Omnitrans unveiled its new logo, slogan and fleet graphics on Wednesday, August 15th at the transit agency's main transfer center in downtown San Bernardino.
"The colors symbolize our green earth and blue sky, reflecting Omnitrans' commitment to the environment, and air quality in particular, with our 100 percent natural gas-powered fleet," explained CEO/General Manager Milo Victoria. "But my favorite part of Omnitrans' new look is our tagline: 'Connecting our Community.' This is our purpose: to connect all members of the community – from students, to mothers, to commuters, to persons with disabilities and senior citizens – with the places they need to go to live their lives as they choose."
Two New Flyer Xcelsior 2012 40-foot transit buses on display were decked out with a bold new fleet design in bright green and blue. Twenty of the new buses will be deployed in coming weeks to replace retiring models. The remaining 144 buses in the Omnitrans fleet will get a simplified color refresh.
The agency website, www.omnitrans.org, also got a makeover. Smart phone and tablet users can now instantly access maps and schedule information without cumbersome downloads or continuous scrolling. Important news and updates are prominently featured up front. The easy-to-use trip planner appears on every page. Drop-down menus allow the user to easily search information by service, route or destination. Fare information is available at the touch of a button, and passes can be purchased online.
New buses also feature 3-capacity bike racks, an upgrade from the 2-capacity racks on the existing fleet. Omnitrans transports over 300,000 bikes each year. To spotlight the new racks, Omnitrans held a "Rack and Roll" contest at the event. Contestants were timed loading a bike on to the rack. Al Langdon of Rialto had the fastest time and won a new bicycle courtesy of Performance Bicycles in Ontario, California.
Buster, the agency mascot was also updated with the new fleet graphics. The new logo and color scheme replace designs developed in 1985 and are the third logo and branding used by the transit agency in its 36-year history.
