BUSRide Maintenance AUGUST / SEPT 2020 | Page 6

MAINTENANCE UPDATE The rehabilitations by CCW are part of Santa Cruz’s mission to enrich the passenger experience by delivering customers’ comfort and safety in a cost-effective manner. Complete Coach Works delivers four rehabbed buses to Santa Cruz Metro Complete Coach Works (CCW) announced it has made the final delivery to Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District. The contract, which calls for the rehabilitation of four buses, was awarded late last year. The work on the first two buses included repowering them from ISL engines to Cummins ISL-G Recon engines. The other two buses were repowered from John Deere CNG engines to Cummins ISL-G Recon engines. The new engines are certified and fully equipped with all emission components that meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resource Board emission standards. Additional work for all buses included installment of rebuilt Allison transmissions, new driver seats, reupholstered and repainted passenger inserts, internal/external LED lighting, new electric cooling systems, and complete rebuild of suspensions and axles. The buses were then repainted and decaled to reflect Santa Cruz’s branding. The rehabilitations are part of Santa Cruz’s mission to enrich the passenger experience by delivering customers’ comfort and safety in a cost-effective manner. “It is very important that transit properties keep their buses reliable and in good condition for their passengers,” Aaron Timlick, regional sales manager at CCW, said. “We are appreciative that Santa Cruz has chosen CCW to be the company to help them maintain their high standard.” Four Cincinnati Metro employees receive state transit awards Four Cincinnati Metro employees were honored with Excellence Awards 2020 from the Ohio Public Transit Association (OPTA), which advocates for public transportation and provides services for the 63 transit systems in the state of Ohio. The awards are bestowed on individuals and organizations who have exemplified leadership and advocacy for public transit in Ohio. “Each of the recipients have exemplified leadership in Ohio’s public transit industry and their commitment, work, actions and passion deserve to be celebrated,” said OPTA Executive Director Matt Carle. Metro Director of Fleet and Facilities Jeff Mundstock was honored with OPTA’s Four Under 40 Award, which recognizes the contributions of transit professionals and stakeholders under the age of 40 to celebrate the future of transit in Ohio. Mundstock’s achievements leading the revision and implementation of an improved maintenance apprenticeship program, creating a pilot four-day work week for technicians and supervisors in Metro’s heavy repair division and body shop, managing the design and acquisition of new buses, and leading the procurement and installation of new safety features for Metro’s fleet. Metro Transit Operator Antonio McClendon received the OPTA Community Impact Award, which honors transit employees who have had a significant impact in their community. McClendon was recognized for his heroic actions while on the job on August 17, 2019, when gunfire broke out in Cincinnati’s North Avondale neighborhood and the bus he was operating was caught in the crossfire. When a passenger was struck by a stray bullet, McClendon immediately leapt into action by using his radio to call for help and driving the bus directly to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Emergency Room. Although the passenger succumbed to his injuries, McClendon did everything in his power to try to save his life and may have saved others when he rushed multiple passengers who were waiting at the bus stop on board, speeding them away to safety. Four Cincinnati Metro employees – including (from left) Metro Director of Fleet & Facilities Jeff Mundstock and Operators Steven Rolfes and Reginald Brown – received OPTA Excellence Awards for their leadership and commitment to excellence in serving Ohio public transit. Metro Transit Operators Reginald Brown and Steven Rolfes were honored with OPTA Milestone Awards, which honor individuals or transit agencies reaching significant milestones in the transit industry. Brown and Rolfes were both honored for achieving more than 30 years of service to Cincinnati Metro. In June 2019, both operators were inducted into the National Safety Council’s prestigious “Two Million Mile Club” for driving two million miles each without an accident. Two million miles is like driving to the moon and back four times without an accident and is a feat achieved by only a tenth of transit operators nationwide over the course of their career. “Each of the team members honored today are leaders and reflect the commitment to excellence and service that our workforce brings to the community each and every day,” said Metro CEO and General Manager Darryl Haley. “They are the reason our community has confidence in us and we are proud to have them on the Metro team.” Cincinnati Metro is a non-profit, tax-funded public service of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, providing about 13.5 million rides per year. 6 | BUSRIDE.COM | AUG / SEPT 2020