Nine Bus Operators Graduate LTD Training Course
Lane Transit District has welcomed nine new bus operators to the team. They started bus operator training on April 15 and graduated June 14.
“We use the buses as our means, but we’re a people company,” said C.E.O. Jameson Auten. “That’s the organization you’re joining. It’s important to understand our history, because you’re our future. What do you want that to look like? It’s time for you to write your story.”
The District’s new graduates will join LTD’s roster of 165 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 battery electric, 56 hybrid/99% sustainable diesel, and 31 99% sustainable diesel 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.
“It’s time to trust the training you received,” said Darryl Whitaker, LTD’s Operations Training Supervisor. “Your trainers will always be here for you, reminding you that you can do this.”
LTD is in the midst of a major recruitment push. Another class of eight operators began on May 28, with a larger class starting July 29.
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.