Keolis Launches Service on Eight-Year Contract to Operate and Maintain Foothill Transit
As the clock struck midnight on July 1st, Keolis Transit America took over the operations and maintenance of Foothill Transit-Pomona.
Under the terms of the eight-year contract, announced in late April, Keolis is responsible for operating local fixed and express route transit services, including into downtown Los Angeles. Keolis pledged to improve operations and customer service by incorporating the company’s “thinking like a passenger” approach to operating the system and maintaining a fleet of 139 vehicles, including 14 fully-electric Proterra buses.
As the first bus under Keolis management rolled out of the depot exactly at 4:45 am, KTA CEO Steve Shaw praised the team for delivering a smooth transition on an exceptionally short timeline.
“Start-ups tell a story about an organization’s character, capabilities and preparation, and our Keolis Transit America team really proved that they can deliver, even under challenging circumstances,” Shaw said. “We have a lot of work to do to get the system back to where it needs to be, but the Keolis team is excited about working with Foothill Transit to deliver the quality service that this community needs and deserves.”
When the contract award was announced back in April, Keolis North America CEO Clément Michel cited Keolis’ commitment to sustainability as an obvious link between the organization and Foothill Transit.
“Foothill Transit is leading the way in North America in sustainability, their goal of having a bus fleet that is 100 percent electric by 2030 is a model for the industry,” he said. “At Keolis, we share this commitment and are working with all our partners to provide sustainable, environmentally-friendly, inter-connected transportation solutions globally.”
In announcing the selection, Foothill Transit highlighted a number of differentiators that led to the selection of Keolis including:
- A well-designed staffing plan
- Innovative approaches to service delivery
- Strong CAD/AVL system transition experience
- Demonstrated improvements in on-time performance at other agencies
- Experience with implementing programs and best practices to ensure the highest levels of fleet maintenance and vehicle appearance
