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Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority

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Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
Founded1972
Headquarters4 South Main St,
Dayton, Ohio
Service areaMontgomery County and Greene County, Ohio
Service typebus service, trolleybus, express bus, paratransit
Routes18
Stops+2,500
HubsEastown Shopping Center
Westown Shopping Center
Northwest
South (Dayton Mall)
Wright Stop Plaza (Downtown Dayton)
StationsMaintenance Facilities,
600 Longworth St, Dayton
Fleet260
Daily ridership24,600 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[1]
Annual ridership6,570,600 (2023)[2]
Fuel typeDiesel, Electric and Hybrid
Operator350
Websitei-riderta.org

The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, formerly known as the Miami Valley RTA, is a public transit agency that generally serves the greater Dayton, Ohio area. The GDRTA serves communities within Montgomery County and parts of Greene County, Ohio, USA. There are 18 routes. RTA operates diesel and electric trolley buses seven days a week, 21 hours a day, and provides services to many citizens within the area. RTA's current CEO is Bob Ruzinsky.[3] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 6,570,600, or about 24,600 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.

Greater Dayton RTA is Ohio’s fourth-largest public transit system,[4] serving Dayton and 23 surrounding communities in Montgomery County and parts of Greene County.

History

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Former GDRTA Logo

The Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority (now the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, or RTA) took over public transit operations in November 1972. In 2003, its board of trustees voted to change the transit agency's name to the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority.[5]

Trolley buses

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Main article: Trolleybuses in Dayton
From the late 1990s until 2019, the trolley bus system used vehicles built by Electric Transit, Inc.

One notable feature of the GDRTA system is its use of electric trolley buses. Only five cities in the United States currently have electric trolley buses: Boston, Dayton, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.[6] The first electric trolley bus (ETB) operation in Ohio occurred in Dayton, on April 23, 1933, when the Linden–Salem line was converted from streetcars to trackless trolleys — or trolley buses, as they are most commonly known today. The RTA renewed its commitment to electric transit with a board of trustees vote to continue the trolley bus service in 1991, and the purchase of a new fleet of ETBs from Electric Transit, Inc., a joint venture of the Czech company Skoda and the U.S. company AAI Corporation, based on Skoda's model 14Tr. Final assembly of the vehicles took place in Dayton in 1995–98. In 2014, the system added its first low-floor trolley buses, with four dual-mode prototypes purchased from Vossloh Kiepe (now Kiepe Electric) and using bodies from Gillig, for testing and evaluation. In January 2018, RTA placed an order with Kiepe for 26 production-series dual-mode trolleybuses of the same design as the prototypes, with Gillig low-floor bodies, for delivery starting in 2019.[7]

One of RTA's current fleet of 45 Gillig/Kiepe dual-mode trolley buses in 2021

Electric streetcar service in Dayton had started in 1888, and it continued through to, and indeed beyond, the start of the trolley bus service. Therefore, electric transit service has been operated continuously in Dayton since 1888, which is longer than in any other city in the United States.[6]

Hybrid buses

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One of RTA's 2010-built hybrid buses leaving the downtown transit center, known as Wright Stop Plaza

With the addition of environmentally friendly hybrid buses in 2010 to the GDRTA's fleet, the GDRTA is Ohio's greenest transit fleet.[8][failed verification] In September 2010 RTA was designated the only 5-star Ohio Green Fleet by Clean Fuels Ohio.

Hubs

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Wright Stop Plaza Transit Center, viewed from across Main Street in 2010

The RTA operates five bus "hubs", or transit centers. Each hub serves as a connection to many suburban bus routes around Dayton. The one in downtown Dayton is named Wright Stop Plaza and opened for service on September 1, 2009 (after a ceremonial opening earlier).[9][10]

Operation

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The RTA operates with diesel and electric trolley buses. Dayton is the smallest city in the United States to operate electric trolley buses still.[6] The trolley buses travel at least five miles on RTA routes serving Dayton and some neighboring suburbs. The routes include: Route 1, Route 2, Route 4, Route 7 and Route 8. Bus service to Dayton International Airport from downtown Dayton began on 11 August 2013. Service was expanded to stops on Pentagon Boulevard in Beavercreek, allowing access to the Fairfield Commons Mall and Soin Medical Center, on January 12, 2014.

