CRUZ511

Traveler Information for Santa Cruz County

  • Home
  • Drive
    • Traffic Conditions
      • Cruz511 Map
      • Traffic Cameras
      • Travel Alerts & Notices
    • Shared Rides
      • Carpooling
      • Vanpooling
      • Private Transport
    • Park and Ride
    • True Cost of Driving
    • Eco-driving
    • Alternative Fuels & Electric Vehicles
      • Electric Vehicles
      • Other Alt Fuels
    • Truck & Freight Info
  • Transit
    • Riding the Bus
    • Getting to Airports
    • Travel Out of Town
    • Accessible Transit
    • Transit Tips
  • Bike
    • Bike Map
    • Bikes on Transit
    • Workplace Bike Programs
    • Bike Safety
    • Bike Parking
    • More Bike Resources
  • Walk
    • Walking Safety
    • Walk Score
    • Walking Resources
  • More
    • Report Bike & Pedestrian Hazards
    • Cruz511 In Your Neighborhood
      • Eastside Santa Cruz
      • Central Watsonville
    • Workplace Programs
      • Employer Help Desk
      • Green Business
      • Emergency Ride Home
      • Commute Plan Basics
      • Tax Benefits
    • Emergency & Safety
      • Safety Laws
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Emergency Services
    • Specialized Transportation
    • Save Trips
      • Alternative Schedules
      • Working Remotely
      • Trip Chaining
      • Virtual Travel
    • Recreational Travel
  • News
  • Home
  • Drive
  • Transit
  • Bike
  • Walk
  • More
  • News
Español
Home / News / Letter from Santa Cruz METRO CEO Alex Clifford

Letter from Santa Cruz METRO CEO Alex Clifford

Last updated February 16, 2017 at 12:05 pm | Posted February 16, 2017 at 12:05 pm

Dear Santa Cruz METRO Customers:

Over the past several months we have experienced numerous days in which we were unable to provide all the service we promised. If you receive our service alerts, you have likely noticed that the extreme delays and loss of service resulted from a combination of bus operator shortages, police actions, and weather. If you are not currently subscribed to receive service alerts, you can do so at scmtd.com/subscribe.

First and foremost, please accept my apology for the delays and loss of service. At every level in this organization, we are committed to deliver 100% of the service we promise. Unfortunately, we have had several days in which police activity, traffic accidents and weather related problems, such as landslides, road washouts, downed trees and power lines, have all challenged our ability to provide the quality service you expect from METRO. Additionally, road and highway closures push traffic onto other streets, creating congestion that impacts our service delivery.

Another factor to consider is that METRO, like nearly all bus agencies in the nation, utilize a route concept called interlining. Very simplistically said, interlining means that a bus operator may drive on two or more routes over the course of their workday. If an operator is scheduled to interline from their current route to another route, and they are running late, METRO will provide a notice to our customers that we will be unable to provide that trip due to staffing shortages. When this happens, the next bus servicing your stop may be anywhere from 15 minutes to 60 minutes late. There are also legal limits as to how long a bus operator can be behind the wheel. Therefore, a bus operator caught in traffic may have to be taken out of service before finishing all the assigned work, which also results in a staffing shortage.

Finally, we are budgeted for 146 positions and we currently have eight vacancies. We are actively working to resolve this shortage and hope to have new bus operators aboard and trained by June. There are some other daily challenges that may result in staff shortages, such as illnesses. We are working to adjust the way we do business so that we can better absorb some of these day-to-day challenges.

Again, please accept my apology for the delays in getting you to and from work and other destinations. We are working hard to make improvements to resolve these short-term challenges.

Best regards,

Alex Clifford, CEO
110 Vernon Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 426-6080
METRO online at http://www.scmtd.com

<< Previous Post
Next Post >>

News Archives

  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • January 2015

Tags

alert aptos bicycle bonny doon caltrans cell phone closure county roads curve realignment delay detour distracted driving driving el nino event fishhook high surf hwy 1 hwy 9 hwy 17 hwy 129 hwy 152 hwy 236 lane closure maintenance news PSA rain repair resurfacing road closed road closure roadwork santa cruz scmtd shoulder widening texting tips traffic camera transit ucsc update watsonville weather west cliff

Places to Go

  • School & Colleges
  • Airports
  • Attractions

Resources

  • Cruz511 Map
  • Workplace Programs
  • Emergency Services
  • Safety Laws

About

  • About Cruz511
  • Contact Us
  • Partners

Join Our Mailing List!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Cruz511 is a service of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and is partially funded by Measure D.