Author: David Mark

LAVTA on freeway with other traffic

LIVERMORE, Calif.– Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority celebrated employee skill and spirit as it hosted the return of the Wheels Roadeo. This year’s “HalloWheels” Roadeo rolled out on Saturday, October 28th.

The Roadeo is an annual, international transit event that invites bus operators, maintenance teams, and other transit professionals to partake in driving skills competitions testing speed, skill, and accuracy. In addition to the contests, LAVTA and MV Transportation employees and families enjoyed games, a picnic lunch provided by Teamsters Local 70, a haunted bus, and face painting festivities.

LAVTA congratulates 2023 HalloWheels Roadeo winner Evelyn Perea who scored the highest overall in the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) eligible category, winning $500 and a trip to the APTA 2024 International Bus Roadeo in Portland, Oregon! Community leaders participated in the Board of Directors competition where Dublin City Councilmember Jean Josey of Dublin came away with the top prize.

Christy Wegener, LAVTA’s Executive Director stated “This year’s roadeo had a fantastic turnout and while the competition was fierce, participants are Wheels family first and showed tremendous support for each other throughout the challenges. We are so proud to work with this team and can’t wait to watch our winner at APTA International roadeo!”

LAVTA thanks its events sponsors, Teamsters Local 70, and MV Transportation, and Gillig LLC for their donations and assistance.

For more information on Wheels and its services, visit lavta.wpengine.com or contact customer service at 925-455-7500. Keep up to date with company news, schedule changes and rider alerts by following us on Facebook, Instagram and X @wheelsbus.

About the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority

The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) was created in 1985 by the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Alameda County to serve area transit needs. In 2018 and 2019, LAVTA was named Transit Agency of the Year by the California Transit Association and the California Association for Coordinated Transportation, respectively. In 2020, LAVTA was named the top transit agency of its size in North America by the American Public Transportation Association.

LAVTA Media Library: 2023 HalloWheels Roadeo Media –  https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/hbliv5b313xqp7i4xp4sb/h?rlkey=ogna0mkqz5646mv5atyapg21r&dl=0

LAVTA on freeway with other traffic

Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) continues its tradition of quality transportation services in Tri-Valley communities as reported by riders in its 2023 Passenger Satisfaction survey. Wheels riders scored the agency a   4.5 / 5 rating average for quality of service including safe, clean, and reliable operations.

“Wheels continues to uphold the high standards of the communities it serves”, said Melissa Hernandez, LAVTA Board Chair and Mayor of Dublin. “Riders let us know they consider Wheels a reliable, friendly and safe option to get them to school, work, and healthcare throughout the Tri-Valley.”

The Passenger Satisfaction survey is an annual initiative to gain insight from riders. The survey addresses quality-of-service aspects that respondents are asked to grade on a scale of 1 – 5 such as schedule adherence, cleanliness of buses, and driver courtesy. It was conducted in person on buses during the months of May and June 2023 and provided in English and Spanish. Wheels staff engaged with customers while riding Rapid and local routes to achieve diversity of response from a broad demographic sample. 87% of respondents reside within the service area.

LAVTA analyses the data to identify trends and guide future objectives and strategies to improve the customer experience. Notable results from this years’ survey were increased satisfaction with on-time performance, driver friendliness, and clean and well-maintained buses. The 2023 survey is the first to be completed “post-pandemic” (last performed 2019) and indicates a high level of rider confidence as they return to transit.

For more information on Wheels and its services, visit lavta.wpengine.com or contact customer service at 925-455-7500. Keep up to date with company news, schedule changes and rider alerts by following us on Facebook, Instagram and X @wheelsbus.

About the Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority

The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) was created in 1985 by the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Alameda County to serve area transit needs. In 2018 and 2019, LAVTA was named Transit Agency of the Year by the California Transit Association and the California Association for Coordinated Transportation, respectively. In 2020, LAVTA was named the top transit agency of its size in North America by the American Public Transportation Association.

The Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) Board of Directors has announced the selection of Christy Wegener to serve as the agency’s new Executive Director. Wegener previously worked at LAVTA from 2014 through 2018 as the Director of Planning and Operations. For the last four years, she has been the Director of Planning for the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), responsible for strategic and operations planning for the district. In response to the Board’s selection, Wegener said, “The Wheels bus system is near and dear to my heart and I am thrilled for the opportunity to return. I am excited to work with my former LAVTA colleagues and to improve mobility options throughout the Tri-Valley.”

Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert, who serves as Chair of the LAVTA Board, said “We are very pleased that Christy was interested in returning to LAVTA. During her previous tenure here, she helped lay the groundwork for many of the innovative projects that have been implemented over the past few years, including the introduction of Shared Autonomous Vehicle technology, the Go Tri-Valley partnership with Uber and Lyft, and a fixed route system redesign that led to increased ridership. These efforts played a large role in LAVTA being named the top transit agency in North America in 2020.”

Wegener has spent nearly 20 years in the transit industry, having previously worked for the Sacramento Regional Transit District and the Fairfax County (VA) Department of Transportation. During her career, she has been recognized as one of Mass Transit Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 and is a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association’s Leadership APTA program. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from California State University Sacramento, and a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology from the University of California, Davis.

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