RTA CEO addresses COVID-19 concerns during local press conference

For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACT:  Jessica Olson (937) 425-8352, Communications Manager

(DAYTON, Oh)… From RTA CEO Mark Donaghy during a press conference March 16, 2020, with leaders from across Montgomery County regarding the recent COVID-19 pandemic: 

RTA buses carry 30,000 people each day. 

For many, we are the only option they have to access their jobs (many of which are entry level such as retail grocery and the folks burdened with cleaning and disinfecting our world), as well as their personal grocery and pharmacy needs.

We also connect people to critical medical appointments such as dialysis on both fixed route and door to door services (over 200 of our daily trips). We are a critical component of the infrastructure such as the health care professionals, airport workers and the like. 

RTA continues to operate its regularly scheduled service.  Our team is committed to providing this critical link so the citizens of the Dayton Region can access their jobs, medical care and necessary shopping during this crisis.  We will persevere and provide the highest level of service possible based upon the realities of each day going forward. 

We have spent the past several weeks attempting to procure additional supplies to expand our sanitizing and disinfecting protocols for our buses and facilities.  

We are undertaking efforts to do what we can with the available supplies we have.   We are also in contact with our Federal, State and the Local partners on how best to maintain safe operations and will continue to attempt to procure additional supplies.  

At this time, we have distributed hand sanitizer for use while at RTA, disinfectant wipes for work surfaces, and some individual hand wipes for drivers to carry with them.  

Our maintenance team has stepped up nightly disinfectant cleaning inside buses on all touch points such as hand and grab rails, the fare box and seat back frames. 

Vinyl gloves are available for drivers, ambassadors, maintenance staff and field supervisors. Custodial teams at all our facilities are making additional efforts to disinfect touch points. 

We appreciate the commitment of our employees and the patience and support of the public as we face this unprecedented crisis together. 

We will continue to update and inform our employees through the RTA info-hub and customers via social media, our website and information sharing with our partner organizations. 

Thank you.