Dyer ‘Grades’ RTD: Report Card Is Mixed

By an in-house reckoning, the beleaguered Southern California Rapid Transit District earned mostly A’s but received one F in the first month of a sweeping reform plan to reduce drug use, absenteeism and other problems, the agency said Thursday.

Issuing his first report card, RTD General Manager John Dyer gave the agency A’s for reducing employee drug abuse, absenteeism, rider complaints and drivers’ use of improper licenses.

But failure to reduce bus operation costs earned the district an F, Dyer said in a report to the RTD Board of Directors.

The board has given Dyer six months to make the dramatic improvements promised in his 14-point “performance action plan.” As part of the plan, approved by the board last month, Dyer must deliver a monthly report card giving his assessment of progress to date.

He also gave the district A’s for reducing bus drivers’ overtime, improving bus driving in heavy traffic and increasing the amount of management supervision given to drivers.

Dyer’s report said the district substantially cut expenses by staff and board directors. But he gave the RTD a B on reducing travel costs because officials did not hand in expense reports promptly enough.

Improvements in service for the elderly and disabled also only rated a B, Dyer told the board.

The accident rate was not reduced as much as expected, earning the RTD a C on improvements in accidents and safety. It got another C from Dyer in quality of service and cleanliness.