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May 25, 2013
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Transportation Report Card

Posted on May 20, 2013 by asnyder

The Champaign-Urbana Urbanized Area Transportation Study (CUUATS) released a “report card” for the state of transportation in the urbanized area of Champaign-Urbana-Savoy-Bondville-Tolono as part of their Long Range Transportation Plan Update: Choices 2035. CUUATS is the transportation entity of the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC), which is responsible for administering the federally mandated transportation planning process.

The report card used 2010 Census data and the 2011 American Community survey (among other sources) to check on the Measures of Effectiveness (MOEs) set in 2009. MOEs are:

“…a way to track and measure the progress that the metropolitan planning area makes towards desired outcomes between each LRTP update. The MOEs are a series of performance measures designed to provide agencies with communication tools to bring to the public that show tangible evidence of the changes taking place as a result of the planning process” (Introduction to the 2012 Report Card, p. 5).

All jargon and abbreviations aside, MTD views this report card much like a student would. We view District-related marks as a reflection on the services we provide. MTD partnered with CUUATS to set goals and works hard each service year to continuously improve and maintain what we offer. Below are excerpts from the report card related to MTD. The full report [PDF] is available for public viewing.

Journey to Work

This Measure of Effectiveness receives a positive rating because of the continued growth of transit ridership by workers 16 years of age and older. In 2010, 7.3% of the working population used public transit to get to work, which grew to 9.1% in 2011. This meets the target of increasing the percentage of workers using transit from 6.5% to 9% of the urbanized area by 2014.

The way workers commute has a distinct impact on the effectiveness of our transportation network. Road capacity is limited and the new construction of roadways is decreasing over time. If workers in the urbanized area utilize public transportation for commuting, then this may allow our roadways to handle more people without creating more roads. This transportation system management approach target, to have 9% public transportation usage for all workers 16 years and older, has been successfully met in the urbanized area.

Status: Percentage of persons aged 16 or older using transit in their journey to work increased to 9% – Positive Rating

Bus Routes and Ridership

This MOE receives a positive rating as CUMTD ridership has increased 15.8% since 2009. This is well above the target of a 5% increase of transit ridership by 2014. The highest ridership ever recorded for CUMTD was 1,391,576 in October 2012.

"CUMTD" "MTD" "CUUATS" "CCRPC" "LRTP"

Table 6.22 CUMTD Annual Ridership (2008 – 2012)

CUMTD ridership has increased for every month in 2012 when compared with 2009.

Objective 1: Provide transit service within a ¼ mile for 90% of residential development (new or existing) within the CUMTD transit service area by 2014.

Status 1: Maintained the number of transit routes – Positive Rating

Objective 2: Increased local transit ridership by at least 5% by 2014.

Status 2: Increased ridership and maintained number of transit routes – Positive Rating

Parcels Near Bus Routes

This MOE receives a positive rating because there is more than 90% coverage of all residential land uses within a quarter of a mile of CUMTD bus routes, except for single-family residential land uses, which is nearly 90% at 89.7% coverage. The urbanized area is close to achieving the target of 90% coverage of all residential land uses by 2014.

Understanding how many residential parcels and developments are within ¼ mile of a bus route is important when analyzing the amount of population served by transit. As of December 2012, approximately 91% of all residential development is within a five minute walk of a transit route, an increase of 2 percentage points since 2009.

Status: Average coverage exceeds goal – Positive Rating

Amtrak Ridership

This MOE receives a positive rating because there was a ridership increase of 25% since 2009. This is 10 percentage points above the target of a 15% increase in boardings by 2014. Ridership continues to increase each year, which bodes well for this performance measure in years to come.

MTD Note: Amtrak passengers use Illinois Terminal, MTD’s intermodal facility in downtown Champaign. MTD staff and security help keep the waiting area and platform clean, safe, and secure.

Transportation Choices

Other, more sustainable modes of transportation (walking, biking, and public transit) account for a total of 25.5% of the chosen travel modes for 2011.

