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| Volume 16, Issue 2 | Summer 2004 |
Take Time for Learning Opportunities Ron Baumgart, River Cities TransitPresident, Dakota Transit Association It's a busy summer for all of us. With the rising prices at the gas stations and the word of mouth spreading about the convenience and ease of using public transit, most are seeing increased usage. That can be a blessing and a burden as we try to satisfy our riders' needs. It was difficult, as busy as this summer has been, to take off the time to attend the CTAA Conference in Seattle, but those of us who attended came away with our experiences of renewed spirit and were encouraged to work even harder. Seattle was beautiful and we were well-entertained, but the workshops and classes allowed us each to learn new things and look at concepts in a different way. It was an excellent place to network with others; and to build a national understanding and comparison of the industry. I would encourage anyone who can possibly attend next year's CTAA conference in St. Louis, Missouri, to do so. It will be held May 21-27, 2005. We'll be providing more information as we receive it on the DTA website. The Paratransit Roadeo and Workshops will be here before we know it - Aug. 28 & 29. The forms for entering are included as an insert to the newsletter and on our new website - www.dakotatransit.org - for ease in registering. You need to send fees separately. The deadline for registering is Aug. 16. Two great workshops will be presented: Passenger Service and Safety by Rick Thoms and Darrel Francis; and Behind the Wheel Driving by Darrell Michalenko. The PASS workshop includes a test and qualifies you for initial certification. Also, a block of rooms has been reserved at the International Inn in Minot. Make your own reservations by Aug. 23 by calling (701)850-3161 or (800)735-4493 and telling them that you are with the Paratransit Roadeo. The rooms are offered at state rates ($45.00 + Tax). Roadeo competitors will compete against others from their own state. We'd like to thank the North Dakota group for including South Dakota drivers in the Roadeo, and we'd like to see a good showing from both states. Congratulations to Den Kuehnemund and Dennis Ulmer for placing first and sixth respectively in national competition at the CTAA Expo 2004 in Seattle, Wash. Plans for the 20th annual convention September 20-23, 2004 are continuing. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn in Sioux Falls, S.D. Please call (605)339-2000. The DTA Board of Directors met July 11 and 12 to finalize plans. We encourage you to attend this important conference and annual meeting. We will offer workshops important to all of us. They will be planned around our theme of "Connection, Cooperation and Coordination." We'll be sending out more information as it becomes available. The Board is in the planning stages of creating two task forces to research and investigate some very important issues, including a look at insurance pools and future training needs for DTA. We will be calling on the expertise of our membership and others to assist in this effort. Finally, be sure to continue to check out our new website at www.dakotatransit.org. New information is being added all the time. Be sure to register early for our 20th Annual DTA Conference held in Sioux Falls this year. The Importance of Ridership Reporting Bruce Lindholm, SDDOTIt seems pretty obvious - ridership reporting is important. Sometimes, I get the sense that between the drug testing, the employee issues, the financial pressures, and the day-to-day operational problems the importance of reporting rides can get shuffled to a back burner. If your organization provides a ride, but does not record and report it, you may have helped the customer, but not your organization. As discussed in my last article, ridership statistics are closely examined both on a state and federal level. Ridership is the report card of transit. If you seem busier than ever, but your ridership is flat, you may want to investigate. If your miles and fuel usage is up, but ridership is flat, you should be taking steps to find out why. I encourage everyone to examine your reporting procedures to ensure that rides are recorded and reported accurately. Your drivers are the first line in ridership reporting. Make the effort to help them understand how important this is. We really need to be able to get credit for everything we do. Reporting is the way we do that.
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