Rogue Valley Transportation District

Infobox Bus transit
name = Rogue Valley Transportation District

logo_size = 191


image_size =
image_caption =
company_slogan = Providing and Promoting Efficient Transportationcite web |url=http://www.rvtd.org/index.php |title=RVTD.org |publisher=Rogue Valley Transportation District |accessdate=2008-06-08]
parent =
founded = 1975cite web |url=http://www.rvtd.org/about_us.php |title=About Us |publisher=Rogue Valley Transportation District |accessdate=2008-02-25 ]
headquarters = 3200 Crater Lake Ave.Medford, Oregon 97504
locale =
service_area = Rogue Valley
service_type = Transit bus
alliance =
routes = 6cite web |url=http://www.rvtd.org/bus_schedules.php |title=Bus Schedules |publisher=Rogue Valley Transportation District |accessdate=2008-02-25 ]
destinations =
stops = 38 [Some RVTD routes will stop anywhere along certain unsigned portions of their routes. Passengers may board in these areas by waving the bus down and deboard by signalling the driver.]
hubs =
stations = Front Street Station200 S. Front St.Medford, Oregon 97501
lounge =
leader_type = Manager
leader = Julie Browncite news |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070630/NEWS/706300310 |title=RVTD board names district's new general manager |author=Miller, Bill |publisher=Mail Tribune |date=2007-06-30 |accessdate=2008-02-26 ]
fleet = 23 transit buses
ridership =
fuel_type = compressed natural gas and diesel
operator =
ceo =
website = [http://www.rvtd.org/ Official Web site]

Rogue Valley Transportation District is a common carrier located in the greater Jackson County, Oregon, USA area. The transit bus company serves the cities of Medford, Ashland, White City, Phoenix, Talent, Jacksonville, and Central Point. The district is also the provider of paratransit services to the elderly and disabled within it's route coverage area.cite web |url=http://rvtd.org/images/pdf/07-09-24%20VL%20Riders%20Guide.pdf |title=Valley Lift Rider's Guide |publisher=Rogue Valley Transportation District |accessdate=2008-06-08 ]

The Rogue Valley Transportation District was established May 6, 1975 upon the passing of a special election measure allowing the county to establish a transportation district funded by Oregon tax dollars. Cited from Mail Tribune Archive dated April 4, 1975 and May 7, 1975. Archive stored on microfilm at Medford City Public Library.]

Service Information

RVTD currently operates six bus routes through the cities of Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent and White City with aspirations to add more in the coming future.Cited from the [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/LRP_Full%20Text_Chapters%20I-XII.pdf Ten-Year Long Range Plan 2007] available on the main RVTD website] All buses run from Monday through Friday. There is currently no weekend service. All bus routes begin and terminate at the central transfer station located at Front Street between 4th and 6th Street.

=Fixed Bus Routes=

* [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/Bus%20Schedules/Route%201%20Airport-Biddle%20Rd..pdf Route 1 Biddle Road / Airport] - Serves Biddle Rd, Royal Ave, the Medford Shopping Center, the Oregon DMV, Poplar Square and the Rogue Valley International Airport. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:30 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every hour.

* [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/Bus%20Schedules/Route%202%20Main%20Street-West%20Medford.pdf Route 2 West Medford] - Serves the West Medford area including Oakdale, Columbus, and Stewart avenues as well as a small stretch of Jacksonville Highway. Major businesses and locations served by this route include [Bi-Mart|Bi-Mart] , Black Bird, Medford City Hall, the City of Medford Police Station, the Jackson County Courthouse, Sherm's Thunderbird, and Albertson's Shopping Center. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every thirty minutes.

*Route 4 RVMC (DISCONTINUED)Cited from printed schedule revision 5/28/2003.] - Serves the East Medford area including E 10th St, Barnett Rd, and Siskiyou Rd, as well as Rogue Valley Medical Center. This route is no longer in service due to budget setbacks.cite web |url=http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070823/NEWS/708230325 |title=Tax increases are options to square budget for RVTD |publisher=The Medford Mail Tribune |accessdate=2008-06-08 ]

*Route 5 Ashland Loop (DISCONTINUED) - Serves the greater Ashland area including Tolman Creek Rd, Siskiyou Blvd, Highway 66, the Ashland Plaza / Lithia Park, and Southern Oregon University. This is a supplemental route to Route 10 Ashland which increases bus service frequency within the city limits. This route however, is no longer in service due to budget setbacks.

* [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/Bus%20Schedules/Route%2010-%20Ashland.pdf Route 10 Ashland] - Serves the cities of Medford, Phoenix, Talent, and Ashland including but not limited to the South Gateway Shopping Center, the Harry and David Country Village, Bear Creek Operations Inc. (aka. Harry and David Operations Inc.), Ray's Food Place, the Ashland Plaza / Lithia Park, Southern Oregon University, as well as countless other businesses throughout the four cities. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 5:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every thirty minutes.

* [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/Bus%20Schedules/Route%2030-Jville.pdf Route 30 Jacksonville] - Serves the city of Jacksonville and the East Medford Area via Jackson St. This including Columbus Ave, Jacksonville Hwy, and downtown Jacksonville. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 7:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:00 PM with service nine times daily.

* [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/Bus%20Schedules/Route%2040-%20Central%20Point(1).pdf Route 40 Central Point] - Serves the cities of Medford and Central Point including Riverside and Central Avenues, the Rogue Valley Mall, Table Rock, Merriman, Bursell, and Hopkins Roads, downtown Central Point, and Crater High School. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 6:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every thirty minutes.