Public transportation (includes taxicab) = C-U: 9.1%, Bloomington, IN: 4.7%, State College, PA: 7.9%, Lafayette, IN: 3.9%, Iowa City, IA: 8.6%, Ann Arbor, MI: 5.3%

Conclusion

MTD is proud to receive positive ratings on all MOEs from CUUATS’ Long Range Transportation Plan 2012 Report Card. MTD is committed to continue partnering with organizations like CUUATS to ensure access and opportunity for the residents we serve. You, dear reader, are a part of the success and future of our urbanized area as we tackle increased population, decreased roadway development, and congestion.

What are your takeaways from the Report Card?

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Summer 2013: MTD Edition

Posted on May 13, 2013 by asnyder

Summer Service Reductions

"60-foot" "CUMTD" "MTD" "ARC"

You won’t see our 60-foot articulated buses for a few months because of reduced demand on campus and with local schools out for the summer.

Summer reductions began Saturday, May 11. These remain in effect until classes resume for the Fall Semester. Congratulations graduates and here’s to a wonderful summer!

2 Red Express: Trips designated with “L” and “U” footnotes will not operate during the summer.

5/50 GREENhopper: The GREENhopper will not operate during the summer.

12/120 Teal: The Teal is reduced to 20-minute service and the Teal Limited operates during the weekday daytime.

13/130 Silver: The Silver is reduced to 20-minute service and “U” trips do not operate during the weekday daytime. The Silver Limited operates in the evenings and on the weekends.

22/220 Illini: The Illini Limited operates during all daytypes and runs with 30-minute frequency.

27/270 Air Bus: Operation continues on the Air Bus throughout the summer.

335 SafeRides: Regular SafeRides service operated through Friday, May 10 and ended for the summer at 6:30 am on Saturday, May 11.

Late Night Service (after midnight): Same as SafeRides and does not operate during the summer.

Holidays of No Service

There are two holidays MTD observes with no service all day. They are Memorial Day on Monday, May 27 and Independence Day on Thursday, July 4.

Mark Your Calendars!

Like everyone, we look forward to the warm weather. One of the many reasons is the opportunity to attend outdoor events where we meet riders and community members. Here are some of the events we plan to attend:

MTD will bring a bus to most of these events. If you’ve never ridden, or want to introduce someone to MTD, it’s a great opportunity to hop on and get oriented. All of our vehicles are equipped with bicycle racks and MTD staff will happily give you a demo!

Another thing we bring to summer events is the MTD Maps & Schedule Book. You may have seen in our last email newsletter that demand for books is declining. The good news is there are thousands of copies left of the first edition printing. The bad news is service has been slightly updated, most noticeably on the 11/110 Ruby, and some other revisions were made post production.

"2013-2013" "MTD" "CUMTD" "Maps & Schedules Book"

These stickers are placed on all copies of the first edition Maps & Schedules Book for 2012-2013 service year.

Rather than print a new fully updated edition, MTD will continue to distribute the first edition to reduce environmental impacts. A sticker has been placed on all copies to alert passengers to the possibility of dated information (shown). If you’re riding a new trip or riding for the first time it’s a good idea to double-check the trip information on our website (Trip Planner and Routes). You can also confirm information through one of our apps or by giving us a call at 217.384.8188. Our website, API (which informs the apps), and our staff are updated to all changes.

Public Hearing

MTD will host a public hearing on Thursday, May 23 from 4 – 7 pm at CityView, Illinois Terminal Fourth Floor. Staff will be available to discuss fare proposals and service improvements for fall 2013. Drafts of affected routes and schedules will be posted on our website soon for public viewing.

If you cannot attend the meeting, you may submit comments to mtdweb@cumtd.com or write:

William L. Volk, Managing Director
Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
1101 E. University Avenue
Urbana, IL  61802

Where will we see you this summer? On the bus? At a community event or our public hearing?

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Green Light: C-U Bike Month

Posted on May 6, 2013 by asnyder

This blog post was written by Jane Sullivan, MTD’s Transportation and Sustainability Planner.

