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| December 4, 2006 |
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| December 4, 2006 |
ADMINISTRATION: It’s been brought to my attention that there has been some interest in hearing about topics that are discussed with CyRide board members. So – in an effort to keep everyone informed, I’ve put together this short summary of the topics that will be discussed at the December meeting. If you have any questions, let Tom, Barb, Karen, Rich or I know and we will be glad to explain what’s going on. (Sheri)
FY2008 Budget: The FY08 budget which will begin in July 2007 through June 2008 is a fairly positive one. Revenues are higher due to additional federal dollars, higher farebox revenues and other smaller contracts such as the advertising on our buses. Expenses are about 5.7% higher and are anticipated to total $6,177,029. The budget includes funding an AM Supervisor (so Barb can go back to actually managing the department) and gives the board three service improvement options as follows:
Option #1
Midday Yellow Route – During the weekday, add a service that would
alternate trips between the yellow route to Crystal St. and then the
gray route to Dayton.
Brown North (Summer) – Add service during busy times of the day to
reduce service frequencies from 40 to 20 minutes.
Brown North (Weekday Evenings) – Add service until 9:00 pm
Option #2
Midday Yellow Route – Do not combine it with the gray route and begin
running the yellow route only during the midday
Brown North (Summer) – Add service during busy times of the day to
reduce service frequencies from 40 to 20 minutes.
Brown North (Weekday Evenings) – Add service until 9:00 pm
Option #3
Option #2 plus the following services
o
Blue South – Friday evenings add service allowing for 20 minute frequency and extending service along South Duff for shopping and movies. On Sunday, improve service frequency to 30 minutes from noon to 10:00 pmThe board will discuss the budget/service options at the December meeting, but will not take action on them until January. We’ll keep you informed and provide more detailed explanation of the approved services at that time.
Capital Improvement Plan: This is a document that identifies our need for buses, equipment and building improvements for the next 5 years. The following is scheduled for purchase beginning in July 2007.
Three 40’ buses
Four office computers
Replacement of the shop truck
Tire Changer
Parts Shelves
Minibus for Heartland Senior Services for dial-a-ride service
Election of Transit Board Officers: The transit board annually elects a new President and Vice President. The newly elected officers will begin their term in January.
Transit Feasibility Study Contract: Last month, the board approved hiring a firm called URS to help CyRide figure out if the two Dinky corridors were feasible and to look at what services will be needed in growth areas within the city. The board will be approving a contract with URS to begin this study in December to have it completed by mid-April 2007.
CIT Airport Shuttle Contract: Last month, the board approved contracting with CIT to do the Airport Shuttle service on behalf of CyRide. CyRide will continue to take reservations and monitor the service, but CIT will be operating the buses for our customers. The reason for this change is to provide our customers with the appropriate type of bus to handle intercity service. With buses that have luggage compartments and more comfortable seating, this should be an improvement. The board will be asked to approve the CIT contract at the December meeting. CIT will then begin operating the service for semester and spring breaks. We will re-evaluate this service at the end of spring break and determine if the contract should be extended.
OPERATIONS:
Tis the Season: CyRide’s annual Holiday Open House will be December 8 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)
Holiday Time Off: With the approaching holidays we will be working with many requests for time off. Please be sure to check carefully if your requests have been covered before you leave. Talk to Jen Strohm or Seth Pace if you have any questions about a shift being covered. Simply submitting a request does not mean it is automatically covered.
Sign up sheets will be posted for the holiday break schedule. If you are interested in working extra hours, you can sign up on those sheets and you will be assigned some extra hours according to your seniority.
Also, be sure that you know your schedule for the Holidays. A memo will be posted explaining the Holiday schedule. If you have any questions about when you work talk to Jen or Seth.
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.
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Report for work rested and alert.¯
Do a thorough pre-trip inspection. Make sure you have melt-it, an ice scraper, and Windex.¯
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.
