PRESS RELEASE

 

Mountain Line h 185 Garrett Street h Morgantown, WV  26505 h (304) 291-7433 h (304) 291-7429 h www.busride.org

 

 

For Immediate Release

 

Date:               Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Contact:          Mountain Line Transit Authority

Phone: (304) 291-7433

 

 

Mountain Line Recognized at Annual Transit Association Banquet

 

MORGANTOWN, WV - The West Virginia Division of Public Transit presented Mountain Line (Monongalia County Urban Mass Transit Authority) with five awards under its West Virginia Transit Excellence Program.  The awards were presented at the West Virginia Public Transit Association’s Annual Meeting held at the Canaan Valley Lodge on August 7.

 

Mountain Line was awarded the State’s Best Safety Program for activities and participation in the Morgantown area’s Mountain Thunder terrorist exercise.  The Authority was also recognized for the Best Marketing Program for its “Ride Free with a WVU ID” program.  Mountain Line received the State’s award for Best Management Innovation for its Senior Gold Card program providing persons age 62 and older with discounted bus fares, a program which covered costs through increased ridership.  In addition, the Division of Public Transit recognized the Authority for a 20% ridership increase from 2001 to 2002.  The WV Division of Public Transit also recognized Mountain Line’s General Manager, David Bruffy, with a 2003 Outstanding Transit Manager Award.

 

Keynote speaker at the conference was Mr. Dale J. Marisco, Executive Director of the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).  WV Senator Walt Helmick, Chair of the WV Senate Finance Committee, was honored during the Banquet as the West Virginia Transit Association’s Legislator of the Year.  Other featured speakers and presenters during the two day conference included Mr. Herman Shipman, Deputy Regional Administrator of  the Region III Federal Transit Administration, Mr. Scott Bogren, Editor of Community Transportation Magazine (CTAA), and Robert L. Healy, Jr., Director of Government Relations for the American Public Transit Association (APTA).

 

 

End Release – Thank you.