>> Jennifer's car is in the shop, and she needs to get to the mall. Ron cannot afford an accessible vehicle, so he doesn't drive, but he still needs to get to his new job. Maggie is heading to the doctor. She's thought of using the bus before because she doesn't like to drive in the dark, but how to begin?
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>> Each of these people faces a challenge. Fortunately, Omnitrans has the solution. Our award-winning, natural-gas-fueled bus fleet provides more than 15 million passenger trips every year to people from all walks of life. We're in 15 cities and cover over 480 square miles. Riding is more economical, environmentally friendly, and most of all, easier than you might think.
>> Omnitrans' schedule is very convenient for me.
>> I would tell someone who's considering riding for the first time to give it a try. You meet a lot of nice people, and you get to go places and do things.
>> I help new riders feel more comfortable and safe by providing them with as much information as I can, show them how to read our bus books, how to pay their fare, how to buy passes, and how to get to their destinations.
>> On the bus, I go to my friend's house, family's house, and I ride to school.
>> I like Omnitrans because of the convenience, and I don't have to worry about parking.
>> The first step in taking a ride on Omnitrans is planning your trip. There are three easy ways you can get started. Let's see how our friends do it.
>> Jennifer is using the Omnitrans web site, www.omnitrans.org, to plan her trip. By entering her starting location, destination, and time and date of travel, Jennifer will receive information that includes routes, times, stop locations, and even a map of her trip. Ron is using the Omnitrans bus book to plan his trip. After reading all about how to ride at the front of the book, he looks at the system map in the center of the book to find out which route he needs. Ron can then turn to the appropriate route page in the bus book, find his destination, move down the page to find his arrival time, and work backwards across the page to his starting location to find out what time he needs to catch the bus. Ron already knows that not all of Omnitrans' 2,700 stops are printed in the book. Instead, time points along the route mark the schedule. Ron chooses the time point closest to the bus stop he's using and estimates the bus's time of arrival at his destination. Maggie is planning her trip with the assistance of Omnitrans Information Center. After gathering a paper, pen, and cross street information on her starting point and destination, she calls 1-800-966-6428. Friendly bus experts are available between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends to create a detailed trip planner just for you and answer any questions about riding the bus that you might have.
>> There's no such thing as silly questions. Ask away. We have the answers for you to make your trip easier.
>> Customers should be prepared with a starting point, an ending point, and the time of travel. When customers call the call center, they should also have a pen and paper ready to write down the information they receive. Call us whenever you need assistance, and we'll help you put together a trip that will work for you.
>> So you see, there are three ways you can plan your trip. First, you can go online to Omnitrans.org. The site provides route information, times, stop locations, and maps. Or you can use the Omnitrans book. It's available at libraries and retail locations throughout the service area and on board all buses. In addition to routes, the book also has information on popular destinations, locations where you can purchase a bus pass, and an overview of the areas Omnitrans serves. You can also use the Omnitrans Information Center. The center is staffed with friendly bus experts seven days a week to help you plan your trip and answer questions. You can use any one of these methods to get started using Omnitrans. No matter how you plan your trip, once you gather all your information, you're ready to be on your way. Bus stops are located about every two- to three-tenths of a mile throughout our service area. You'll know where the nearest stop is based on your trip plan. Here are some helpful hints to make your trip as easy as possible.
>> First, be at the bus stop before the bus gets there. In other words, get to your stop in plenty of time. Second, stand at the stop sign, where drivers can see you. They can't see you if you're behind a tree or a bench. Next, check to make sure that the number on the sign is the number of the bus route you want to take and that you're on the side of the street with traffic going in the direction that you want to travel. Have your bus pass or exact change in hand. Drivers can't make change. When your bus approaches, check to make sure that the number and destination city or landmark on the sign above the windshield match the route you want to take. Make sure strollers are folded and ready. Place bikes on rack with handles opposite. Allow wheelchairs or other mobility devices to board first. Ron asks the driver to lower the bus for his wheelchair. All Omnitrans buses are accessible via lowering and the use of a ramp. Board at the front door of the bus only. The fare box is located in the front of the bus. When you get on, you'll see that little gadget waiting to take your money. It's simple to use. If you're activating a pass, insert it into the fare box card reader. Once your pass is activated, just swipe it through the slot to record your fare. Ron slides into his place up front, and his driver helps secure his wheelchair. If you're paying cash like Maggie, simply insert the bills into the dollar slot at the top of the fare box. Remember, if you're eligible for a discounted cash or pass fare like Maggie, a senior citizen, or Ron, who has a disability, you must be ready to show your driver proof of your age or disability. In Maggie's case, proof could be a driver's license, Medicare card, or DMV ID card. Ron might use _____.