* [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/Bus%20Schedules/Route%2060-%20WhiteCity(1).pdf Route 60 White City] - Serves the cities of Medford and White City via Crater Lake Ave and Crater Lake Hwy (Rt 62). It serves Providence Medical Center, Wal-Mart, Costco, North Medford (via Delta Waters Rd), as well as the Veteran's Affairs Domiciliary / Veteran's Hospital. The first bus leaves Front Street Station at 5:00 AM with the last bus leaving at 6:30 PM with service once every thirty minutes.

Valley Lift

The Rogue Valley Transportation District operates paratransit service known as Valley Lift. It is offered to senior citizens, people of physical or mental disability, or people who are unable to utilize fixed route buses for other reasons. Service is limited to areas which are no more than 3/4 of a mile by air from any fixed bus route. Such can be seen in their [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/Bus%20Schedules/RVTD%20District%20Map.pdf system map] . People wishing to utilize the service must apply with RVTD after establishing their eligibility for Valley Lift.

Fares

There are various methods to pay fares on RVTD buses. The most popular is cash, however prepaid methods are available. These methods include tokens, day passes, monthly passes, as well as punch cards for 20 or 35 rides each. Passes, tokens, and punch cards can be purchased at any three of these locations:
*Front St. Station at 200 S. Front St. in Medford
*RVTD Administration Offices located at 3200 Crater Lake Ave. in Medford
*City of Ashland Utlities Office at 20 E. Main St.

Fixed Route

1. Usage of one boarding with the noted methods entitles the user to a free 90-minute bus transfer, valid on all buses.

2. Only valid for the groups mentioned, two passes cannot be combined. Some individuals may be required to furnish proof of age or a valid Valley Lift ID.

Bus Fleet

Rogue Valley Transportation District operates a fleet of 23 buses, 3 paratransit buses, as well as a myriad of paratransit vans. Roughly 65% of the current transit bus fleet is powered by cleaner-burning compressed natural gas (abbreviated CNG) engines. RVTD was among the first transportation districts in the state of Oregon to operate a majority CNG fleet, originally acquiring their first prototype buses, the Blue Bird Xcel from Blue Bird Corporation, in 1994.cite web |url=http://www.cleanairnet.org/infopool/1411/articles-60176_resource_1.pdf |title=Rogue Valley Residents Breathe Easier With Natural Gas-Powered Transit Fleet |publisher=Clean Cities - Oregon Department of Energy |accessdate=2008-06-08 ]

Today RVTD is phasing out the Blue Bird CNG vehicles in favor of the 35 foot natural gas coach manufactured by New Flyer Industries. These newer buses provide for greater fuel capacity of 3600 psi compared to their predecessors 3000 psi limit (allowing greater range on one fill-up), provide space for more passengers (65 seated and standees compared to 50 seated and standees), a low floor design with fully automated wheelchair ramp (compared to the partially automated wheelchair lift), easier passenger boarding and deboarding, as well as a more powerful engine.cite web |url=http://www.blue-bird.com/products/commercial/xcel/ |title=Blue Bird Online - Xcel Buses |publisher=Blue Bird Corporation |accessdate=2008-06-08 ] cite web |url=http://www.newflyer.com/index/natural_gas |title=Natural Gas Product Specifications |publisher=New Flyer Industries |accessdate=2008-06-08]

In addition to their natural gas buses, the Rogue Valley Transportation District also operates diesel transit coaches in efforts to diversify their fuel usage. This has several key advantages including switching over to primarily diesel usage in the event of a natural gas price hike or vice versa. RVTD runs the GMC New Look coach and the Gillig Phantom transit bus exclusively, however that may change as future fleet acquisitions occur. Previously in district history the entire fleet consisted of the New Look with a blue, yellow, and white paint scheme but the coaches have since been phased out.

Passenger Amenities

All RVTD buses feature the standard amenities one can come to expect from any transit agency. For example all buses are equipped with front bike racks manufactured by SportsWorks, allowing up to two bicycles to be carried with their corresponding riders (except bus 3701 which features a three-spot rack). Each bus is equipped with both forward cabin and rear cabin heating units keeping each bus at a warm, comfortable temperature during the winter. Most of the buses also have air conditioning as well, save for the 4200 series (the GMC New Looks) which do not have A/C. All buses have padded frontal seats for additional comfort, with the 4200 series featuring both front and rear padded seats.I have personally noted each one of these amenities in each bus.]

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilites Act of 1990 all RVTD buses feature some form of wheelchair ramp or lift as well as securement methods for the chairs themselves. The design in all buses allows a maximum of two wheelchairs to be secured safely in the bus at any given time. Currently there is no automated time point stop announcement system on the buses; they are called out by the operator instead. This is set to change though as the district is in the process of requesting proposals for the installation of such a system throughout all the buses.cite web |url=http://rvtd.org/news.php?a=detail&id=26 |title=Passenger Information System R.F.P. |publisher=Rogue Valley Transportation District |accessdate=2008-06-08]

References

External links

*; [http://www.rvtd.org/ RVTD Official Website]
* [http://rvtd.org/images/subpages/File/LRP_Full%20Text_Chapters%20I-XII.pdf RVTD Ten-Year Long-Range Plan]
* [http://www.newflyer.com/ New Flyer Industries]
* [http://www.cleanairnet.org/infopool/1411/articles-60176_resource_1.pdf Clean Cities Article - Oregon Department of Energy]
* [http://www.mailtribune.com/ Medford Mail Tribune]

See also

*Lane Transit District
*TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District)
*Cherriots (Salem-Keizer Transit)
* List of bus operating companies