In case you have not yet heard from your numerous bike-riding buddies, May is National Bike Month! Champaign-Urbana has boosted Bike Month efforts this year, expanding celebration of Bike to Work Day on May 1st with bicycling events organized throughout the entire month of May.

"CU" "Bike Month" "CUMTD"

C-U Bike Month Calendar of Events

MTD loves showing support for bicycling. All MTD vehicles are equipped with easy-to-use bike racks to make multimodal bus/bike trips as easy as possible. Folding bicycles are permitted on MTD vehicles as long as the cyclist follows MTD’s simple folding bike rules. The goal is to increase multimodal transportation and make it easier for passengers with longer commutes to incorporate environmentally-friendly solutions into their daily routine.

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Using the bike racks on MTD buses is easy!

One of the many benefits of using alternative modes of transportation is the positive impact it has on the environment. Short car trips are much more polluting than longer trips on a per-mile basis. This is because about 60 percent of the pollution is released during the first few minutes of vehicle operation. Good news: these short car trips are great ones to substitute with bike and public transit trips!

According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), U.S. public transportation saves 37 million metric tons of carbon emissions every year. The League of American Bicyclists states that a short, four-mile, round trip by bicycle saves about 15 pounds of pollutants. These savings allow us to realize why walking, biking, and public transit are all great options for greener transportation.

All year round, MTD works along with the cities, county, and school districts to make walking and bicycling safer and easier in the community. This month, in particular, an MTD staff member served on the planning committee for CU Bike Month. As co-chair of the Champaign-Urbana Safe Routes to School Project, MTD helps to educate the community on pedestrian and bicycle safety issues specifically related to children. This includes Bike to School Day, which is coming up on Wednesday, May 8th.

"CUMTD" "C-U SRTS" "bike to school"

Celebrate cycling this Wednesday with Bike to School Day!

If you didn’t get a chance to participate in CU Bike to Work Day last week, don’t worry! With the many events scheduled for this month, it should be easy to find something that fits your interests and schedule.

Did you participate in CU Bike to Work Day? Will you participate in a bike month event? Which ones are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below!

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API Version 2.2 Released

Posted on April 29, 2013 by asnyder

Love your MTD app? There’s a chance your app’s developer may soon introduce new features thanks to today’s release of version 2.2 of MTD’s API (Application Programming Interface).

New Methods

The previous version of MTD’s API offered 20 methods.  A method is a portal by which developers access a part of MTD’s data. The developers then code how the data is displayed and accessed in their app. Version 2.2 adds six new methods!

A new technology recently acquired by MTD is called Vehicle Monitoring (VM). While Stop Monitoring, which powers our Bus Stop Lookup, enables real-time vehicle tracking for a single stop, VM enables system-wide vehicle tracking. Users can now track all in-service buses live! They can also filter in-service buses by bus number and route.

The three new methods for accessing VM are GetVehicle, GetVehiclesByRoute, and GetVehicles.

Using the VM technology, MTD created a special portal for METCAD, which answers emergency 9-1-1 calls for all of Champaign County, to view and track all of our buses. The ability to locate MTD vehicles expedite medical, police, and fire responses.

"CUMTD" "MTD" "METCAD" "vehicle monitoring"

This is the portal created for METCAD. This filter displays all vehicles in-service with MTD routes.

It was particularly useful last weekend for the Illinois Marathon as dispatchers for MTD and the marathon monitored vehicles. “It really came in handy when buses couldn’t get across certain intersections and we needed to decide what to do next,” Tracey Pettigrew, MTD’s Safety & Operations Assistant said. Pettigrew was in the Marathon’s Control Center in the METCAD building on Main Street in Urbana.

Where is it on MTD’s website? Stay tuned! MTD is currently working on placement and branding of this new technology. We’ll post an update soon!

"CUMTD" "MTD" "METCAD" "vehicle monitoring"

A bus can be tracked by number or route. Direction of travel is specified along with a time stamp.

