Quarterly RIDE Summer 2021

Message from the CEO

With summer upon us, it is the start of a new LBT fiscal year and there are signs that our community is returning to “normal.” This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic raged uncontrollably across the planet, and each of us had to make major changes and adjustments to our lives, as well as our approaches to business.

Much of the previous fiscal year was spent ensuring the health, well-being and safety of our employees and customers.

To weather the financial storm of not receiving farebox revenue and the reduction of sales tax subsidies, LBT’s survival was largely dependent on federal programs such as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act. At the onset of the pandemic, LBT immediately shifted its focus to providing critical services for essential workers; concentrating on major projects that were necessary to deliver those services; reducing service hours to limit Operators’ exposure; and freezing hiring — all to ensure the agency could maintain the delivery of critical transit services to customers. I am proud to say there were no layoffs or furloughs during these dire times.

LBT is carving a path towards a renewed sense of normalcy for the upcoming fiscal year as COVID-19 rates decline, more people are vaccinated and the communities we serve reopen.

I am proud to see that the LBT team has remained resilient, steadfast and optimistic, as we chart our course out of these challenging times.

We know that looking ahead, life will be different. Previous patterns of commuting, working and daily activities will evolve because of the pandemic. I am optimistic that LBT and public transit agencies in general can reclaim customers and recruit new ones as people reassess their priorities.

For LBT to be successful, it must rededicate itself to the customers it serves. My focus continues to be on building a customer-centric and performance-based organization as LBT’s road to recovery will be built on customer care.

Without our customers, we would not be here.

That means that our focus, agency priorities, and daily work need to be from the customer perspective.

As I pause and reflect, the COVID-19 pandemic allowed each of us at LBT an opportunity to reevaluate our agency’s purpose and reaffirm our commitment to the agency’s mission:

“Dedicated to connecting communities and moving people…making everyday life better.”

Meet The Budget Team

LBT’s fiscal year operating and capital budgets play a major role in all that we do here at LBT. Each year, a team of dedicated staff works with each department to establish spending budgets that help drive LBT’s day-to-day operations. While many department’s assist with the creation and finalization of the budget, we wanted to highlight some of the key team members involved in the process.

Visit teamlbt.com/budget to learn more about the Ongoing Financial and Budget Management process and meet the Budget team members.

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AquaLink

AquaLink is back! LBT’s AquaLink service returned May 28 in time for customers and employees to enjoy a ride out on the water over Memorial Day weekend. We are excited to welcome the community back on board for the summer. New guidelines are in place to promote the health and safety of our community. Before you travel, learn more about the new guidelines and schedule at ridelbt.com/aqualink. Anchors up!

New Faces at LBT

Meet the new faces at LBT! As an organization with over 700 employees, we know it can be hard to connect with new employees when we onboard them, especially during the pandemic. We want to make sure our newest team members feel as welcome as possible, even if we don’t see them every day. Without further ado, here are the newest faces at LBT as of April 2021. If you see them around, be sure to say hello!

Hanzhou Chen

GIS/ITS Transit Planner

Steven Mora

Custodian

Oscar Escobar

Mechanic

Ruben Lucero

Mechanic

Joanna Bould

Manager, Purchasing

Romeo Eusantos

Utilities

Christopher Tran

Supervisor, Maintenance

Olajuwon Tarver

Custodian

Richard Rodriguez

Manager, Fleet Maintenance

Gerald Hayned

Utilities

Now Hiring Operators and Mechanics

LBT is growing! We are currently hiring Operators and Mechanics. Have someone in mind who would make a great Operator or Mechanic here at LBT? Encourage them to take the next step in their career.

For more information on requirements and benefits, interested candidates can visit our Careers page at ridelbt.com/careers.

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Hello LBTeam

Hello LBTeam is a voluntary internal communication system that uses text messages to share important information on LBT operations with employees, including service changes, COVID-19 procedures and other necessary information. It is a quick and easy way to be in the know.

To sign-up, just text “HELLO” to 855.922.2770 to opt-in, no additional app download needed.

If you have questions regarding Hello LBTeam or need assistance signing up, please contact Amanda Quezada, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, at x8463 or aquezada@lbtransit.com.

Congrats to All the Employees of the Month!

Thank you to all the Employees of the Month who have shown their hard work and dedication over the last quarter. To celebrate and acknowledge the incredible workforce at LBT, Quarterly RIDE will now feature all the Employees of the Month from the previous quarter.

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