Win 200 Free Days of Rides on RTA

Who’s going to take the 200 millionth trip? The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) will find out next month when it celebrates this major ridership milestone by giving away 200 days of free rides to one lucky customer.

Based on ridership statistics and forecasts, RTA analysts have estimated that the 200 millionth boarding will occur the week of July 7. In celebration of the occasion, RTA will present that lucky customer with enough bus passes to keep them riding free for 200 days, plus a variety of RTA promotional items.

“This is such a significant landmark not just for RTA but also for the customers we’ve served over the past 37 years,” said RTA Chairman of the Jeff Comerchero.

“We are proud that a growing number of Riverside County residents are choosing RTA for their travel needs.”

Launched in the spring of 1977, the Riverside Transit Agency began service out of a converted gas station on Fairmount Boulevard near Highway 60. With the slogan “RTA is Here to Stay,” a handful of buses hit the streets on six routes. The number of rides during the fi rst week of service: 12,211.

More than 35 years later, RTA logs more than 30,000 rides each weekday on 36 fixed routes and eight CommuterLink express routes with record-setting months becoming more and more commonplace. Last year alone, RTA buses carried 9.3 million boardings.

The 200 millionth boarding also marks a significant step in RTA’s efforts to promote public transportation and improve air quality.

“RTA is more important than ever,” Comerchero said. “We are changing the way people get around, as indicated by our 200 millionth rider, and this can go a long way in our efforts to ease traffic congestion and contribute to cleaner air, and a better quality of life.”

--Information submitted by RTA