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>> Both Ron and Maggie can save themselves some time and trouble by getting an Omnitrans ID card. All they have to do is pay $2 and have their picture taken. The card is easy to carry and will save them the trouble of carrying important documents. For seniors or persons with disabilities, having ID is really worth it. They only pay half the normal fare. As a student, Jennifer is eligible for a discounted 7 or 31-day pass. A student pass requires proof such as a student ID card or school registration. Jennifer wants to make sure that she got on the right bus, so she asks her driver, making sure that she asks before the bus starts moving, when it's dangerous for the driver to be distracted. Her question answered, Jennifer takes a seat. Seats at the front of the bus just behind the driver are reserved for seniors and people with disabilities. Although other riders may use these seats, those two groups should receive priority. Although the bus's public address system announces stops and connection points along the route, Jennifer watches for landmarks along the route so that she can see when she's getting close to the mall. She even has time to strike up a conversation with a fellow rider who shares her taste in music.
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>> Maggie's a bit nervous about her first bus ride. She knows that she needs to transfer to another bus route to get to her doctor's appointment, so she looks over her trip plan again to be sure. Although buses keep to a tight schedule, there are times when they may need to stop for several minutes at a time. This is called a layover. The bus typically is waiting to connect with another route so that riders can transfer over and reach their destination on time. The bus may also be at the end of its route and taking a few minutes' break before beginning another trip. When this happens, you're free to stay on board or get off the bus. Just be sure to let your driver know so that he or she doesn't think you're a new rider when it's time to collect another fare. Jennifer sees her bus is approaching the mall parking lot. She presses the stop request button to indicate that she needs to get off at the next stop. A Stop Requested light and audio message let her know that her request has reached the driver, and she gathers her belongings. When the bus stops, she exits through the rear door to keep the front door open for people to get on board. Jennifer checks the route schedule conveniently posted on the bus stop pole to see when the next bus will arrive for her return trip home. Maggie's stop is coming soon. She presses the yellow strip at the side of the bus to let the driver know she needs to get off at the next stop, a transit center, to make her transfer. Transit centers are station locations where several bus routes and sometimes several transit agencies like Omnitrans, Foothill Transit, and Metrolink meet. Maggie confirms with her driver that she's at the right place. Transit centers typically have several bus stops, and Maggie's driver points out the stop where she will board her next bus. Just as she walks over, the bus arrives. Maggie checks to make sure that the route number and destination direction are correct for where she's headed, gets out her fare, and gets on board. Ron, who is listening to the bus's public address system announcing stops and connection points along the route, hears that his exit stop is coming up. He's getting close to the office where he works. He too presses the yellow Stop Requested strip on the side of the bus. He sees the lighted sign and hears the audio message that let him know his driver is aware of his request. Ron waits for his driver to stop, lower the bus, and unstrap his wheelchair. Ron grabs an Omnitrans bus book from the holder near the front of the bus so that when he gets off work, he can look up the time the bus will arrive to take him home. Saying thanks, he exits through the front door, as is typical for riders who use a wheelchair, and heads to work just a block away. Jennifer is ready to head home now, and after arriving at her stop, she consolidates her bags so as to bring the minimum number of packages possible onto the bus, which may be crowded. More than one route serves the mall bus stop, so she checks the destination sign above the windshield to make sure this is the bus headed in the direction that will take her home. She uses her student pass for the return trip, finds a seat, and is on her way. Maggie has arrived at her doctor's office, had her appointment, and is ready to start her trip home. Since she traveled westbound on the bus to get to her doctor's office, Maggie now needs to travel eastbound to return home. She crosses to the side of the street where traffic is flowing in the direction that she wants to travel and waits at the bus stop. In a few minutes, the bus pulls up. Maggie checks the route number above the windshield, gets out her fare, and gets on board, puts her money in the fare box, and is headed home. After a long day at work, Ron is ready to go home. He makes sure he's at his stop in plenty of time and is on the correct side of the street to go in the direction he wants to go. He checks his bus book to see when his bus will arrive. He waves to the driver as the bus approaches to make sure he knows that he wants to board. As the driver secures his wheelchair, Ron looks forward to a relaxing ride home.
>> Each of these people faced a challenge. Omnitrans assisted them in solving it. But beyond that, their trips expanded their options.
>> My favorite thing about riding on Omnitrans is that I have enough time to catch up on all my reading.
>> What I like best about riding on Omnitrans is the cost. The gas, the insurance, saves me a lot of money that I could spend on other things.
>> What I enjoy most about working for Omnitrans are all the people that I get to meet and all the help that I get to provide these people to get to their destinations.
>> When Jennifer hears that her car repair is going to take longer than expected, she takes the news in stride, knowing that she can still get to school, work, and around town on the bus. And her discounted student pass saves her money on gas. When Ron has to go across town to a meeting on Friday, he's not worried. He knows how easy it is to use Omnitrans. Best of all, his disability ID card guarantees that he pays just half of the full fare. And when Maggie gets invited to an after-dinner book club meeting, she doesn't have to miss out because she's worried about driving at night. She can take the bus. And with the money she saves paying a discounted senior fare, she can even supply dessert. Using Omnitrans service is easy, and people from all walks of life rely on us to get them where they need to go.
>> I use the service to go to college, to sporting events, to the mall, to the movies.
>> I use the bus for school and for work.
>> Riding the bus, my favorite thing is meeting people, saves me money, and it gets me around town.
>> For more information call toll-free 1-800-966-6428 or visit Omnitrans.org. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to catch my bus.
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