OPERATIONS:

Another Record Year! CyRide has done it again! During the last year, CyRide transported 3,418,078 passengers, an increase of 373,622 over the previous year. With fare free service for ISU students starting this month, look for our passengers counts to dramatically increase again. (George)

Kids Crossing in Front of the Bus: With school starting this month, we will have many new and unfamiliar "little riders." Please ensure that when children depart your bus that they do not cross in front of your vehicle (especially when transferring from one bus to another across a street). Children should move to the rear of the bus so they can see oncoming traffic. If necessary, have small children exit the bus through the front doors in order for you to better determine where they are. Please be careful! (George)

Gate Cards: The ISU Department of Public Safety will be activating the gates on Osborn Drive prior to the start of the fall semester. When you drive up to the gates, you will see a black square (about a foot square) mounted on a cement monolith. This black square is the card reader. You need only hold your vehicle’s card up to the reader to activate the gate. The card readers should be able to read your card once it is within 18-24 inches of the reader. During the week of August 12-16, each CyRide vehicle will be issued a gate card that will stay within that vehicle (cards will be attached to a lanyard that will be attached on or near the front door handle). Drivers should ensure that they have their vehicle’s gate card when starting or taking over a shift. Report lost cards immediately in order for a replacement to be obtained. (George)

New Faces: Seeing unfamiliar faces in the break-room lately? Since the end of the spring semester, CyRide has started 19 new drivers. When meeting these new drivers, give them a warm welcome! (George)

Circulator Routes: Limited Gold and Cardinal routes and Orange shuttles will operate August 21 to 23 so that new drivers can drive them before classes start. Drivers hired since May will be assigned one shift on each route, then longer term drivers who have a shift of Gold or Cardinal this fall, but have not driven them will be given a chance to drive a shift. (Tom D.)

Fall Meetings: The annual fall meetings are being scheduled in August. We will be discussing the final phase of fare free, new services, performance trends, and other items of interest. Bring your questions and comments. (Barb)

Training: Thanks to everyone’s hard work helping to get all of our new drivers through training and ready for Fall. I really appreciate all of the work that the instructors have done to help with our additional drivers. (Brent)

Moonlight Express: We will be running Moonlight Express on August 23 and 24. We will have some review training for veteran MLX drivers and new training for new MLX drivers. The training will be scheduled for the week of the 19^th. (Brent)

MARKETING:

are Free: Fare free starts August 12. Look for the new "free stop" logo on a bus stop near you soon. I will have my elves (you know who you are) start putting the new stickers up on campus sometime after August 12. (Barb)

Destination Iowa State (DIS): Destination Iowa State, formally known as New Student Days, will be coming up towards the end of August. This is an action-packed program designed as the official kick-off for incoming freshman at ISU. Iowa State is expecting over 3,000 participants. Student leaders, faculty, and staff have created a program to help freshman make a successful transition to college life. During this orientation, they will discover the many resources available to them at ISU, one of them being CyRide.

One of the requirements of the orientation is to learn how to use CyRide. In addition to learning, how to ride the fixed route buses, we will be highlighting CyRide by providing shuttle buses on Thursday, August 22, to several of the planned events. Look for more information at the dispatch window in the near future. (Barb)

New Mini-Van: The new mini van has arrived. We will be using this van as is for now. We hope to put some sort of new paint scheme on unit 968. If you have any ideas please let me see them. (Terry)

arage Construction: Bids are scheduled to be opened for the garage project on Sept. 12. If there are no problems with the bids or bidding process, the City Council will approve the low bidder on September 24. Construction can start as early as September 25. The building is scheduled to be finished by January, 2004. This expansion will provide a new service lane and parking for six additional buses. (Bob)

60 and 961: We are having the drivers seats recovered. The center section will be covered with cloth to help with driver comfort. We are also putting in new wheelchair seat belts. The new belts will make the fleet more uniform. (Terry)