A State-of-the-Art Shop Poised for the Future

Did you know the maintenance shop at our Merrill Creek Operations Base services a fleet of 200 buses? This bustling hub of activity is definitely where the action can be found. On average, the shop creates approximately 850 preventative maintenance and repair work orders a month. We also do our own component rebuild in-house, for both engines and transmissions. It takes exceptional equipment, tools, and training to create a state-of-the-art shop like ours, and a dynamic team of mechanics to bring it all to life.

Our larger maintenance shop at Merrill Creek (we have a smaller shop at Kasch Park where our Double Talls and Vanpool vehicles are serviced) has two large working areas. The main area has a total of 14 working bays. Four bays have 2-post lifts designed for coaches up to 40 feet, four have 3-post lifts designed for coaches up to 60 feet, and two are flat (non-lift equipped) bays. These are getting new lifts added to increase our lift capacity. Also included in the main area are four pit bays primarily designed for preventative maintenance work. The secondary area (our body shop) has three flat bays and one spray booth. The shop is bright, well-ventilated, and so clean that the agency actually hosts its annual Thanksgiving lunch on the premises each year!
 

Our main shop also has a dedicated component rebuild area. When our engines and transmissions are at the end of their life span, we tear them down and completely overhaul them with new and reconditioned parts. They are tested on dynamometers that allow them to run outside of the vehicle, ensuring that if there are any problems, they are caught before they ever even get in the bus. For example, a rebuilt engine is hooked up to water, fuel, electronics, and transmission, etc., to simulate being in a bus. This engine dynamometer makes sure there are no leaks, fault codes, loss of horsepower or torque. This not only allows us to control the quality of the finished product, it is also cost effective. Community Transit is unique because most shops (and even dealers) outsource this technology.

In March of this year, Community Transit updated its maintenance software system, providing our technicians with a single, easy-to-use portal to manage assigned work, making our maintenance recording system virtually paperless. This system also provides access to the company intranet, email, and web services. Additional computer terminals were added throughout the shop to meet the needs of our growing fleet of vehicles and our maintenance team.

Community Transit prides itself on being an industry leader. Our state-of-the-art shop is uniquely designed to meet the challenges of today, while being poised for the huge growth demands projected for the future.

Want to work here? We want to hear from you! "Don't let the size of our shop and equipment intimidate you! All prospective employees are given a shop tour during the interview process, and all new employees get the training, tooling and assistance they need to be successful," assures Ken W., Assistant Maintenance Manager. Apply today to be part of the team.

Did you enjoy this Talking Shop story? What other shop topics would you like to see featured? Let us know in the comments!

"I'm Emmett. And I Guide It."

As the Chief Executive Officer of Community Transit, Emmett Heath is uniquely positioned to affect change. Having spent the majority of his career in public transportation, he is keenly aware that our agency has a great responsibility to serve the community, both now and in the future. We provide nearly 40,000 trips each weekday to people who rely on us to connect them with jobs, healthcare, schools, and their community. That's up to 10 million riders a year! Emmett keeps these 10 million riders, our customers, close to heart when guiding Community Transit into the dynamic future of public transportation.

Thanks to local support, Community Transit has recently expanded service. Emmett's short term vision includes ensuring we deliver on our promises. "The community values the service we provide. They have supported us and now we need to deliver on their desire for expanded transit service." Even while plans for proposed new routes in 2016 and 2017 begin to roll out, along with the subsequent buses and drivers needed to make them happen, Emmett stresses the importance of looking ahead even further. "This generation is building something that will benefit the next one. We are laying the foundation for those that will come in the future." Our route ahead will include a network of Swift Bus Rapid Transit lines and expanding our overall service to connect communities in new and exciting ways.

Making a difference in our community goes beyond strategic planning for the future. It also includes growing relationships, both internally and externally. "It starts with each person in this agency, and that includes me. Anything I can do to role model, to show the care we should be giving customers. This means interfacing directly with customers when issues come to my attention. It's a great opportunity to listen, learn how to improve, and turn someone into an advocate."

This hands-on approach is important for engaging employees, too. "It's important to have face-to-face time. I always have an open door policy and make a point to frequently visit different work groups. It goes a long way to fostering harmony. When you invest in harmony, this wonderful synergy happens and it empowers our employees to contribute to a positive workplace culture and deliver what our customers want and need."

In his role as CEO, Emmett Heath guides our agency as we prepare to meet the increased transit demands of significant projected growth for 2030, shaping an environment where individuals work collectively as a team to bring forth Community Transit's vision of the future: providing 40 more years of safe, reliable, and friendly service to Snohomish County.

"I'm Laurel. And I Tweet It."

Social media has become an important vehicle to reach our customers. From rider alerts to service change announcements, we strive to provide exceptional service and foster great relationships with our passengers. From first thing in the morning until late at night, Laurel, from our Agency Communications department, monitors our social media to ensure our customers stay informed.

