Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority

Last updated
Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
GreaterDaytonRTA2008.jpeg
Founded1972
Headquarters4 South Main St,
Dayton, Ohio
Service area Montgomery County and Greene County, Ohio
Service type bus service, express bus, paratransit
Routes18
Stops+2,500
HubsEastown Shopping Center
Westown Shopping Center
Northwest
South (Dayton Mall)
Wright Stop Plaza (Downtown Dayton)
StationsMaintenance Facilities,
600 Longworth St, Dayton
Fleet260
Daily ridership24,600 (weekdays, Q2 2024) [1]
Annual ridership6,570,600 (2023) [2]
Fuel typeDiesel, Electric and Hybrid
Operator350
Website i-riderta.org

The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, formerly known as the Miami Valley RTA, is a public transit agency that generally serves the greater Dayton, Ohio area. The GDRTA serves communities within Montgomery County and parts of Greene County, Ohio, USA. There are 18 routes. RTA operates diesel and electric trolley buses seven days a week, 21 hours a day, and provides services to many citizens within the area. RTA's current CEO is Bob Ruzinsky. [3] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 6,570,600, or about 24,600 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

Contents

Greater Dayton RTA is Ohio’s fourth-largest public transit system, [4] serving Dayton and 23 surrounding communities in Montgomery County and parts of Greene County.

History

Former GDRTA Logo GDRTA logo.png
Former GDRTA Logo

The Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority (now the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, or RTA) took over public transit operations in November 1972. In 2003, its board of trustees voted to change the transit agency's name to the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority. [5]

Trolley buses

From the late 1990s until 2019, the trolley bus system used vehicles built by Electric Transit, Inc. Dayton 1998 ETI 14TrE2 trolleybus 9834 on Jefferson St downtown, SB on route 7 (2016).jpg
From the late 1990s until 2019, the trolley bus system used vehicles built by Electric Transit, Inc.

One notable feature of the GDRTA system is its use of electric trolley buses. Only five cities in the United States currently have electric trolley buses: Boston, Dayton, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle. [6] The first electric trolley bus (ETB) operation in Ohio occurred in Dayton, on April 23, 1933, when the Linden–Salem line was converted from streetcars to trackless trolleys — or trolley buses, as they are most commonly known today. The RTA renewed its commitment to electric transit with a board of trustees vote to continue the trolley bus service in 1991, and the purchase of a new fleet of ETBs from Electric Transit, Inc., a joint venture of the Czech company Skoda and the U.S. company AAI Corporation, based on Skoda's model 14Tr. Final assembly of the vehicles took place in Dayton in 1995–98. In 2014, the system added its first low-floor trolley buses, with four dual-mode prototypes purchased from Vossloh Kiepe (now Kiepe Electric) and using bodies from Gillig, for testing and evaluation. In January 2018, RTA placed an order with Kiepe for 26 production-series dual-mode trolleybuses of the same design as the prototypes, with Gillig low-floor bodies, for delivery starting in 2019. [7]

One of RTA's current fleet of 45 Gillig/Kiepe dual-mode trolley buses in 2021 Dayton trolleybus 2064, a 2020 Kiepe DMBT with Gillig BRT body (2021).jpg
One of RTA's current fleet of 45 Gillig/Kiepe dual-mode trolley buses in 2021

Electric streetcar service in Dayton had started in 1888, and it continued through to, and indeed beyond, the start of the trolley bus service. Therefore, electric transit service has been operated continuously in Dayton since 1888, which is longer than in any other city in the United States. [6]

Hybrid buses

One of RTA's 2010-built hybrid buses leaving the downtown transit center, known as Wright Stop Plaza Dayton Gillig BRT hybrid bus 1002 leaving Wright Stop Plaza on route 9.jpg
One of RTA's 2010-built hybrid buses leaving the downtown transit center, known as Wright Stop Plaza

With the addition of environmentally friendly hybrid buses in 2010 to the GDRTA's fleet, the GDRTA is Ohio's greenest transit fleet. [8] [ failed verification ] In September 2010 RTA was designated the only 5-star Ohio Green Fleet by Clean Fuels Ohio.

Hubs

Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center, viewed from across Main Street in 2010 Wright Stop Plaza transit center from west (2010).jpg
Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center, viewed from across Main Street in 2010

The RTA operates five bus "hubs", or transit centers. Each hub serves as a connection to many suburban bus routes around Dayton. The one in downtown Dayton is named Wright Stop Plaza and opened for service on September 1, 2009 (after a ceremonial opening earlier). [9] [10]

Operation

The RTA operates with diesel and electric trolley buses. Dayton is the smallest city in the United States to operate electric trolley buses still. [6] The trolley buses travel at least five miles on RTA routes serving Dayton and some neighboring suburbs. The routes include: Route 1, Route 2, Route 4, Route 7 and Route 8. Bus service to Dayton International Airport from downtown Dayton began on 11 August 2013. Service was expanded to stops on Pentagon Boulevard in Beavercreek, allowing access to the Fairfield Commons Mall and Soin Medical Center, on January 12, 2014.

Contributions

The RTA has been involved in helping the city of Dayton through its contributions to the Dayton Dragons, The Schuster Center, and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

In addition, RTA passed a resolution to make smoother connections to its regional hubs and prevent misuse of transfers. In January 2007, RTA created an established proposal to make all buses serve regional businesses, establish transfer points in designated areas and streamline previously neighborhood routes. The RTA added two routes to serve areas frequently used by passengers. RTA discontinued eight routes in response to overlapping and low passenger counts.

Regular route list

A 2010 Gillig Low Floor bus in downtown, on route 12, in 2017 2010-built Dayton Gillig diesel bus 1045 in green paint scheme, eastbound on 3rd St downtown.jpg
A 2010 Gillig Low Floor bus in downtown, on route 12, in 2017

Active Bus Fleet

YearManufacturerModelFleet NumbersEngineTransmissionNotes
2014GilligBRT Plus ETB 40'1401-1404Vossloh KiepeOnly for routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8.
2016GilligLow Floor 40'1601-1624Cummins ISL9Voith D864.5
2017GilligLow Floor 40'1701-1725Cummins ISL9Voith D864.6
2018GilligLow Floor 29'/40'1801-1824, 1831-1834Cummins L9Voith D864.61801-1824 are 40'foot and 1831-1834 are 29'foot
2019GilligLow Floor 40'1901-1917Cummins L9Voith D864.6
2019GilligBRT Plus ETB 40'1951-1971Vosslon KiepeOnly for routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8.
2020GilligBRT 35'2031-2037Cummins L9Voith D864.6Only use for the Flyer service
2020GilligBRT Plus ETB 40'2051-2070Vosslon KiepeOnly for routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8.
2021GilligLow Floor 40'2101-2111Cummins L9Voith D864.6
2023GilligLow Floor 29'2331-2337Cummins L9Voith D864.6

See also

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References

  1. "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. "Executive Leadership: Bob Ruzinsky, Chief Executive Officer". GDRTA. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  4. "Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products Announces Partnership with Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority". Business Wire. September 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  5. "History". GDRTA. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  6. 1 2 3 "A Brief History of Electric Transit in Dayton". GDRTA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  7. Trolleybus Magazine No. 339 (May–June 2018), p. 117. ISSN   0266-7452.
  8. "Dayton becomes Ohio's greenest fleet" . Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  9. "New RTA Transit Center opens". Dayton Daily News . September 1, 2009. p. 3.
  10. Trolleybus Magazine No. 288 (November–December 2009), p. 144. ISSN   0266-7452.