May 21, 2019
CLEVELAND, OH -- The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) today was awarded the 2019 Gold Award for Bus Safety & Security Excellence from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). The award was presented at the annual APTA Mobility Conference in Louisville, Kentucky to RTA in the category of transit systems providing more than 20 million annual passenger trips.
APTA recognized RTA for Transit Police efforts in conducting full-scale active shooter exercises in October, 2017, with follow-up classroom training for RTA employees in 2018, and mini active shooter exercises in 2019. A full 94% of RTA employees participated in the training.
"Such efforts are exemplary in the industry. We're honored to have the gold standard in bus security from APTA," said RTA Interim CEO and General Manager, Dr. Floun'say Caver.
"This is the second consecutive year that RTA won APTA's prestigious Gold Award," he said.
The APTA Bus Safety & Security Excellence Awards recognize public transportation organizations for their innovative and proactive safety and security programs, said APTA in its announcement. It also provides value to the industry by benchmarking successful programs so other public transit systems can adopt them and derive similar benefits.
"RTA's Transit Police are leaders in the nation in providing not only a secure environment for our customers but also outstanding training to our employees. We are grateful that every day they look out for the safety and security of all of us who ride and work at RTA," Caver said.
"These award-winning public transportation programs are models of excellence in the areas of safety and security," said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas.
In 2017, RTA earned the APTA Certificate of Merit for Bus and Rail Safety.
See RTA's blog post and video about the Gold Safety & Security Excellence Award here.
Media Contact:
Linda Scardilli Krecic
216-356-3104 (office)
216-390-9605 (cell)