A data point long incorporated in our system, but not available in our API, was reroutes. For years, users have had the option to sign up to receive notifications by text/email for reroutes affecting selected routes through MyRIDE.

Now, developers can alert passengers in their apps! The methods for accessing reroutes are GetReroutes and GetReroutesByRoute. The first method displays all currently active reroutes and the second enables reroute filtering by route.

Where is it on MTD’s website? Reroutes are displayed on the homepage in the center red ribbon. Users viewing a route schedule or map will see a red ribbon at the top of the page if a reroute is currently in effect.

More Departure Data

At the end of March, MTD added iStops to the Bus Stop Lookup page and STOPwatch+ kiosks. Thanks to passenger S.M. for the recommendation! Version 2.2 makes iStop data available in the API.

Where is it on MTD’s website? When users view a bus stop, routes serving the stop that are iStop boarding locations show the small orange hexagonal “i” next to them.

App Analytics

The final new method is called GetApiUsage for developers to track what users are doing with their apps (methods used) and how often (number of calls made). This metadata is only available to the API key holder. The information displayed is powered by Google Analytics.

Work was also done on the back end to streamline processes and improve speed and efficiency. What do you think of the new methods? Share app feature ideas from a developer and/or rider standpoint in the comments!

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Bee Scene Bonus

Posted on April 22, 2013 by asnyder
"CUMTD" "MTD" "bee scene"

The Bee Scene awareness campaign comes to life with a real bee!

Happy Earth Day!

MTD staff bees were bustin’ their stingers this afternoon to buzz around town. Why? To bring a bit of honey to cyclists! Hundreds of sweet “Bee Scene” bicycle seat covers were put on parked bikes in downtown Champaign, central campus locations, and downtown Urbana.

It’s our way of saying thanks for choosing a sustainable transportation alternative. And a thanks for riding MTD on the trips in between! We love cyclists and want you all to be safe. That’s why the seat covers are decked out in MTD’s semester long awareness campaign Bee Scene.

"CUMTD" "MTD" "bee scene"

Hundreds of bike seat covers were distributed to drone the message of safety back to the hive.

All transportation modes, from walking and biking to busing and driving, require worker and student bees to be aware, be alert, and be seen. Rules of the road apply to cyclists too, so be a honey and follow them.

Did you get a Bee Scene bike seat cover? Did you wing out? Did you buzz back to the hive to drone about it to your friends? OK…we’re done.

"CUMTD" "MTD" "bee scene"

The helper bees stung Illinois Terminal!

"CUMTD" "MTD" "bee scene"

The Bee Scene Bee stung downtown Champaign!

"CUMTD" "MTD" "bee scene"

The Bee Scene Bee stung downtown Urbana!

"CUMTD" "MTD" "bee scene"

Ikenberry Commons got stung by MTD Bees along with FAR/PAR.

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MTD Phone Survey

Posted on April 15, 2013 by asnyder

Ring, Ring!

MTD conducts an annual phone survey to gauge opinions, awareness of services, and satisfaction from both riders and non-riders. The survey is conducted by a third party company, and this year Research Survey Service will begin the random calls today, April 15 and continue calling through Friday, April 26.

So if you get the call, we’d greatly appreciate your time and feedback!

MTD values community opinions and gathering them is a matter of course. That is why we’ve conducted this survey annually since 2008. A majority of the questions are kept year-to-year for consistency and so we may track success and areas of improvement.

Research Survey Service is calling residents in Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy. The sample size from each city will be proportionate to the population. Survey collection will be in the early evening after traditional work hours.

There are 65 questions and it is estimated to take 20 minutes to complete. Thanks, in advance, to those who take the call!

This survey guides decisions for current projects as well as future endeavors. It gives MTD an opportunity to evaluate all levels of service from fixed routes to friendliness and helpfulness of operators, to vehicle and bus stop quality to our website.

In the most recent phone survey, MTD received a 98 percent customer satisfaction rating.  This is our highest honor and best gauge for our performance.

