Signals December 2003


	December 2, 2003

ADMINISTRATION:

Garage Grant: Representative Tom Latham has announced that CyRide will be receiving $1,000,000 for the construction of additional bus storage on the south side of the building. 14 buses will fit in the new building in two lanes. We are interviewing architects now and will have someone hired by late January. They will work on the design during the winter and we should be ready to bid the project by early summer. Completion is scheduled for August 2005. After that, we hope to have money allocated to expand the office in 2006. (Bob)

Articulated Bus: A big thank you to Des Moines MTA for allowing us to borrow one of their articulated buses in November. Brent was able to fit 110 people on the bus comfortably. We gathered a lot of data about the loading times and capacities of the bus. Final answer: a definite unsure. The costs and benefits are about equal. We will be looking at some low floor articulated buses with three or four doors in the next few years. (Bob)

OPERATIONS:

Parking: When the new service lane opens, there will be some bus parking changes. Buses coming to the garage after 4:00pm from Frederiksen Ct., Ontario, or Schilletter can pull into the west driveway up to the service lane. All other buses have to pull in through the east driveway. When the gate is reinstalled, you cannot make the turn from southbound Elwood into our driveway (unless you want to practice backing up on Elwood). You will have to approach the garage from westbound 6^th or northbound Elwood. If you forget, go to Iowa State Center and turnaround and come back northbound. (Bob)

Winter Driving Tips: We have all heard the saying "there are two seasons in Iowa – road construction and winter." Most years it seems that way. Iowa’s snow season typically runs from November through early March.

The following tips will help in reducing the chances of becoming involved in a weather-related accident.

Ż Report for work rested and alert.
Ż Do a thorough pre-trip inspection. Make sure you have melt-it, an ice scraper, Windex, and plenty of grit.
Ż Slow down. The posted speed limit may not be a safe speed to travel at during inclement weather. Remember safety before schedule.
Ż Give yourself more stopping distance, about 15-20 feet before where you would usually stop. Bridges and shady spots can be icy when other areas are not. Avoid sudden stops and quick direction changes.
Ż Turn off the transmission retarder if the bus is equipped with one.

Snow and ice create hazards for our passengers as well. The following tips can help reduce the chances of our passengers having an accident.

Ż Turn your four ways on early so the passenger knows you see them at the stop.
Ż Approach the stop cautiously and allow extra clearance on the right side, if necessary.
Ż Choose the boarding and deboarding area carefully. If there is snow at the bus stop, select another area such as a sidewalk or driveway. If the sidewalk is icy or snow covered, give the passengers warning of the condition before they exit. If there is not a clear location, keep a clearance of three to five feet from the snow bank so that passengers can use the street for boarding and deboarding. Do not move the bus until all people are safely away from the bus. Check your mirrors carefully to make sure the area is clear.
Ż if the steps or aisle is wet or snow covered, put down grit and scrape any snow off the steps.
Ż Monitor the interior temperature of the bus for the comfort of the passengers. (Barb)

Airport Shuttle Results: Eighty-three passengers were transported to and from the Des Moines International Airport during this year’s Thanksgiving break. Thanks to the drivers and dispatchers who made this shuttle run so smoothly. (Barb)

CyRide Employee Committee: The CyRide Employee Committee is in need of an additional member. If you are interested in helping out with activities that the employee committee works on such as our Holiday Party (coming up on December 12^th), see one of the current members listed here: Beth McPhail, John Sorbo, Ray Coffey, Craig Corson, Don Tope, or Brent Klooster. (Karen)

My Bus is Where? Have you asked the dispatchers where your bus is lately and had no clue where to go? If so, this article is for you. With the new addition, "the west wing", we have renumbered the lanes. The new lanes are 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, and 9. We put numbers and letters outside the doors to make it easier for you to find the correct lane. We also changed the lanes in the "old west end". Instead of being 8, 9, 10, and 11, they are now C, D, E, and F. The shop will be painting these letters on the floor to make finding and parking your bus easier. See map. (Barb)

HIRING AND TRAINING:

MLX training: Due to some recent events that have occurred on Moonlight Express, all current Moonlight Express drivers will receive refresher training to help handle these situations. Training will be Friday, December 5, and Saturday, December 6. (Brent)

Wheelchairs: This is a reminder to all drivers that Jenny and Brent will be requiring everyone to complete wheelchair refresher training and competency. If you remember from August, Jenny and Brent had all drivers show what they remember for properly and safely loading a passenger in a wheelchair onto the bus. All drivers get tested twice a year so expect that you will be quizzed soon. (Brent)

Hiring for next two months: When run pick for Spring Semester is complete, Jenny and Brent will have some ideas for how many drivers we will need to recruit over Winter Break. Winter Break is short this year but that will not stop us from continuing to make sure we have enough drivers. Expect to see many new faces in the next few weeks and please give them all the same warm welcome that everyone receives here at CyRide. (Brent)

MARKETING:

Rubber Duckie Success: CyRide’s bus service lane dedication on Saturday,November 15, was a success. Between fifty and sixty people attended. Good clean fun was had by all. Rubber duckies and bubbles were supplied bubble bath was optional. Barb Hoskin provided a special duck guest appearance to help make the dedication a success. Thanks to Joanne, the shop, the dispatchers, and everyone else who helped make this a success.

To the right is a picture of Congressman Tom Latham, Mayor Ted Tedesco, Shawn Montague, and Bob Bourne at the official ribbon cutting. For those of you who have not been out to the new "west wing" in includes a fueling system with 32,000 gallon capacity, a bus washer (which uses a reclamation system to recycle water used in the washing process), and storage for an additional six buses. (Barb)

Tis the Season: CyRide’s annual Holiday Open House will be December 12 from 9:30am to 6:00pm. CyRide will provide lunch. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Family and friends are welcome. (Barb)

Stuff a Bus: The "stuff a bus" promotion was also a huge success. The fundraiser filled two buses full of food for MICA (Mid Iowa Community Action). We estimated we collected 300 boxes of food, and each of the boxes is worth about $50. Thanks to everyone for making this a success. (Barb)

SHOP:

Garage: The final list of "things to do" has been completed and the contractor should have them done during the first week of December, weather permitting. The reinstallation of the control gate on the east driveway will be one of the last items to be finished and a concrete apron by Door 11 should finish the project. The laneworkers will appreciate their new home after sweeping and fueling outside for the last 14 months. (Bob)

Buses for Sale: 917 and 882 or 883 will probably go up for sale in the next few months. We plan to take the motor out of 917 and rebuild it and switch it into one of our smoky buses. Then, we will keep rebuilding motors until we have solved the smoke problem. (Bob)

New Old Buses: Our third PACE bus was delivered December 1, and it should be painted and ready to go by January. 980 and 981 will be ready for service during the first week in December. (Bob)

Maintenance Supervisor: We are still looking for a maintenance supervisor. Our first choice was unable to complete the selection process. Applications will be taken until December 23. (Bob)

Restoration: Jon Buss is always busy fixing up some bus. 911 was his last big job. After the PACE buses are painted up, next projects will be 933 and 934. (Bob)