Building Construction: Unfortunately, we are not where we had thought we would be at this time on the office building construction. According to the schedule, we were to be awarding a contract to a construction firm at the end of March and beginning construction in mid-April. When bids were received earlier this month, CyRide had one construction firm bid on our project. This single bid also did not contain a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) form that is required and because of this, FTA required us to reject the bid. Therefore, we are starting the bid process over. The new schedule is set to receive new bids in mid-April, contract award by the end of April and construction beginning around May 9^th. Keep your fingers crossed that this time we can move forward on this project.

On a positive note, the State approved an additional $880,000 in March to assist in funding the construction of this building. This will allow CyRide to pay for any unanticipated costs and/or allow us to move forward with our next construction project – old wash bay area.

Transit Feasibility Study: The purpose of this study is to look at seven different areas of town to determine if a different level or type of service will be needed in the future. A consultant was hired and has been working on this project since January. In late March, a series of public input meetings were held to gain the community’s thoughts on services. The study is scheduled to be completed in mid-April when the consultant will present their recommendations.

Committees: Several committees were formed in March to begin looking at areas where we can start moving forward on the vision that has been created for CyRide over the next 24 months. These committees are: Uniform, Destination Sign, Employee Hiring/Retention and Safety Committees.

VEISHEA: VEISHEA is Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21. We will be providing a free shuttle service (parade shuttle) between Iowa State Center and campus on Saturday, April 21, before the parade and after the parade. We will also be participating in the parade this year.

There will be numerous road closings for the festivities. Typically, they close Welch Ave. and Lower Friley on Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 22. On Saturday, most of campus will be closed for the parade. We will post information on the window between the office and garage as it becomes available.

Summer Changes: The weekday #6 Brown route will have more buses added during the AM & PM rush hours so that they run every 20 minutes from 7:30am to 9:30am and from 2:15pm to 5:15pm. It will continue to run every 30 minutes during the midday.

Fall Changes: There are two significant changes starting August 17

Driver Run Picks: Summer and Fall run picks will be on the following dates:

Summer Full Time: April 2 to April 5
Fall Full Time: April 10 to April 13
Summer Part Time: April 10 to April 16
Fall Part Time: April 17 to April 24

There will be handouts for the newer drivers in April about how run pick works and what to expect. Check the windows near Barb’s office for late breaking run pick news.

Help a Laneworker: Now that the weather is warming, when you return to base to park your bus at the end of your shift, please close all windows and roof vents. Also walk through your bus and pick-up any rubbish or lost items. Doing the above will make the laneworker’s life easier when they clean and refuel your bus.

Window to Window: All Drivers and Dispatchers should be wearing only their CyRide issued uniform when they report for duty. It is fine to wear your own coats, jackets, etc to and from work. However, when you report to the Dispatch window and go out to your bus you should have only your CyRide uniform on. If you would like uniform shorts or any other items and do not have them, please let Joanne know and she will order them for you.

School Tours: It is that time of year, CyRide will be helping pre-school and grade school students become better bus riders.

CyRide offers two individual programs: a Pre-Riders program designed for younger children and an Independent Riders program designed for older children. Each program includes a bus wash, safety talk, and several promotional items. If you are interested in being involved in school tours, please let Tom B or George know.

New Instructors: With the students on break and a majority of the buses in the garage, six drivers took the opportunity to enroll in the Instructor Training Program offered over spring break. The group participated in classroom sessions and on-the-road training. We want to welcome and congratulate Andrew Dykstra, Leslie Tarkowski, Jacob Morey, Tim Baldrige, Keith Wilbur, and Jacob Crosser.

Thunderstorms and Tornadoes: Late spring in Iowa heralds the arrival of severe weather. During severe weather, the dispatcher will monitor weather radio, internet, and television broadcasts and will notify drivers of dangerous conditions. Drivers should notify the dispatcher if they must stop due to poor visibility caused by heavy rain or hail. Drivers should also call the dispatcher for instructions if a detour is required due to street flooding, downed tree limbs, etc.

In the event of a tornado warning, drivers should stop the bus in a safe location. Drivers should then direct their passengers to the nearest building for shelter. If no building is available, drivers should instruct their passengers to stay on the bus and remain below window level. Once the sirens have stopped, drivers should contact the dispatcher for further instructions. (Dorothy and Toto; aka Tom and George)

New Hires: There are many new faces here at CyRide. Thanks to everyone for extending a warm welcome to all who have been hired in the last few weeks. There will be many more new faces before the fall schedule begins. We are looking for qualified applicants. If you know people who may be interested in working here at CyRide, encourage them to apply. It could be worth $50.

Can you train a lot? Instructors, if you are willing to train more than three shifts per week, please let us know so we can plan accordingly before we get lots of new trainees in the door over the next 3 months.

Manual Update: The Driver Manual is undergoing its periodic update. When completed, it will be distributed to all.

Garage Door Safety Reminder: Drivers, when pulling a bus out of the garage on the east end of the building (doors 1-7), stop in front of the open door, exit the bus, and walk over to the door control poles to close the door. Do not drive over to the door controls to activate the garage door. Doing this blocks other buses from safely exiting other garage doors and increases the likelihood that you could inadvertently close a garage door on a bus exiting out of the door you originally came out of.

FLEET AND FACILITIES

Employee Award: Quentin Toresdahl was recognized and received an award at the Employee Awards Lunch held on April 4, 2007. Quentin was given an award for identifying a way CyRide could save approximately $2,000 annually. Historically, CyRide purchased door safety switches from the bus manufacturer Orion. Quentin took it upon himself to call the manufacturer of the switch and arrange it so CyRide could purchase the switch from them directly at a savings of $113.75 per switch. Thank you Quentin!

Curbside Mirrors: For years, in the interest of increased visibility, CyRide has been installing curbside mirrors that do not strictly meet DOT regulations. In the near future, we’ll be identifying potential replacement mirrors and asking for employee input. This project will move forward slowly as we do not want to do anything that would compromise the safety of the public. But at the same time, we need to bring the fleet into compliance with regulations. More details will be posted as they come available.

Lincoln Way and Beach Shelter – Eastbound: Replacement shelter roof has been installed. ISU has been contacted to replace the shelter light.