Contributions

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The RTA has been involved in helping the city of Dayton through its contributions to the Dayton Dragons, The Schuster Center, and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

In addition, RTA passed a resolution to make smoother connections to its regional hubs and prevent misuse of transfers. In January 2007, RTA created an established proposal to make all buses serve regional businesses, establish transfer points in designated areas and streamline previously neighborhood routes. The RTA added two routes to serve areas frequently used by passengers. RTA discontinued eight routes in response to overlapping and low passenger counts.

Regular route list

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A 2010 Gillig Low Floor bus in downtown, on route 12, in 2017
  • 1 Pentagon Blvd-Wright State University-Third St-Westown TC-Drexel
  • 2 Linden Ave-Eastown TC-Otterbein-Lexington-Northwest TC
  • 4 Townview-Hoover-Delphos-Xenia Ave./Linden Ave.-Eastown TC-Westown TC
  • 6 Centerville-Kettering-Downtown Dayton-Far Hills
  • 7 North Main St-Shiloh-Downtown Dayton-Watervliet
  • 8 Northwest TC-Salem Ave-Lakeview-Westown TC
  • 9 Northwest TC-Greenwich Village-Derby Rd-Westown
  • 12 Five Oaks-Valerie Arms-Forrer Blvd-Dorothy Lane
  • 16 Union-Englewood-Kettering-Whipp & Bigger-Clyo Rd.
  • 17 Vandalia-South TC
  • 18 Huber Heights-Moraine-West Carrollton-Miamisburg
  • 19 Huber Heights-Moraine-Miamisburg-South TC
  • 22 Keowee-Northridge-Job Center-Miller Ln-Gateway
  • 28 Kettering-Dorothy Ln-Kettering Medical Center-Stroop Rd-Kettering Rec Center
  • 43 Dayton International Airport, Vandalia
  • North Connector Trotwood-Miller Ln.-Northwest TC-Westbrook Rd.-MVCTC

Active Bus Fleet

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Year Manufacturer Model Fleet Numbers Engine Transmission Notes
2014 Gillig BRT Plus ETB 40' 1401-1404 Vossloh Kiepe Only for routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8.
2016 Gillig Low Floor 40' 1601-1624 Cummins ISL9 Voith D864.5
2017 Gillig Low Floor 40' 1701-1725 Cummins ISL9 Voith D864.6
2018 Gillig Low Floor 29'/40' 1801-1824, 1831-1834 Cummins L9 Voith D864.6 1801-1824 are 40'foot and 1831-1834 are 29'foot
2019 Gillig Low Floor 40' 1901-1917 Cummins L9 Voith D864.6
2019 Gillig BRT Plus ETB 40' 1951-1971 Vosslon Kiepe Only for routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8.
2020 Gillig BRT 35' 2031-2037 Cummins L9 Voith D864.6 Only use for the Flyer service
2020 Gillig BRT Plus ETB 40' 2051-2070 Vosslon Kiepe Only for routes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8.
2021 Gillig Low Floor 40' 2101-2111 Cummins L9 Voith D864.6
2023 Gillig Low Floor 29' 2331-2358 Cummins L9 Voith D864.6

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "Executive Leadership: Bob Ruzinsky, Chief Executive Officer". GDRTA. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  4. ^ "Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products Announces Partnership with Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority". Business Wire. September 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  5. ^ "History". GDRTA. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  6. ^ a b c "A Brief History of Electric Transit in Dayton". GDRTA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  7. ^ Trolleybus Magazine No. 339 (May–June 2018), p. 117. ISSN 0266-7452.
  8. ^ "Dayton becomes Ohio's greenest fleet". Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  9. ^ "New RTA Transit Center opens". Dayton Daily News. September 1, 2009. p. 3.
  10. ^ Trolleybus Magazine No. 288 (November–December 2009), p. 144. ISSN 0266-7452.
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