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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 are snow or ice covered, scrape/brush the snow/ice off the steps.¯
Monitor the interior temperature of the bus for the comfort of the passengers. (Barb and Jenny)Parking Buses Outside during Cold Weather: When parking buses outside the garage in cold weather, the following procedures must be done:
Leave the transmission in neutral.
Set the parking brake (do not use the rear door interlock as a "parking
brake").
Close all windows and roof vents.
Turn off all interior lights and fans.
Turn off the 4-way flashers.
Close the front door by reaching through the driver’s window
Close the driver’s window.
When parking a big bus outside and the outside temperature is 20 degrees or below, do not turn off the bus engine. When parking a minibus outside and the outside temperature is 0 degrees or below, do not turn off the bus engine. The high idle and front heat or defrost should be left on all buses. This procedure will prevent the front windows from frosting over and diesel fuel from gelling and clogging both fuel lines and filters. (Barb & Jenny)
The Art of Moving Back: With our increase in ridership and as the weather gets cooler and cooler, it is imperative to ask our passengers to move back on the bus so more people can board. Making a request to your passenger is an ART.
A
ttention GetterHere are some sample announcements:
"May I have your attention; I have just a few more people to board if you would please move back in the aisle a few steps…Thank you."
"Good Morning, we have a lot of passengers traveling with us this morning if everyone would move back a step or two we will have room for everyone…Thank you."
Morning Orange route drivers should make this announcement after they leave the parking lot, so there is room for passengers boarding on Beach Avenue and at Maple Hall. (Barb and Jenny)
Lane 8 Garage Door Cold Weather Procedure: Colder weather is on its way and garage doors should be closed to help keep the building warm. If the garage door for lane 8 is closed, drivers should park in front of the door and enter the building through the small door to the right of the garage door. Pressing the "OPEN" button located on the control panel next to the small door activates the garage door. Once the garage door is fully open and stopped, drivers should bring their bus into the garage until they are even with the 3 M.P.H. speed limit sign (this distance ensures that your bus will not be struck by the door closing). Drivers should close the garage door unless there is another bus immediately behind them. Pulling on the red and white "jump-rope" closes the door. The driver of the last bus through the garage door should make sure that the door is closed before parking in the garage. (Barb and Jenny)
SAFETY
:Reminder: Drivers, if you should run over an object that could or has caused harm or damage to your bus, please stop your bus immediately and inspect it for damage. Stopping your bus immediately will prevent further damage from occurring. As always, keep the dispatcher informed of your condition and status. (Tom B and George)
HIRING AND TRAINING:
Snow and Slide Training: Drivers who started at CyRide after March will be receiving both snow and slide training. Snow training is classroom instruction highlighting proper vehicle handling techniques on ice and snow. Slide training is conducted when weather conditions permit at the Hilton Coliseum (ISC) parking lot. Drivers will attain speeds of 30 mph (or greater) and purposely slide (skid) their bus to experience the "feel" of winter driving conditions. These "skid drills" will help build confidence in your ability to handle anything an Iowa winter can produce. Tom B and George will be contacting you if you need this training. (Tom B 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 higher performance score) will be contacted. (George and Tom B.)
MARKETING:
Stuff a Bus: The fourth annual "stuff a bus" promotion was a huge success. This fundraiser "stuffed" four buses full of food for the Mid Iowa Community Action (MICA) food pantry. In addition to four buses full of foodstuffs, over $2500 in cash donations was collected. This food and cash for MICA will help feed the hungry of Ames. Thanks to everyone for making this a success. (Barb)
SHOP:
Orion VII’s: Four new Orion VII’s were delivered at the end of October. Even though we tried to spec these buses as close as possible to the existing fleet, there are still a number of new features. Maintenance employees are always willing to answer any questions or concerns you might have regarding the new buses.
New maintenance software will be installed in November. In addition to improved data gathering features, the software will help us to improve inventory controls. We are working with the software provider to eventually provide drivers with the option to enter maintenance cards via an intra-net connection. (Rich)