The Voice of Public Transportation in Virginia
Virginia Transit Systems Transit Awards
2005 Transit Awards
The Virginia Transit Association presented the following awards at its 2005 Awards Luncheon on May 10th in Williamsburg, Virginia to recognize outstanding service by individuals and exceptional transit programs, and to advance and expand public transportation in the Commonwealth.
Individual Awards
Distinguished Legislative Service Award
Senator Mary Margaret Whipple
This year, the VTA Distinguished Legislative Service Award was presented to Senator Mary Margaret Whipple for her work as a tireless leader and advocate for public transportation in Virginia during her Senate career.
Legislator of the Year
Senator Charles Colgan, Sr.
Senator Charles Colgan, Sr. received the 2005 Legislator of the Year Award for his leadership during the 2005 Session to provide additional capital and operating funds for public transportation, benefiting all regions of the Commonwealth. Senator Colgan has been a long time supporter of public transportation.
Multimodal Transportation Award
Delegate Joe May
Delegate Joe May received the 2005 Multi-modal Transportation Award for his sponsorship of the Rail Enhancement Fund that establishes a new Rail Advisory Board and a new dedicated fund for freight and passenger rail improvements, and his strong support for additional funds for public transportation and roads.
Outstanding Contribution by a Public Official
The Honorable Gerald E. Connolly
This year the Outstanding Contribution by a Public Official Award was presented to the Honorable Gerald E. Connolly, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. His leadership to maintain and expand public transportation in Fairfax County included the inauguration of the new “REX” Bus to serve commuters in the busy Richmond Highway corridor, and the extension of Metrorail service through Tyson’s Corner and the Dulles Corridor Region, benefiting Fairfax and other Northern Virginia residents. He also served on the Blue Ribbon Panel on the Analysis of and Potential for Alternate Dedicated Revenue Sources for WMATA. Chairman Connolly is a strong advocate of transit-oriented development.
Public Transportation Lifetime Achievement Award
Mr. William B. Hurd
The Public Transportation Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mr. William B. “Bill” Hurd. As a federal administrator, Mr. Hurd spent his career helping public transportation systems expand across the nation. He continued his work in retirement, serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alexandria Transit System from its inception in 1972 to today.
Transit Professional Distinguished Service Award
Rollo Axton
Mr. Rollo Axton, former CEO of GRTC Transit System and current Chief of Transit Services for the Fairfax Connector, was awarded the Transit Professional Distinguished Service Award for his 21 years of service in Richmond at the GRTC transit system.
Transit System and Business Awards
Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, Greater Roanoke Transit Company (Valley Metro) and Charlottesville Transit Service were recognized for outstanding public transportation marketing programs.
Outstanding Public Transportation Marketing Award (Large System)
Awarded to: Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission
for breaking new ground in public transportation marketing. PRTC developed “Ricky’s Big Birthday Bus Adventure”. PRTC’s objective was to educate as many children as possible by promoting the ease of taking the bus and the benefits of bus ridership to the community, with a follow-on objective of involving school officials and parents as a secondary audience to gain new riders and transit advocates. Between June and December 2004, more than 1,100 youth participated in the program, and schools continue to request more presentations.
Outstanding Public Transportation Marketing Award (Small System)
Awarded to: Greater Roanoke Transit Company (Valley Metro)
for their new regional connection between the Roanoke Valley and the New River Valley. Marketing efforts include heavy radio spot rotation on AM and FM stations, cable television, Virginia Tech-related Web sites, billboards, and local print media. Television commercials were also produced to appeal to the numerous nationalities and cultures attending Virginia Tech. Rotating television spots open with one of the following languages: French, Spanish, Chinese, and Swahili. Additionally, the Smart Way Bus guide is currently being translated into both Spanish and Chinese.
Outstanding Public Transportation Marketing Honorable Mention
Awarded to: Charlottesville Transit System
for their interactive information kiosk in Charlottesville’s newly renovated Greyhound station. The kiosk offers one-stop commuter shopping and encourages visitors to complete their trips via public transportation. The kiosk features a touch screen computer, two television screens, and a stand for print materials. The computer is directly linked to www.commuterinformation.com and information is available in both English and Spanish.
Outstanding Public Transportation Marketing Honorable Mention
Awarded to: Fairfax County Department of Transportation
for their limited-stop express bus service along the Richmond Highway corridor. Known as “REX”, the service reduces the travel time between Ft. Belvoir and King Street metro station by 30%. Bold purple and gold buses with the running lion logo stand out in traffic and draw interest from pedestrians and motorists alike. Six months after implementation, ridership is up by 20%.
Innovative Program Awards were given to Blacksburg Transit, City of Fairfax CUE Bus, and Virginia Railway Express.
Innovative Program Award (Large System)
Awarded to:Blacksburg Transit (BT)
for outstanding use of technology to improve both customer service and internal operations. Blacksburg Transit applied the WhenToWork software and adapted it to reflect the unique shift structure and large part time operator base. Scheduling has been reduced to one master source, and implementation has shown an overall reduction in open and unfilled shifts.
While instituting a program that lets the system and its employees know the operating schedule, Blacksburg partnered with Teleworks Inc. to establish Blacksburg Alert. BT utilizes this communication service to instantaneously advise passengers of delays, detours and snow emergency routes.
Innovative Program Award (Small System)
Awarded to: City of Fairfax CUE Bus
In partnership with George Mason University’s student newspaper, the City of Fairfax launched the On Cue Directory, a print and web based publication, as a creative marketing strategy to increase CUE bus ridership and awareness among City residents and the GMU community. The directory includes businesses by category, bus route, and stop number. The companion Web site includes a searchable database complete with maps and directions. Distribution included direct mailing, and display racks in businesses, hotels, and government buildings.
Innovative Program Honorable Mention
Awarded to: Virginia Railway Express
for starting a new and successful program to better connect commuters with VRE stations. VRE’s EZ Bus is a subscription shuttle bus service that was implemented in December of 2003. EZ Bus operates two community routes, one north of the Burke Centre Station, and one south. As a subscription service, passengers sign up online or via phone in advance, although the bus will take non-subscribers on a space available basis. Each morning the subscriber ticket is punched. Once a ticket has 15 punch holes, the rider will be able to submit it for a 20% rebate on monthly or ten-trip tickets. By employing the service, 10% of the lot has been freed up by subscribers.
The Outstanding Contribution by a Business
Awarded to: CALIBRE Systems
for encouraging its employees to use transit and other modes of alternative transportation. An employee-owned government information technology and management services firm headquartered in Alexandria, CALIBRE has put a number of alternative transportation options at its employee’s disposal. Options that include: free WMATA shuttle service from the office to Franconia-Springfield station, Metrochek employee vouchers that cover $65 to $100 in approved transit costs, and subsidies for those who relinquish their allotted parking spaces by opting to walk, bike, or carpool to work. In addition, CALIBRE supports both flex time and telecommuting. After 2 years, nearly 20% of CALIBRE’s workforce utilizes one or more of these programs.