| FEBRUARY 2012 |
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Customers rewarded for shopping on RTA
Four RTA riders won monthly bus passes during our December Holiday Shopping contest. They entered our contest by sending us receipts gathered while shopping on RTA in four different categories.
Winners include:
Largest purchase:
• Stevan Ford, South Dayton.
• Quirkiest purchase:
Barbara Rhines-Lewis, Trotwood.
• Priciest purchase:
Lanetta Corley-Harbut, Dayton.
• Most purchases:
Janet Marie Mack, Dayton. Mack won the top prize in last year’s contest.
 Eight people also won gift cards to area restaurants by answering shopping questions posted on RTA’s Facebook page throughout the Shopping contest.
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Kettering resident welcomes
12 months of RTA bus passes
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  ettering’s Kelly Boger is our RTA Holiday Shopping contest big winner. Her entry was drawn to receive a year’s worth of RTA bus passes valued at $660.
Boger, who usually buys monthly passes, is "happy and excited" to win. She has been an RTA customer since her high school days in the late 1980’s and rides the bus every day to work downtown and on weekends for errands.
"I like to shop at Walmart, Meijer, Kroger and the Dayton Mall," she said.
She and fiancé, Chesley Weaver, ride RTA for special occasions as well, like coming downtown for the holiday tree lighting ceremony, going to RiverScape, and going out to dinner, especially to Spaghetti Warehouse, their favorite restaurant.
 The couple’s first date took place at RiverScape, during a summer fireworks show. Weaver said he first saw Boger when they both lived in the same apartment building and also noticed her at the bus stop. They plan to marry this year in October.
"I asked her to teach me sign language. We became friends, and then we started dating," Weaver said.
Boger, who is deaf, rides fixed route buses and knows how to compensate for her hearing loss when onboard. Since she can’t hear the stop cord signal or the stop announcement, she pulls the cord and then watches carefully so she won’t miss her stop. Though Boger used to drive, she no longer owns a car and enjoys being able to relax on the bus.
"You don’t have to worry about driving. And you can look around and see everything as you pass by, which you can’t do when you’re driving."
Boger appreciates the printed schedules available at transit centers and finds that the Trip Planning feature online at i-riderta.org is very helpful when planning new trips.
"Winning these passes will help a lot since I won’t have to pay for the bus for a whole year, especially since we’re planning our wedding," she said.
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Newly adopted RTA Vision and Mission Statements
Our Vision
To be a premier public transportation provider that connects people and communities
Our Mission
To provide great value, dependable service, and to be responsive, timely and accountable for all that we do
Our Motto
It’s time to ride!
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RTA adopts new Core Values to guide work force |
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This year RTA’s Board of Trustees adopted a set of six new Core Values to guide the day-to-day operations of the agency. The new values were developed in 2011 to provide underlying tenets for how all RTA employees should perform.
Respect
We recognize the vital role each employee plays in the delivery of service to our customers and to the community. We strive to build an environment of mutual respect and loyalty. Teamwork is essential and we do whatever it takes to provide quality customer service and build a strong and stable legacy.
Our People
Our employees and board of trustees are vitally important to our success. Our people make a difference in everything we do and we shall recognize and celebrate in their growth and success.
Integrity
In carrying out our duties, we will act in a manner above reproach. Our decisions are driven by the highest ethical and moral standards. We will value open and honest relationships that endure difficult times and continuously grow stronger.
Safety
Safety for our customers, employees, and the communities we serve is paramount to our success. We continuously work to improve our facilities, maintain our fleets, and implement policies and procedures to remain safe, secure and accident free.
Quality Service
Customers and their satisfaction and the communities we serve are our highest priority. RTA employees consider the customer first in every decision they make so that we consistently exceed customer expectations.
Stewardship
We recognize the high degree of responsibility to good stewardship of the human, financial, and environmental resources entrusted to our care. We will use our resources wisely and apply best practices in delivery of services to the community. We will evaluate and monitor standards which assure the effective and efficient use of agency resources.
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Face of RTA
Meet Darrell Sutton
Born in Dayton and a graduate of Dunbar High School, Darrell E. Sutton has served RTA for five years as an operator. 
"I am retired from the Air Force and proudly served in Desert Shield and Desert Storm," Sutton said.
He is married and the proud father of six daughters and a grandfather to six "busy" grandchildren. Sutton likes to read, write, travel, and "motivate people who need an extra push."
"I have the pleasure of serving as an operator in the most elite transit system in the country. My duties go beyond that. I’m a mentor, friend and leader."
"My favorite quote is:
‘I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand,’ by Confucius."
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What happens every day
before your bus rolls up? |
 ong before many of you board your bus in the morning, your operator has been at work. Depending on the route assigned, he or she can arrive at RTA’s Longworth Street building as early as 4 a.m.