Laurel spent fourteen years marketing online financial services where she thrived on responding to rapid technological changes. Part of these changes included incorporating social media as a method for outreach and customer service. Laurel brought her passion for social media to Community Transit three years ago, "It was nice to be able to usher in Twitter and nurture our audience there. Social media has an immediacy to it that is unique. It gives us the opportunity to respond right away to customers, to tell them we hear them and we're listening."

Laurel monitors @MyCommTrans regularly, especially early in the morning just before our commutes are at their peak, responding to any questions or concerns. By coordinating efforts with our Customer Service and Dispatch departments, Laurel utilizes social media to connect with our riders. "When people are frustrated, listening and responding goes a long way. It helps when you feel like someone hears you. We may not have the answer right at that moment, but we'll work hard to get the answer you need."

In addition to Twitter, Community Transit also has a Facebook page and can be found on YouTube and LinkedIn. "Every social media platform is different, but the interactions I have with customers, whether it's a 140 character tweet about service or a 'Like' on a photo I've posted to Facebook, make my job challenging and fun. To be able to answer a question and get feedback in such an immediate way makes social media a great fit for public transportation."

Thanks, Laurel, for your commitment to service, for being the friendly voice our customers see on their Twitter feed, and for being an active listener and problem solver. When you "Tweet It", you make a difference in how we help bring our customers home.

"I'm Mary. And I Resource It."

Each weekday over 36,000 passengers rely on us to bring them home. It takes a dedicated team of employees who are passionate about the passenger to make this happen. How do we find such a wonderful group of people? Through our talented Human Resources department, where individuals like Mary get excited to grow relationships, build confidence, and empower employees to be successful.

First impressions are everything. Mary remembers the sense of belonging she felt when first hired in 2004 as an administrative clerk. "They were prepared for me. Everything I needed was ready for me before I got there. That felt great." As a Human Resources Assistant for nearly ten years, Mary has been making all new hires feel valued from day one. "Part of my role is giving a benefits orientation to all new hires. It's such a positive position! I get to meet everyone in the agency which is rare. For many people it's their first impression of Human Resources, so I try to be friendly, open, and welcoming."

For Mary, it's not just about establishing good relationships with employees. She is committed to maintaining and growing those relationships as well. "I try to treat each person as an individual, to make time for them. It's important to be accessible, to give everyone my full attention. I don't think of my job as a job. I'm here because I want to be. These aren't just new hires, they're coworkers I'm excited to meet and get to know."

Helping others navigate sensitive issues also presents Mary with an opportunity to create a safe and trusted environment for employees. "I help them gain the skills and tools they need to be successful. By being a good listener, I am able to help them build on their strengths. I get excited that people will come and talk with me and share their personal stories."

Employees who are valued from the day they walk in our door, end up being employees who are happy to come to work. This translates to a work environment where employees feel they have a voice and a support system to be successful. Thank you, Mary, for fostering a work environment that feels like family. A family that believes in bringing people home.

"I'm Royce. And I Take Care of It."

Maintaining an operation as large as ours requires more than the skill of our talented mechanics. We couldn't get our buses on the road without the support of our Facilities Maintenance team. From our state-of-the-art shop to our corporate offices to every bus stop spread across 1,305 square miles, Facilities Technicians like Royce take care of it all.

A retired Navy man, Royce has dedicated his career to public service. Since joining our ranks in 1995, he's seen his team grow from five to twenty people to meet the needs of our customers. The crew is split into two groups: road and base. Our road crew cleans and maintains all of the bus stops, stations, and signage for our extensive route system. Our base crew maintains the buildings that house our corporate offices and maintenance shops. This includes all of the support equipment our mechanics use to keep our buses in prime working condition, such as lifts, pumps, exhaust motors, etc. Our Facilities Maintenance team even maintains a steam bay which cleans each vehicle's engine before mechanics begin their work.

In Royce's early years at Community Transit, when our facilities were much smaller, technicians functioned more as generalists, doing a little bit of everything. Of course this meant more specialized skills had to be contracted out. Now, Facilities Maintenance has grown to include certified plumbers, HVAC technicians, electricians, and welders. "In the past we figured out how to fix things on our own," says Royce. "Now we work together as a team to problem solve. You don't have to feel bad if you don't know something. There's no criticism, only encouragement. We have each other's backs."

By bringing on highly-skilled technicians, we now keep all of our maintenance in-house so we can control the quality of work. "There's a real pride of ownership here," says Royce. "Everyone has the same goal in mind: serve the customer. It's a great sense of accomplishment knowing the equipment you maintain is used safely by other people."

Thank you, Royce, for taking care of our facilities, our equipment, our route stops, our employees, and our riders.

"I'm Tony. And I Maintain It."

Did you know our buses drive approximately 1,000 miles per week? That's like driving from Seattle to Los Angeles! To keep our buses in tip-top shape, we utilize a team of service workers to thoroughly inspect each bus. One of our rock star employees that helps "Maintain It"? Veteran Community Transit employee, Tony S.

