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"June 2024"



2024 International Roadeo Grand Champions

International Roadeo Grand Champions

Intercity Transit?s exceptional team attended the 2024 American Public Transportation Association?s International Roadeo late last month. Following a five-year hiatus, this year?s International Roadeo featured 390 participants, including 76 bus drivers, 46 maintenance teams, and 38 combined teams.

International Roadeo events had been suspended since 2019 because of the pandemic and returned this year, providing Rob the opportunity to defend his title and our new maintenance team their first appearance on the International Roadeo stage.

The Roadeo is a celebration of the expertise, training, and dedication of frontline transit workers. Drivers navigate obstacle courses, perform simulated driving scenarios, whereas maintenance teams showcase their ability to conduct thorough vehicle inspections, diagnose mechanical issues, and complete maintenance tasks efficiently and safely. Awards are given in each practice area, and there is an overall grand prize for the transit system with the highest combined score for the bus operator and maintenance team.

Our bus driver, Rob Wood, took first place in the driving competition, while the maintenance team, made up of Richelle Loken, Jonathan Reynolds, and Sean Malay, took first place in the USSC Bus Inspection, and 5th place overall in the maintenance competition. These top scores added up to Intercity Transit continuing its tradition of Roadeo excellence and being named the 2024 Grand Champion Transit System! We are extremely proud of Rob, Richelle, Jonathan, and Sean for these achievements.



Celebrate Ride Transit Month

Ride Transit Month 2024

June is Ride Transit Month?a time to celebrate you, showcase the benefits of riding transit and encourage people who don't normally ride to give it a try. This also gives us an opportunity to recognize the vital role transit plays in our community.

*Pledge to Ride*
Are you willing to ride transit at least five times this month? Take the pledge at transportationchoices.org/ride-transit-month/ [ [link removed] ]. Then share your ride by tagging us (*@IntercityTransit*) and using, *#RideTransitMonth*.



Bus Buddy Coordinator Named 2024 Employee of the Year

Bus Buddy Coordinator named Employee of the Year

Congratulations to our Bus Buddy Program Coordinator, Scott, for receiving the 2024 Catholic Community Services Employee of the Year "Johnny Appleseed Award" at the annual Catholic Community Services Banquet.

At the banquet, they said, "Over the last eight years Scott has taken the Bus Buddy Program and turned it into a program that not only is successful but was recognized as the most successful Bus Buddy Program in the United States..."

To learn more about the Bus Buddy program, visit intercitytransit.com/how-to-ride/bus-buddy-program [ [link removed] ].



Service on Independence Day

Intercity Transit will operate on weekend schedules on Independence Day, Thursday, July 4. Customer Service at the Olympia Transit Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our administrative office will be closed in observance of the holiday.

For assistance planning your trip or questions, call Customer Service at 360-786-1881.

Please remember we do not allow fireworks on our buses. Have a safe holiday!

Discontinuing Rider Alerts on Social Media

Discontinuing Rider Alerts on Social Media

Beginning Monday, June 17, Intercity Transit will stop posting rider alerts on Facebook and X (Twitter). We?re making this change because both sites have changed their algorithms, which means posts are delivered in the order the social media site thinks will most interest the follower. This makes using these channels to provide you real-time updates ineffective. In addition, having these messages delivered after-the-fact creates confusion.

Moving forward, we will use our social media to highlight the great work Intercity Transit and its employees do for our community every day.

*Next Steps*
We will slowly transition from posting this information on our social media channels over four weeks beginning on Wednesday, May 29. Instead of checking social media for service disruptions or rider alerts you can access the information by:


* Signing up to receive real-time rider alerts for the route(s) you ride at intercitytransit.com/subscribe [ [link removed] ]. You will choose if you want to receive alerts via text message or email.
* Visiting our Rider Alerts webpage at intercitytransit.com/rider-alerts [ [link removed] ]. We will continue to post all active rider alerts there.
* Downloading a smartphone app to track buses in real-time. A few of these apps include Google Maps, Transit app, myStop, and OneBusAway.

We appreciate you changing with us as we strive to provide you the most accurate and timely information possible. Please contact Customer Service at 360-786-1881 with questions or for additional assistance. They are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily.



Come See Us in Parades and at Community Events this Summer

Bubble Bus at the Lacey Spring Fun Fair

We're excited to participate in community events and parades again this summer! Our bubble bus made its seasonal debut at the Lacey Spring Fun Fair last month and we're looking forward to sharing it with you again soon.

Look for information about where to see the bubble bus this season by following us on Facebook [ [link removed] ] and Twitter [ [link removed] ]. We hope to see you soon!



Walk N Roll's New Safety Yard Sign Designs

Walk N Roll's new yard signs

Intercity Transit's Walk N Roll program is proud to introduce three new traffic safety yard sign designs! The new signs were designed by students from Avanti High School and paid for by Target Zero.

The signs will be displayed in neighborhoods and around schools in Thurston County where people are walking and rolling. The goal is to encourage drivers to slow down, making Thurston County a safer place for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Pick up your free yard sign from Intercity Transit's Customer Service at the Olympia Transit Center, daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. or at the Lacey Timberland Library, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This project is a partnership between Intercity Transit?s Walk N Roll program, the Olympia Police Department, Target Zero, and Safe Kids Thurston County.






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