The operator reports to the Dispatch window and picks up a back-up copy of detailed route information. The same information will appear on an MDT, Mobile Data Terminal, on board the bus. The driver will get a coach assignment — the bus number — and a track number to find where it’s parked.
 Your driver must arrive at least 10 minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave. Most get there earlier. Before boarding, the driver picks up route schedules to place on board that must be removed at the end of the shift. Before rolling out, the operator inspects tires, lights, and cleanliness, and makes sure important functions work like cameras and other safety devices, heating or air conditioning, the kneeling function and wheelchair lifts. He also turns the MDT and fare box on and programs in his employee number.
If something minor is not working on the bus, a quick repair can be made. If it’s major, a prepared stand-by bus will be substituted. If an assigned operator does not show up, another driver is tapped from a list of "board" drivers who are available to fill in.
This scenario happens every single morning of the year on every RTA route. One way or another, a bus will leave on time so that you can get where you need to be on time. |
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Visit RTA at HomeWorld
Visit RTA at one of the area’s biggest home improvement shows, Miami Valley HomeWorld, in Vandalia. Organizers expect over 10,000 visitors this year.
The show will be held Friday through Sunday, February 10-12, at the Dayton Exposition Center at Dayton International Airport.
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Look for the RTA Bus Booth at Space #347 for tips on how to make riding the bus part of your greener lifestyle.
"Like" RTA on Facebook for a chance to win a Kindle Fire or a Dayton Dragons VIP Fan Package.
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Show hours:
Friday, Feb. 10, 4- 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11, 10-8 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 12, 10- 5 p.m. |
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Follow the link to get the latest coupons
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Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
Board of Trustees:
President
• James E. Newby
Vice President
• Franz Hoge
• Lawrence B. Clarke
• Sharon E. Hairston
• Adrienne L. Heard
• Janet C. Jones
• Jamie Simpson
• David Williamson
RTA Executive Director
• Mark Donaghy
RTA Executive Staff
Director, Planning & Marketing
• Frank Ecklar
Director, Operations
• Allison Ledford
Director, Safety & Security
• James Napier
Chief Financial Officer
• Mary Stanforth
Director, Human Resources
• Gene Rhodes
Chief Maintenance Officer
• John Thomas
Director, Government/ Community Relations
• Anthony Whitmore
Newsletter Staff
Editor
• Sabrina Pritchett
Writer
• Sharon Balderson
Design
• Carmen Gaines
• John Hancock
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It′s time to ride RTA to these events in February
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 Dayton Gems vs. Fort Wayne Ice Hockey — Routes 11, 19
Hara Arena, 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd., Trotwood
Saturday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
This game will feature "Pink in the Rink" night with special pink jerseys and a live auction. Pink tote bags will be given to the first 500 women. Tickets: $8-14. For more information, visit haracomplex.com.
 UD Jazz Ensemble/ University Jazz Band/ Flyer Lab Band — Routes 5, 14, 17
University of Dayton, Kennedy Union Boll Theatre, 300 College Park
Sunday, Feb.12, 3 p.m.
Presented by the University of Dayton Department of Music. Willie L. Morris, III and James Leslie, directors. Free. Visit udayton.edu or call 937-229-3936 for more info.
Fasching — German Mardi Gras — Route 2
Dayton Liederkranz Turner German Club,
1400 E. Fifth St.
Saturday, Feb. 18, 7:30-11:30 p.m.
Prinzessin Constanze and Prinz Richard cordially invite you to attend the 2012 Fasching Masquerade Ball. Music by Gebhard Erler. Costume Parade begins at 8:45 p.m. Prizes awarded for Most Original, Best Single, Best Couple, and Best Group costumes. Please bring a snack to share on the snack table. Admission is $10; $9 in costume.
Broomball League Games — Routes 5, 7, 8, 9,
11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 22
RiverScape MetroPark, 111 E. Monument Ave.
Mondays and Wednesday through Feb. 22, 6-8 p.m.
Check out Dayton Broomball Association’s coed league at MetroParks Ice Rink. Broomball is a team sport played on ice where players wear shoes instead of skates and use broom-shaped sticks to pass and score goals. Free. Cheer on the players and grab a snack from Café Vélo. Call 937-274-0126 for more information.
Film Connections with FilmDayton
— All routes to Wright Stop Plaza
ThinkTV, 110 S. Jefferson St.
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7-8:30 p.m.
Join FilmDayton members at the monthly Film Connections to learn about the hottest trends in filmmaking. Some workshops feature local filmmakers, some provide educational updates. More info on the topic of each monthly meeting available at FilmDayton.com or facebook.com/FilmDayton. Film Connections is the last Tuesday of every month. Meetings include light food and drinks. Free for members; $5, nonmembers. Call 937-554-0031.
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www.i-riderta.org Greater Dayton RTA • 4 S. Main St., Dayton Ohio 45402 • (937) 425-8300 customer service
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Follow us on:  and  and check us out online at i-riderta.org
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