"CUMTD" "MTD" "feedback"

The feedback from available on cumtd.com.

Lines Are Always Open

There are multiple feedback channels available year-round, including this blog! You’re also welcome to post your questions, comments, concerns, and feedback to Facebook and Twitter. The footer of our website, which displays on every single page, offers a link to provide your feedback. There is another link that directs you to MTD’s “Contact” page which provides contact information for MTD’s senior staff and Board of Trustees.

We welcome more traditional communication channels as well. You can call 217.384.8188 to speak to a supervisor Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm. MTD staff and Board Members also respond to letters!

What’s your preferred method of submitting feedback? Receiving responses?

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MTD Provides Intern Toolbox to Parkland College

Posted on April 8, 2013 by asnyder
"MTD" "CUMTD" "MAC Tools" "Parkland College"

One of many drawers filled with tools in the MTD Intern Toolbox for Parkland College students.

A new, fully equipped, mechanic’s toolbox filled mostly with MAC Tools is available at Parkland College for Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) interns enrolled in their Diesel Power Equipment (DPE) Technology program. MTD worked in conjunction with a local MAC vendor to equip the box with all the tools necessary for the Parkland program. Students in financial need will also be able to use the toolbox during semesters when there is not an MTD intern.

MTD is proud to have a long-standing relationship with Parkland College, in particular its Engineering Science and Technologies Department. This department hosts the DPE Tech program as well as the Case New Holland (CNH) and Collision Repair programs. MTD has accepted interns from all three programs, many of whom later became permanent employees in the District’s Maintenance Department. MTD currently has 12 technicians on staff who were interns and graduates of Parkland College.

Parkland requires students to purchase their own tool set which they use both at school and at internships. Many students carry their tools between Parkland and work.

“The MTD toolbox will allow MTD interns to defer buying the required tool set their first semester,” Mark Ziegler, Director of Engineering Science and Technologies department at Parkland. “It will allow them to have tools at school and also work part-time at MTD.” The students are then responsible for acquiring their own set to use while working at MTD.

According to Ziegler, Parkland has sent interns to MTD since the summer of 2001. “The Diesel Power program is a 70 credit hour, two-year AAS degree. The students are required to do two internships. Internships are required to reinforce the skills learned as well as increase exposure to new techniques.”

The required tools are a substantial expense for students to absorb as they juggle school and working part-time. Dave Moore, MTD’s Director of Maintenance has found the range of what interns can do impacted by tool access when they arrive at the MTD Maintenance Facility in Urbana.

“Interns would call in to ask what tools they needed that day because they didn’t want to lug everything from Parkland,” Moore explains. “Well sometimes things don’t go as planned and our techs want them to do other things and then the intern wasn’t equipped.” The sponsored toolbox will improve the internship experience for both the student and MTD staff.

The students are assigned to senior mechanics at MTD during their internship. Eric Broga, Maintenance Foreman, has seen all sides of the program. He graduated from Parkland in 1998 and has worked for MTDfor 22 years.

"CUMTD" "MTD" "Parkland College"

MTD has three Parkland interns for the spring 2013 semester. Left to right: Zackary Buhs, Jerry Barnett, and Josh Cadle.

“We’ve had good quality interns,” said Broga. “Our technicians get the benefit of having an assistant but there’s also an increased responsibility to teach and watch the intern.”

Interns work with multiple mechanics so they can practice and learn more skills as well as gain a different point of view. One of MTD’s three spring interns, Josh Cadle, will complete his internship at MTD in May of this year.

Cadle says, “The classroom gives you the basics of how stuff works. But here it’s a whole other ball game. I didn’t expect this place to be so big! I’ve learned a lot, especially about electrical and hybrid technologies. I hope to get hired here after I graduate, but if I don’t I’ve definitely been given transferable skills.”

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Green Light: Geothermal Wells are…Well, Awesome

Posted on April 1, 2013 by asnyder

MTD’s Sustainability and Transportation Planner, Jane Sullivan, is the author of this Green Light.

