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December 12, 2005

OPERATIONS:

Winter Driving Tips: We’ve 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.

¯ Report for work rested and alert.

¯ Do a thorough pre-trip inspection. Make sure you have melt-it, an ice scraper, Windex, and plenty of grit.

¯ Slow down. The posted speed limit may not be a safe speed to travel at during inclement weather. Remember safety before schedule.

¯ 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.

¯ 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.

¯ Turn your four ways on early so the passenger knows you see them at the stop.

¯ Approach the stop cautiously and allow extra clearance on the right side, if necessary.

¯ 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.

¯ If the steps or aisle is wet or snow covered, put down grit and scrape any snow off the steps.

¯ Monitor the interior temperature of the bus for the comfort of the passengers. (Barb and Jenny)

Parking Buses Outside in Cold Weather: As a reminder, when the outside temperature is 20 degrees F or colder, keep your bus idling when parking it on the curb or in the employee lot. You should shut off the 4-ways and webasto, but keep the heater and the front windshield defrosters on to prevent window fogging. This procedure will prevent diesel fuel from gelling and clogging fuel lines and fuel filters. (Barb and Jenny)

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

Upcoming Holidays: December and January have many holidays affecting CyRide Service. Below is a summary of what we will be running:
Dec. 16 (Fri) - Regular weekday schedule – No Moonlight
Dec. 17 (Sat.) – "A" Saturday Break schedule – No Moonlight
Dec. 18 (Sun.) – "A" Sunday Break schedule
Dec. 19 to 23 - Weekday Break schedule
Dec. 24 (Sat) - "B" Saturday Break schedule – Service ends at 6:00pm
Dec. 25 (Sun) – Christmas Day – No Service
Dec. 26 and 27 - "B" Saturday Break schedule
Dec. 28 to 30 (Weds to Fri) – Modified Saturday Break schedule with full time drivers choosing shifts to work. All part time drivers off (except vacation reliefs) unless you sign up for extra work.
Dec. 31 (Sat) - "A" Saturday Break schedule – Service ends at 6:00pm
Jan. 1 – New Years Day – No Service
Jan. 2 - "A" Saturday Break schedule
Jan. 3 to 6 - Weekday Break schedule – No Moonlight Friday
Jan. 7 (Sat) - "B" Saturday Break schedule – No Moonlight
Jan. 8 (Sun) - "B" Sunday Break schedule

Please be sure to check your schedule carefully so you know when you work. Also, check with the Dispatchers if you have requested any time off to know for sure it is covered.

HIRING AND TRAINING:

Make Your Voice Heard on the PA: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 mandates that drivers announce transfer points and major bus stops. This is Federal law. CyRide drivers are required to announce the following bus stops:

-North Grand Mall
-City Hall
-Kildee Hall/Bessey Hall
-Beyer Hall/State Gym
-11th/Duff and 12th/Duff (the hospital and clinic area)

Please use your PA to announce these stops as it greatly helps our passengers who are unfamiliar with our system or are impaired. We will be periodically reviewing on-board bus camera systems to check drivers on compliance with this requirement. (Sara and George)

Wheelchair Refresher Training: This is a reminder to all drivers that we will be requiring everyone to complete wheelchair refresher training and competency again. Drivers will demonstrate the proper loading and securing of wheelchair passengers onto a bus. As all drivers will be tested twice a year, expect to see us soon. (Sara and George)

Instructors: We will be training some more instructors to start preparing for next summer’s hiring outlook. All drivers who meet the qualifications (1040 hours driven and 3.25 or hire performance score) will be or have been contacted. (George and Sara)

Slide Practice: We finally got the ideal weather conditions to have everyone who was hired since last winter out to the parking lot to complete slide practice. This helps to learn the skills needed to control your bus on slick roads. Thanks to everyone who participated in this practice. (George and Sara)

SHOP:

Buses were parked in the new addition for the first time on December 1st. While the addition is substantially complete, there are still a lot of small jobs to complete before it is finished. The new addition is approximately 9,000 square feet and is very energy efficient for a commercial building. The roof has an R-value of 30 and the walls are R21. We are utilizing ISU cooling tower water to heat the addition via heat pump.

Since the new addition has the best ventilation and the quickest heat recovery, we’re going to attempt to park the vehicles with the worst exhaust there. By parking the older units there, we should be able to improve the air quality in the shop and the office. Please be patient, it’s going to take us a while to develop a new parking plan.

Signs have recently been put up restricting the use of Door 15. ISU is demolishing the east-cooling tower with construction of a new one scheduled for the spring. They have requested that we only use that entrance for emergencies, like towing a bus into the shop. The use of door 15 will be permanently restricted as ISU plans to begin locking the newly erected gate in the near future. (Rich)

Please do not idle the buses inside to air your buses or for any other reason. Also, please make sure that the webasto is turned off when the bus is started in the morning, and that it is turned off when entering the building or leaving it outside. Doing all of these will greatly reduce pollution inside the garage. Please have mercy on us that breathe the garage air all day. (Chad)