San Joaquin RTD named outstanding public transportation system

San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) has been named the 2018 Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award winner by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). The agency was recognized in the category for systems providing four million or fewer annual passenger trips.

RTD has garnered national attention for its achievements in environmental sustainability, forward-thinking business practices, and infrastructure development.

Despite a severely reduced operating budget due to serious, well-known economic
challenges over the last ten years in Stockton, RTD has consistently delivered
innovative and high-quality services even with necessary service reductions.

“All of us here at RTD are very honored to have received the most prestigious award given in our industry,” said RTD CEO Donna DeMartino. “There are 285 employees on the RTD team. They do their best to provide extraordinary customer service and make RTD the transportation service of choice for the residents we serve. Winning this award required contributions from every one of them and reflects their successful efforts.”

During the long economic crisis in Stockton, the transit agency was able to deliver important capital investments in the community such as the Downtown Transit Center and Regional Transit Center, a new fleet of environmentally-friendly buses, and four new bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors.  

RTD’s commitment to the environment can be seen in its fleet. RTD was one of the
first transit agencies in the U.S. to test hybrid and all-electric buses. In 2017,
Stockton made history when RTD’s third BRT Corridor became the first all-electric
BRT Corridor in the nation. RTD’s Board of Directors recently passed a resolution to convert the entire Stockton area bus fleet to all-electric by 2025.

RTD has introduced a Transit Ambassador Program, unique brand mascots, new fare-vending machines and mobile ticketing technology, and improved customer service software and applications to make the customer experience better and provide exceptional customer service through innovation.