El Dorado Transit Reports Increase in Ridership and Transportation Manager of the Year Award
El Dorado Transit recently released its Six-Month Administrative Operations Report highlighting a significant increase in ridership between July 1st and December 31st, 2011. According to the report delivered to the agency’s board of directors in May, an additional 15,777 boardings were recorded in the last half of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. “We are pleased to report that more members of our communities are riding the buses and Dial-A-Ride mini-vans. This increase of 8 percent in ridership indicates that the current bus routes are meaningful to those who ride the bus,” said Mindy Jackson, executive director.
El Dorado Transit is the public transportation provider for the western slope of El Dorado County, formed in 1994 as a joint powers authority between El Dorado County and the city of Placerville. El Dorado Transit provides local, community shuttles in Placerville, Pollock Pines/Camino, Diamond Springs/El Dorado and Cameron Park. Other services include weekday, commuter service to downtown Sacramento and the light rail in Folsom, non-emergency medical trips to the greater Sacramento area and Dial-A-Ride, which provides curb-to-curb service within the county, seven days a week, by reservation.
Also reported in May, Mindy Jackson, executive director of El Dorado Transit was awarded the 2012 Transportation Manager of the Year by the California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CalACT). According to its website, CalACT is the largest state transit association in the United States, with nearly 300 members dedicated to promoting professional excellence, stimulating ideas and advocating for effective community transportation. In response to the award announcement ackson commented, “It is truly an honor for El Dorado Transit to be recognized by the public transit community. Credit should go to everyone in the agency; the management team, office staff, dispatchers, supervisors, maintenance personnel and the transit drivers.” Jackson also noted that in a recent passenger survey, those who responded rated courtesy and competency of drivers at an average of 4.1 out of scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being excellent). Several noted that the drivers were extremely knowledgeable regarding the routes, where to expect passengers, what special needs their passengers might have, and complimented the general courtesy and concern the drivers exhibited. Other comments included the need for additional service.
