With gas prices on the rise and the cost of transportation constantly increasing, many individuals — including students — are choosing public transit for affordable transportation.
The Riverside Transit Agency, a popular form of public transportation that has been providing transportation to the Inland Empire since 1975, received extremely positive feedback from the Federal Transit Administration in its most recent review, meeting or exceeding expectations in all categories covered with this triennial review.
Bradley Weaver, media and public relations manager for Riverside Transit Agency, said the company was excited about this federal review.
“Getting a positive review like that shows us we are running an efficient service and using taxpayer dollars wisely,” Weaver said. “Whether it’s expanding routes, providing more weekend service or serving more students, we are excited about the places RTA is going.”
Weaver also highlighted the important role students from California Baptist University play in the public transportation industry. With the use of U-Pass or Go-Pass, students from local colleges, including CBU, are able to use RTA transportation for free.
“It’s been a great way for students to save money on gas, car insurance, car payments and parking on campus. It’s also a great way for students to get a break,” Weaver said. “Catch up on some homework or relax and take advantage of our free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports while someone else does the driving.”
Weaver also highlighted the benefit that public transportation provides to the community in terms of environmental issues through the use of clean-burning compressed natural gas.
Nathan Rierson, junior film major, has used the bus service before and said he appreciates that it is accessible for CBU students.
“I’ve taken RTA before and it gets you where you need to go easily. It’s a good system that works well for college students,” Rierson said.
Taylor Duncan, senior photography major, said the public transportation system is something from which students can benefit.
“It’s nice because taking the bus is easy to access, especially for CBU students,” Duncan said. “I haven’t taken the bus yet, but now that I know students can ride for free, it sounds like a great option.”
Weaver emphasized the key impacts of the symbiotic relationship RTA and local university students have and how important students are to Riverside’s public transportation industry. Weaver also said college students are a vital part of their service.
CBU students can use RTA buses by simply swiping their student ID, which is a valid U-Pass, or showing it to the bus driver after boarding at any RTA stop.
