JOHN DYER’S PLAN FOR THE RTD
1. Travel and Expenses of the General Manager and Staff: All trips outside Los Angeles to be pre-approved.
Staff to submit verified expense claims within 30 days after trip.
Controller-treasurer to audit and question all costs, with authority to disallow expenses not in accordance with policy.
Staff to reduce travel costs by 20% during next six months.
2. Complaints and Corrective Action: Seek 10% reduction in major complaints from public in six months.
Make timely and effective responses to all complaints.
Analyze complaint statistics to provide indicators of general problem areas.
3. Accidents and Safety: Reduce traffic accidents from 4.8 to 4.4 per 100,000 miles.
Develop accurate and consistent accident reporting procedures (prompted by conflicting accident data as reported by RTD and federal authorities.)
Make sure management has effective and complete reports on which to base decisions (prompted by lax reporting of workers’ compensation, personal injury
and property damage claims.)
4. Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Implement and refine RTD’s alcohol- and drug-abuse policy.
Reduce alcohol- and drug-abuse among RTD employees by 25% in six months.
Create a substantially alcohol- and drug-free environment at RTD, with standard being less than 2% positive results from those tested for illegal drugs
over next six months (down from 8%-9% currently testing positive.)
5. Driver Licensing: Assure that all active drivers and mechanics have valid operator’s licenses and medical certificates.
Establish computer system for monitoring licenses of RTD drivers and for maintaining medical certificates.
6. Absenteeism: Reduce absenteeism among drivers and mechanics by 5% within 6 months, double the reduction rate that is now the goal at RTD.
7. Crime: Reduce crime rate on buses, currently running one confirmed crime incident and two reported incidents per 1 million passengers.
Increase police presence on buses, including re-establishment of sheriff and police assisting transit police.
8. Service Quality, Cleanliness and Maintenance: Increase frequency of bus maintenance checks.
Reduce late or cancelled trips to 1% of all trips scheduled.
Clean graffiti from outside of buses by June.
Improve cleanliness of entire fleet.
9. Management’s Emphasis on Controlling Bus Operations: Demonstrate effective management at all phases of bus operations.
Create special management teams for certain operations.
Managers to visit facilities and ride on buses.
Establish systematic communications between the general manager and the public and press regarding service changes, plans, programs and projects.
10. Operating Costs: Attain a maximum cost per bus boarding of $1.05 (versus current $1.26).
Attain a level of fares that pays for 39% of the operating costs of the system.
11. Employment Practices: Employ enough new drivers and others to keep all scheduled services on the street.
Maintain a labor force consisting of maximum number of contractually permissible part-time drivers.
Recruit and hire applicants with highest potential for success in all job categories.
12. Internal Review and Evaluation by Inspector General: Establish internal audit standards.
Establish investigative procedures for any suspected impropriety.
Assure that no projects or programs are delayed because of lax audit and contracting procedures.
Conduct periodic reports on audits and inspections from inspector general.
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