Palm Tran focuses on importance of its bus operators
Since the day-to-day tasks of bus operators are hard work, Palm Tran and county officials honored the drivers through “Bus Operator Appreciation Day” in April.
Aside from receiving a handshake from Palm Tran leadership, the bus operators had an opportunity to pose for pictures and talk with the administrative staff.
Palm Tran
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Aside from receiving a handshake from Palm Tran leadership, the bus operators had an opportunity to pose for pictures and talk with the administrative staff.
Palm Tran
Aside from being the premier county ambassadors via public transit to residents and visitors — Palm Tran bus operators are tasked with the job of ensuring that each passenger has a safe trip to their destination and receives great customer service. Since the day-to-day tasks of bus operators are hard work, Palm Tran and county officials honored the drivers through “Bus Operator Appreciation Day” in April.
“Our bus operators are true ambassadors to county residents and visitors,” said Executive Director Clinton B. Forbes. “I think it is important that we pay homage to them for transporting our riders safely and efficiently, but most of all for being courteous throughout the intense work day.”
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Forbes, County Administrator Verdenia Baker, and Assistant County Administrator Todd Bonlarron were stationed at the Intermodal Transit Center in Downtown West Palm Beach to show the drivers gratitude on behalf of the county and residents. Members of Palm Tran Executive and Management leadership teams joined in the activity to celebrate bus operators and shake their hands at the C.L. Brumback Health Center in Belle Glade, Gardens Mall, Wellington Green Mall, and Town Center at Boca Raton.
Bus operator Derek Graham was delighted to see his leadership team showing gratitude to the bus drivers. “I was happy to see our group receive thanks for what we do. It means a lot to us. I enjoy my job because I’m a people person. I’m a country boy from South Georgia, so I like getting to know my customers and becoming a part of their extended family,” he said
“The Palm Tran operators are among the hardest-working county employees. I’m impressed how many of them know the riders on a first-name basis and all operators practice safe driving skills, while getting thousands of people to their destinations on-time,” Baker said.
Aside from receiving a handshake from Palm Tran leadership, the bus operators had an opportunity to pose for pictures and talk with the administrative staff. Some operators shared their thoughts on potential route enhancements while others were happy to dialogue about the Palm Tran operator uniform and their favorite routes to drive. Passengers also stopped to thank their bus operators and share feedback on the excellent service they receive with Palm Tran’s leadership.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