In 2009, MTD received a grant from the U.S Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to install a geothermal heating and cooling system at our Administration and Operations Facility located at 1101 East University Avenue in Urbana. This grant was awarded through the FTA’s Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program.

The TIGGER Program provided capital funds to transit agencies for projects that would reduce the agency’s energy use or greenhouse gas emissions. To follow up with agencies awarded funding, experts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently completed calculations on MTD’s energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions and the results are quite impressive!

From the Ground Up

In summer 2010, geothermal wells were installed 300 feet deep outside MTD’s facility. Glycol is pumped through underground pipes where it is either heated or cooled by the Earth’s natural temperatures. The glycol then enters MTD’s building to aid in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Cleaner Energy

As a result of the new geothermal system, MTD expected to significantly lower our natural gas demand by accessing the stored, renewable energy that exists in the ground. Natural gas can be harmful to the environment because of its potential to emit methane. Additionally, it is important to conserve non-renewable energy sources like natural gas. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “methane is emitted during the production, processing, storage, transmission, and distribution of natural gas.”

Methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted from human activities in the United States. Greenhouse gases absorb energy and prevent the loss of heat to space, making Earth warmer than it would otherwise be. Some gases have the ability to store more energy than others, increasing the comparative impact on climate change.

Pound for pound, the impact of methane on climate change over a 100-year period is more than 20 times greater than carbon dioxide. This is because methane has the ability to capture more energy per unit.

Tons and Tons of Savings

When planning MTD’s geothermal project, the annual greenhouse gas savings were estimated to reduce up to 67 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents per year. CO2 equivalents are a measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based on their potential to contribute to global climate change.

To our pleasant surprise, NREL’s recent calculations show an annual reduction of 97.2 tons of CO2 equivalents! This results in a projected lifetime greenhouse gas savings of 2,916.15 tons of CO2 equivalents.

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See how 97.2 tons of environmental savings compares.

These savings translate into a 67 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from our Administration and Operations HVAC system. Now that’s a sustainable savings that really adds up.

What environmental savings are you proud of in your home or organization? Brag below!

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Gotta Get There

Posted on March 25, 2013 by asnyder

The near foot of snow that covered our area the afternoon of March 24 through the night of the 25th resulted in closures in the schools, libraries, University of Illinois, Parkland College, and many more locations. MTD operated all services through Sunday afternoon, evening, night, and now today, Monday.

So what goes on behind the scenes to keep our system operating? It is more than a team effort; it is a commitment to yes!

Control Center

As the snow rapidly fell Sunday afternoon, Bill Volk, MTD’s Managing Director, and Tom Costello, Assistant Managing Director, came into our Control Center. These directors were answering phone calls, checking-in operators who were reporting for duty, and monitoring service.

Our radio dispatcher was talking operators through getting buses unstuck, answering a constant stream of questions, and taking reports of particularly difficult roads and intersections. At around 5 pm on Sunday, MTD’s dispatcher sent out an “all call” instructing buses to cease curbing vehicles when service passenger stops. It’s better to stay in the tracks then attempt to make new ones.

On the Street

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MTD’s Maintenance Team is responsible for many things on the street including shoveling bus shelters. (Picture taken Feb. 2011)

MTD’s Safety and Operations Assistant, Tracey Pettigrew, and two Street Supervisors drove around town to assist operators and monitor conditions as the snow continued to pile up.

MTD’s Maintenance Team responds to snowfall with a herculean effort. The staff switches to a 12-hours on, 12-hours off work schedule. Plows are taken around MTD’s properties and target trouble areas around the community. The city trucks do a terrific job, but problem areas often arise that require immediate attention.

MTD’s Team also dispenses five to eight truckloads of salt around the community, which is approximately 7,500 to 12,000 pounds, to improve road conditions as well as make sidewalks safer for pedestrians and the intrepid cyclist.

And then there are over 90 bus shelters around the community that require attention. Each is shoveled by hand by these tireless employees. Finally, there are the emergency situations such as buses that get really stuck, vehicles that need towing, and whatever else needs on the street muscle and know-how.

