurisdictions include the cities of Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Corona, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norco, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto, Temecula and the unincorporated areas of Riverside County Supervisorial Districts I, II, III and V.

Fixed Routes

RTA’s fixed-route service includes 39 routes. The fixed-route service also includes trolleys that serve Riverside’s downtown and the University of California. Fixed-route headways vary from 15-minute to hourly service with up to 17 hours of service on weekdays, 15 hours on Saturdays and 12 hours on Sundays.

Routes That Serves The Riverside Area

*Route 1-Corona To Riverside-Serves Downtown Riverside,Corona
*Route 3-Riverside To Corona-Serves Norco To Corona
*Route 10-Riverside
*Route 12-Riverside
*Route 13-Riverside
*Route 14-Riverside
*Route 15-Riverside
*Route 16-Riverside To Moreno Valley
*Route 21
*Route 22
*Route 29
*Route 49
*Route 149-Riverside To Orange

Dial-A-Ride

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, RTA provides priority service to persons who, due to a disability, are unable to use the public fixed-route bus system. The curb-to-curb, advanced reservation service utilizes minibuses and vans to provide transportation to residents living in Calimesa, Hemet, San Jacinto, Homeland, Romoland, Lake Elsinore, Jurupa, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Temecula, Norco, Perris and Sun City. The Dial-A-Ride service area is defined as up to ¾ mile on either side of an existing fixed-route. The service operates on the same days and at the same times as fixed-route service. The service experiences roughly 20,000 monthly boardings and costs $2.50 each way.

CommuterLink

In 2003, RTA launched CommuterLink, its first bus service designed to serve Riverside County’s growing number of commuters. The specially designed express buses have limited stop service to main transit centers and Metrolink stations in Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties. In 2005, RTA debuted free Wi-Fi Internet and satellite television aboard its Temecula-Oceanside CommuterLink Route 202, making the agency the first in Southern California to offer such amenities aboard public buses. RTA's newest CommuterLink route, the 210, launched in January 2008, serves the Banning, Beaumont and Calimesa areas with express service to Moreno Valley and Riverside.

Fares

It should be noted that several classes of passengers may ride free on RTA fixed-route buses with valid identification. These categories are: employees of the City and County of Riverside, RTA employees and their family members, jurors serving at the Riverside, Corona or Moreno Valley courthouses, and students at UC Riverside and any campus of Riverside Community College. Furthermore, holders of a valid downtown parking ticket or pass may ride Routes 50 and 52, the "Trolley" Red and Green lines respectively, for free.

Recent developments

Clean fuel buses

In 2001, RTA converted its entire fleet to Compressed Natural Gas, which emits fewer smog-forming emissions than diesel fuel. The agency also operates CNG fueling stations at its Riverside and Hemet facilities.

U-PASS

In September 2006, RTA partnered with the University of California, Riverside to provide their students with an all-access bus pass. UC Riverside students get free rides by swiping their valid university identification cards through any RTA bus farebox when they board. The program, which is dubbed U-Pass, is designed to help ease traffic congestion around campus, reduce parking problems and encourage ride-sharing. Additionally, RTA operates a trolley service called the Crest Cruiser that is free to UCR students and travels around the university to off-campus housing and retail outlets.
As of August 21st, 2008, RTA has also partnered with Riverside Community College to provide the same free transit services to RCC students at all of the Riverside Community College District's campuses, including the Riverside City, Moreno Valley, and Norco campuses. Students must swipe their valid RCC College Cards through the bus farebox when boarding. No additional transit services have been implemented in conjunction with this partnership. [http://www.riversidetransit.com/promos/Upass_08-08.htm]

Transit centers

To keep up with the demand for public transit in a fast-growing area, RTA has unveiled plans to build new transit centers in Corona, Temecula, Perris and Riverside. Preliminary work has already begun on the projects. In 2004, RTA purchased two acres of land for the Corona project. In 2005, RTA qualified for a $1.3 million federal grant to help build the Perris transit center, and President Bush’s approval of a federal appropriations bill set aside more than $1.2 million for work on the Corona and Riverside transit centers. The future transit centers are expected to include bus bays, covered plazas and park-and-ride areas.

The Trolley

On May 1, 2007, RTA launched a new trolley service in downtown Riverside for visitors, jurors, and city and county employees. The trolleys are designed to provide passengers with a quick, convenient and cost-effective way to get to downtown destinations. RTA promoted the trolley as a way to reduce traffic during the busiest hours of the day and minimize pollution. The Red Line include stops at the county courthouse and jury parking lots. The Green Line travels throughout the downtown area with stops near the county courthouse, City Hall, Mission Inn, various restaurants and the Metrolink station. RTA officials are monitoring ridership on the trolleys, which are part of a pilot program, to determine their performance.

Bus Rapid Transit

RTA continues to explore the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, system that would utilize fast-moving, high-occupancy buses equipped with the latest technology. The concept is best described as a subway on wheels capable of carrying passengers to employment hubs using designated lanes and priority traffic-signal lights. The concept of Bus Rapid Transit will continue to be studied as RTA looks for ways to improve bus travel in Riverside County.

Custom shelters

RTA is in the process of creating custom-built shelters with solar-powered lighting, special designs that keep customers cooler in the summer and materials that resist the effects of vandalism. The prototypes debuted in 2006 near RTA headquarters on Third Street in Riverside, the first of a series of new shelters that are designed to take the agency’s image in a more modern direction.

New bus technology

RTA has begun installing new mobile data terminals inside all directly operated buses. The devices allow drivers to log on to all systems (including the farebox and headsign), view how well they are staying on schedule and communicate with dispatch using text messaging. Buses will also be equipped with automatic passenger counters and technology that uses GPS to transmit bus locations.

Financials

RTA is largely funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), State of California Transportation Development Act (TDA), the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ).

Transportation NOW

In 1992, RTA’s Board of Directors created Transportation NOW to promote the discussion of public transportation alternatives. Since then, the program has grown to include three chapters: Corona/Norco/District 2, Moreno Valley/Perris and the San Gorgonio Pass area. Each chapter meets monthly to discuss current issues surrounding public transit and ways to promote its usage and lobby for improvements. [http://www.riversidetransit.com/meetings/transnow.htm]

External links

* [http://www.riversidetransit.com RTA official website]