Tony has been with Community Transit since the early years, when our first maintenance shop was just a small space at Kasch Park. Back then our fleet consisted of antique and refurbished buses. Buses have certainly changed in the 25 years since then. Now our fleet includes a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, such as CAD/AVL technology (computer aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location), safety technology (such as collision avoidance), and maintenance technology (including vehicle diagnostics). "It's been exciting to grow with the company," says Tony.

Our bus maintenance program ensures each bus is inspected every six weeks. A mile indicator notifies us when a bus hits 6,000 miles so that it can rotate through the shop. A team of seven service workers make sure that anything that can easily down a coach, such as brakes and power steering, are meticulously inspected. The maintenance team always has one goal in mind: making sure our coaches are safe. Tony says, "Everyone wants to do their job well. It's an expectation we put on ourselves, not that the company puts on us. Every day is better than the last. You are better because each day is a different challenge. It makes coming to work so easy."

A personal commitment to excellence, combined with a collaborative spirit, lets our service workers "Maintain It" with a smile. "This shop is like a Mecca. We all do different things to reach a common goal. These guys work well together which you don't often see in bigger shops. If anyone has a question, we all communicate to come up with the answer. It's a good group of people which makes working here a piece of cake."

Without the talent and dedication of our maintenance team, we wouldn't be able to provide the excellent service that our customers have come to expect of us. After 25 years, Tony has helped our buses drive millions of miles. Next time you ride a Community Transit bus, you can be sure that at some point Tony has maintained it. "It's hard to believe it's been 25 years. It's been a really good ride."

Community Transit is Turning 40!

Can you believe it? For 40 years we have been privileged to provide safe, reliable, and friendly service to Snohomish County. We've come a long way in four decades! From our early years as a small local bus service (we didn't even have specific stops on routes back then), we have grown into a transportation leader for the Puget Sound region, with nearly 10 million passenger boardings per year. And our service area continues to expand!

Each weekday up to 40,000 passengers rely on us to bring them home. It takes a dedicated team of employees who are passionate about the passenger to make this happen. To celebrate our 40 years of service, we are launching an engagement campaign that honors the people who have brought us this far. "Bringing You Home" profiles 10 employees who represent departments across our agency, showcasing their commitment to service. This milestone birthday is a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to our riders, too. We thank you for the responsibility you have entrusted in us to serve you and our community. We look forward to continuing to earn your respect for another 40 years.

Community Transit's 40th Anniversary from Community Transit on Vimeo.

We also used this special anniversary to create a new 40th Anniversary mark for the "Bringing You Home" campaign. You may recognize the original CT logo from our antique bus. The new 40th Anniversary mark pays tribute to this original logo and will only be used for campaign materials. Look for it on print and social media in upcoming months.

To Add Bus Service, We Need New Funding

The Washington State Legislature began its 2013 session this week, so it’s a good time to review how bus service in Snohomish County is funded. Community Transit will be asking legislators for new funding, or authority to seek additional funding, so it can add bus service after several years of cuts.

Community Transit is a special purpose municipal corporation, separate from the county, cities or state. It was created by voters in 1976 under state authority to provide public transportation service to Snohomish County residents. Our service area, or public transportation benefit area (PTBA), includes unincorporated Snohomish County and all cities in the county except for Everett, which has its own transit agency.

Service is paid for by a 0.9 percent retail sales tax – the state maximum – in those jurisdictions. That’s nine cents on a $10 taxable purchase. In many parts of the county, the sales tax is above 9 percent, so Community Transit gets about one-tenth of that sales tax collected.

When the recession hit in 2008, sales tax revenues fell as people in the county reduced their buying, especially on big-ticket items like homes and cars. Tax revenue for transit dropped 18 percent that first year and pretty much stayed at that level for four years. In real dollars, that meant about $14 million less money each year.

After cutting internal costs, reducing administrative staff and freezing wages, Community Transit implemented two service cuts, reducing bus service by 37 percent and laying off 206 employees. Those painful actions have hopefully put the worst behind us; now it is a matter of funding new service.

Meanwhile, modest fare increases help keep pace with inflation. The $1.75 fare for local bus service pays for less than 20 percent of the cost of a local trip. The extra 25-cent increase in February will bring that farebox recovery up to about 21 percent.

While people’s buying habits have started to improve, 2012 revenues were still $10 million below 2007 levels. At this rate, it will take several years until there is enough guaranteed sales tax revenue to add significant service.

That is why new funding is needed to add service.

This year we are asking the state for direct funding for transit operations. That may be a pie-in-the-sky request, but before Initiative 695, the state provided directly about 30 percent of transit service funding. Today, that state funding is about 2 percent, some of which comes through competitive grants that are not guaranteed.

We are also asking the state for a local option – the authority to ask our voters to fund service. Two years ago, the state gave King County Metro authority for a $20 car tab fee that kept Metro from making some major service cuts. We’ll see what legislators are willing to support in terms of transit funding this year.