In the AM

“We have closed once or twice in our entire history as an organization,” Tom Costello said last night. “Usually with severe weather, it’s unlikely we’ll cancel service but some areas may be temporarily pulled out.”

Four of MTD’s staff members drove the streets at 4 am to assess road conditions. Later in the morning, more staff joined ranks as operators began reporting to headquarters for morning pull out. Service paths not only need plowing, but roads must be cleared enough for the eight and half foot width a bus needs to pass through.

Maintenance staff are also reporting their on-the-street findings to control as they work through the night to keep up with the snow on the street, sidewalks, and in the shelters.

Here are some of the thank you tweets and Facebook comments we’ve received so far:

“Sure hope the buses are running tomorrow #gottagetthere #buslove @CUMTD“

“If it weren’t for @CUMTD , I probably wouldn’t be getting to [sic] work today. Thank you so much for this great service!”

“Can’t get to campus any other way! @CUMTD works so hard for us students. Stay safe. #buslove“

“@CUMTD we are so happy you are providing safe service today! Thank you!”

“Hooray for the @CUMTD ! I’m on my way to campus! #essentialpersonnel“

“Thank you, MTD! You were our saving grace this morning! “

“Woo-hoo! MTD rocks!”

“Was just out in this in the last hour…Slow and steady; visibility is horrible. Good wishes to all the operators working tonight.”

“Thanks to all the operators out there today and tonight! Looks pretty treacherous out there!”

“You can always count on my friends @CUMTD. They’re where you wanna be.”

You can add your comments below, too! Thank YOU for your patience with our service. Delays are likely to occur on all fixed routes as operators reduce operating speeds for safety. Use our real-time tools to track your the departure of your bus or fire up an app!

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Have You Thanked Your Bus Driver Lately?

Posted on March 18, 2013 by asnyder
"March 18" "Bus Driver Appreciation Day" "BDAD"

March 18 is Bus Driver Appreciation Day!

SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Service reductions for the University of Illinois Spring Break Began Saturday, March 16 and continue through Saturday, March 23. Read the details and all routes affected here.

Today, Monday, March 18, is International Bus Driver Appreciation Day!

School bus drivers have their day to shine, and so do truck drivers. Bus Driver Appreciation Day was conceived in 2009 by some thoughtful riders in Seattle. We think it’s a great way to honor the many hard-working bus (and rail) drivers who keep us all moving every day.

To bring awareness to this holiday, TriMet, which provides bus, light rail, and commuter rail in the Portland, Oregon metro area created a media campaign along with a website and Facebook page. (They also have a terrific blog titled, “How We Roll.”)

Our operators work a variety of shifts, serve multiple routes, and float between whatever seat needs filling. Some work “straight-eights,” which are eight consecutive hours without a break, while others work pieces of two to six hours. During the University of Illinois Fall and Spring semesters, MTD operates nearly 24 hours seven days a week. That takes a lot of drivers working all kinds of hours. We have 127 full-time, 84 part-time, and eight ADA operators bringing our total to 219.

"Bus Driver Appreciation Day" "March 18" "BDAD" "CUMTD"

One of the six thank you postcards available for download on busdriverday.org.

“Consider this: For hours on end, bus drivers manage to keep a schedule, check fares, give directions, announce stops, remember stop requests and more, all while safely maneuvering an extra-large vehicle through unpredictable traffic, adverse weather conditions and some really tight spaces! The fact is, bus drivers don’t have an easy job, they just make it look that way.”

From busdriverday.org

So get to appreciating! Print one of the six thank you cards provided on busdriverday.org, Like the Facebook page, tweet to @cumtd with the hashtag #bdad, and most importantly say thanks to the person behind the wheel taking you and yours wherever you need to be.

Hey, bus driver! You really pick me up.

Post a comment below sharing why you appreciate your driver!

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Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
1101 East University Avenue
Urbana, IL 61802-2009
(217) 384-8188
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