• TARTA News

TARTA has some new additions at the Central avenue garage. 17 buses from the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority are getting ready for the road here in the TARTA service area, replacing several of our older models that have put in many miles on bus routes throughout Lucas and Wood counties.

“It means we will be able to retire some very old equipment that is ready to be parked,” Dave Palmer, deputy director of TARTA maintenance said. “[This] gives us the opportunity to make a better impression on the community.”

The 2008 and 2009, heavy-duty buses have been retired from the Dayton transit lineup and are very similar to the models that are already part of our fleet. They all have wheelchair ramps and handicap seating, as well as bike racks on the front.

Over the next several months, the TARTA maintenance crew will be working to install fare boxes, radios and, eventually, give our drivers a chance to get familiar with the buses and equipment before adding them to the lineup.

“Our target is to – by the beginning of the school year, maybe September – have them ready for the road,” Palmer said.

While TARTA continues to face difficult financial limitations for operations, we continue to look for creative ways to make upgrades when possible and to make the transit experience more convenient for our passengers.