S.J. RTD wins national achievement award

The San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) announced on Monday that they had won the American Public Transit Association’s (APTA) 2018 Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award for achievements in environmental sustainability, progressive business practices and infrastructure development.

“I congratulate San Joaquin RTD for winning the 2018 Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award,” Paul P. Skoutelas. APTA president and chief executive officer said in a Monday press release. “This is a very prestigious award that only goes to those public transit systems in North America that have excelled in their service and leadership. Everyone that works for RTD and the community it serves should be very proud of RTD.”

Despite a reduced operating budget, RTD completed the Downtown Transit Center and Regional Transit Center, introduced a new fleet of environmentally friendly buses and created four new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, according to the press release.

RTD was one of the first transit agencies in the U.S. to test hybrid and all-electric buses, the press release said, and in 2017 RTD’s third BRT corridor became the first all-electric BRT corridor in the country.

The RTD Board of Directors also passed a resolution recently to convert their entire Stockton-area bus fleet to all-electric by 2025, the press release said.

“All of us here at RTD are very honored to have received the most prestigious award given in our industry,” Donna DeMartino, RTD’s chief executive officer, said in the press release. “There are 285 employees on the RTD team. They do their best to provide extraordinary customer service and make RTD the transportation service of choice for the residents we serve. Winning this award required contributions from every one of them and reflects their successful efforts. From our state-of-the-art Regional Transportation Center to our first-in-the-nation all-electric BRT route, we are proud to build the best transit system for the residents and environment of San Joaquin County.”