United States

RATP Dev assumed management and operation of the City of Lubbock’s 100-vehicle transit system. The local RATP Dev management team oversees service in five specific areas: fixed-route, citiAccess (Paratransit-Medicaid Contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission), special services, Texas Tech University service, and service as the Lubbock Agent for Greyhound Services. The fixed-route and citiAccess services provide safe and reliable transportation for Lubbock citizens throughout the community.

Through federal funds, RATP Dev initiated the project to build a new Downtown Transfer Center with an outreach program for the Oklahoma Transit Association, to persuade the state to dedicate more funding for future projects. Federal funding has not increased over the years for small and medium systems, which makes it very difficult to get capital funding through grants if you lack the backing from other transit agencies. Despite these challenges, RATP Dev is confident the outreach program will generate buzz for the state!

• An access road construction from South Campus enabled a new run-cut for 2 Fixed Routes.

• The new run-cut allowed Topper Transit to maintain frequency levels with 2 fewer buses on the daily routes and improve on-time performance for the Fall 2018 semester. 

• Topper Transit is averaging 17 additional pass/hours per service line compared to Fall 2017.

• Operational Analysis conducted in December of 2018 provides insight on additional, actionable efficiencies to implement in 2019.

• An access road construction from South Campus enabled a new run-cut for 2 Fixed Routes.
• The new run-cut allowed Topper Transit to maintain frequency levels with 2 fewer buses on the daily routes and improve on-time performance for the Fall 2018 semester. 
• Topper Transit is averaging 17 additional pass/hours per service line compared to Fall 2017.
• Operational Analysis conducted in December of 2018 provides insight on additional, actionable efficiencies to implement in 2019.

We are using outside vendors to help repair the fleet as well as bringing in experience techs and Managers in to help our techs to increase their skills due to their inexperience. As for OTP, working with the City in correcting the timepoints, along with working closely with them on their timepoint on the new Master Plan, starting in July 2019.

• RATP Dev provides urban fixed-route service and ADA paratransit service within the city of Waco, as well as rural demand service and Baylor University shuttle service. The City of Waco’s strategic foresight, in coordination with RATP Dev, has modernized public transportation in the Heart of Texas. Successful efforts at both the state and federal level have allocated millions of dollars in grant funding to the Waco community, which have been used to purchase a $2.5 million state of the art intermodal terminal and the $5.2 million maintenance and administration facility.

Votran is trying to reduce turnovers by implementing the RADAR initiative for attrition reduction.  Providing extra training when needed and ensuring supervisors are available to listen to driver concerns and ideas improves communication and retention. Adjustments to the new labor agreement contract as well as new incentive programs for all union and non-union members have increased morale.  New buses will reduce labor, fuel, and maintenance costs, while increasing operational efficiencies.