Thousand Palms / California / United States
SunLine Transit Agency is the regional transportation mode of choice. We provide safe and environmentally conscious public transportation services and alternative fuel solutions to meet the mobility needs of the Coachella Valley. With a challenging economy putting the brakes on so many businesses and organizations across our great nation, many have down shifted their operational plans for the year and announced various forms of retrenchment. At SunLine Transit Agency, we see this time as an opportunity to take a somewhat different route. While SunLine is certainly not immune to the financial pressures at hand, specifically with regard to projected State budget cuts in transportation, we continue to take bold steps to provide environmentally conscious public transportation services and alternative fuel solutions to meet the mobility needs of the Coachella Valley. One only needs to look back at 2008 to understand how committed the Agency?s Board of Directors, management and staff are to achieving that goal. The year began with SunLine?s first ?State of Public Transit Luncheon Forum?, a landmark event that drew industry, business and government leaders from across the country to discuss the trends that will shape the future of public transit. Keynote speaker, William Millar, President of the American Public Transportation Association, shared current and future transit developments at the Agency, as well as national transit trends. In addition, attendees learned that in many respects, the future has already arrived in the Coachella Valley, led by SunLine?s path-clearing advancements with hydrogen-powered transit, commercial adoption of alternative fuels and the technologies necessary to support them. SunLine served as a stop on the landmark 2008 Hydrogen Road Tour which showcased hydrogen-powered vehicles in use today. The event, which attracted media attention in numerous cities across the United States, followed a major upgrade to the Agency?s SunFuels fueling station that provides compressed natural gas (CNG) and hydrogen to the Valley?s fleet of alternative energy-powered vehicles. The expanded fueling infrastructure, featuring new dispensers and a consumer-friendly card reader, now has the capacity to accommodate up to five hydrogen buses daily. Thanks to extensive publicity, most Valley residents recognize SunLine?s role in these notable breakthroughs. What they may not know, however, is that reaching these goals would not be possible without exceptional partners and we have been blessed with the very best. I want to single out our colleagues at CalStart, South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Federal Transit Association. Their vision and ever-present support has made us a better Agency. Of all the improvements made to the system in 2008, none were more appreciated by SunLines most important constituency, its passengers, than the Bus Replacement and Expansion Program. The forward-looking initiative, authorized by the Board over two years ago, has brought some of the cleanest-burning, most efficient CNG buses to our roads today. A total of 68 buses now comprise SunLine?s fixed route fleet, in addition to an entirely new collection of 27 paratransit vehicles. Riders have responded favorably to the distinctive, eco-friendly graphics on the vehicles, as well as bench replacements and i-STOPS SunLine has instituted over the past 12 months. The improvements occurred as part of a sweeping service enhancement upgrade that also includes bus shelter replacements.
