ADMINISTRATION: A-W-K-S, an architectural firm in West Des Moines, has been hired to design the south storage addition, which will be built along our south wall. We are discussing using the hot water from the cooling towers to provide in-floor heating. Design work should be done within six months and bidding should be complete by August. Construction will start in the fall and should be completed within 12 months. Fourteen buses will be stored in the new addition. (Bob)

The budget for next year has been finalized. Due to a $45,000 reduction in federal operating assistance and a lot of uncertainty about state assistance, we will be eliminating three trips on # 5 Yellow route; raising fares, eliminating our membership in the Iowa Public Transit Association, and making some other administrative reductions. (Bob)

OPERATIONS:

Winter Is Officially Here: Our first major snowstorm has finally arrived. Everyone did an outstanding job, especially all the new drivers – Bravo!

Tough Snow Warning: When curbing your bus, be on the lookout for the piles of accumulated snow that will exist at the edges of the street. The freeze-thaw cycle and road chemicals will turn this once fluffy material into something akin to concrete. Adequately survey the situation when stopping and ensure there is enough room between your bus and any snow. Hitting a frozen snow berm is a preventable accident. Striking this glacier-like substance damaged several mini-bus step wells last year. (Barb/George)

Auxiliary Vehicle Heaters: The auxiliary heater enhances the vehicle’s regular heating system by heating and circulating water that is used to heat the engine, the driver’s area, and the passenger compartment. Drivers should use the auxiliary heater only when the engine is cold, or when the regular engine heater is unable to maintain a comfortable passenger temperature. When a comfortable passenger temperature is reached, the auxiliary heater should be turned off. The only vehicles equipped with auxiliary vehicle heaters are: 910, 926, 927, 933, 934, 944-947, 953-958 and 970-978. (Barb/George)

Interior Temperature of Your Bus: As the weather continues to stay cold we should talk a little about the interior bus temperatures. All buses heat differently, and weather conditions will affect the interior temperature of your bus. Drivers should frequently walk through the bus to monitor the temperature of the passenger seating area as well as referring to the interior thermometer. During winter, drivers will maintain their passenger compartment temperatures between 65-68 degrees F. This insures that passengers in winter clothing do not become uncomfortable. If the heater does not raise the temperature to this comfort range, the dispatcher should be notified. (Barb/George)

Uniforms: Now that we may be experiencing some colder, more unpleasant weather, I want to remind you that you can get some extra uniform items to keep you warm. If you would like a stocking hat or sweater, talk to Joanne. If we do not have one on hand, we can order one for you. You should always be wearing CyRide issued items. No other jackets, caps, hats, etc. should be worn when driving. (Karen)

Door 9 Reminder: Door 9 is a high-speed garage door that opens rapidly when activated by a driver. It has a "drive over" hose switch that signals the door to open when the left tire of a bus touches this hose. Drivers will not need to get out of their bus to activate this door’s controls. You have 20 seconds to enter the doorway once the door is fully open. If you signal the door to open but never enter the doorway, the door will close automatically after 20 seconds. Make sure your bus is aligned properly (straight) in front of door 9 before activating the door switch. (George)

Gates on East End of Base: We will be having the gates that were located on the east driveway into base installed soon. They were removed when we began construction on the west addition. Just remember to line up your bus for entering and exiting the gates so you do not hit the gate switch stand with the left side of your bus. (Brent/Jenny)

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. (Brent/Jenny)

New Drivers: Thanks to all for making every new person here at CyRide feel welcome as part of our team. Sometimes this is difficult due to the many new faces we see each year. Please continue to make everyone feel at home. (Brent/Jenny)

MARKETING:

Fare Increase: Fares will increase on March 1. All the current and new fares are posted on the Fares page, but here are a few highlights:

SHOP: Three ex-PACE buses are in service with two variations of paint scheme. 980 and 981 received a quick makeover and will eventually be touched up to look like 982. Watch for more used buses this summer. They will be used to replace 916-921, which are quickly rusting away.

912 is receiving an Oprah makeover (maybe some people know what that means [td]), just like 911. Don Tope and Jon Buss are spending as much time as possible and hope to have it out within a month or so.

Motors are being rebuilt for the Madison buses as needed to reduce smoke and odors. Some of the GMs are receiving tune-ups to reduce complaints about smoke and odors.

We will be experimenting with soy diesel as soon as the weather warms up. The GSB has been asked to pay for the differential in cost between soy diesel and regular diesel. Soy diesel has 5% Iowa soybeans mixed in and should help to reduce smoke and odor emissions.