Nine Bus Operators Complete LTD Training
Lane Transit District has welcomed nine new bus operators to the team. They started bus operator training and education on January 22, 2024 and graduated Friday, March 22.
“You play such a key role in our community,” said Pete Knox, LTD Board Member representing Subdistrict 5. “I am a lifelong rider and have developed close, personal friendships with so many bus operators over the years. Part of what makes serving on the board special is my love for the bus and the connection it provides to the greater community.”
The District’s new graduates will join LTD’s roster of 170 bus operators who travel 30 neighborhood (fixed) routes and two EmX routes seven days per week that span the District’s nearly 500 square miles. LTD bus operators pick up and deliver passengers from 1,300 active bus stops, that include 9 neighborhood stations, 60 EmX platforms, 200 neighborhood bus shelters, and two primary hub stations. Annually, they drive the District’s 30 electric, 59 hybrid, and 28 renewable diesel fuel buses almost 2.8 million revenue miles per year with passenger boardings reaching more than 5 million.
LTD’s bus operator training program is nine weeks. The curriculum is taught in the classroom and behind the wheel to teach candidates about customer service, laws governing bus operations, LTD operations, and how to operate the District’s 40- and 60-foot fixed-route buses, as well as its EmX buses that serve the bus rapid transit routes.
“You can move up in this agency. This is only the beginning if that’s what you want it to be” said Bill Mullican, LTD Training Instructor. “Our planners, supervisors, our bosses have all been drivers. This isn’t where it ends for your guys – you have so much longevity here because this is a wonderful place to work.
The District is in the midst of a major recruitment push. To fill the bus operator need, LTD is sharing its story on social media, live stream television, broadcast television, and radio to inform potential candidates about the opportunities and benefits of working at the District. The next class of operators begins on April 15, 2024.
Video and audio stories about LTD bus operators and staff can be found at RideLTD.org.
Information about how to apply to become an LTD bus operator is available at LTD.org.