1. Dec. 5, 2014
The Transit TimesNews and information for employees of Regional Transit Service
New Era of Transit for Rochester
Special Edition—RTS Transit Center Opening Day, Nov. 28, 2014
At 12:41 a.m. Friday, Nov. 28, RTS Bus
Operator Jeff Travis was at the wheel of the
last bus of the last lineup on Main St. A little
more than three hours later, CEO Bill
Carpenter and COO Daniele Coll-Gonzalez
each opened an entrance of the RTS Transit
Center to the first customers who had been
waiting outside in the cold.
It marked the end of a 152-year era of public
transit lineups on Main St. and the beginning
of “a foundational change to the bus system,”
said Carpenter.
(Photos, clockwise, below right: Jim Redmond,
Daniele Coll-Gonzalez, Bill Carpenter; Bill
Carpenter high-fives a young customer; below left:
customers boarding first departure from inside the
Transit Center as Enza West looks on; middle left:
Transit Center Supervisor John Newcomb and Bill
Carpenter opening the Clinton Ave. entrance doors;
middle: RTS Bus Operator Jeff Travis at the last
lineup on Main St.)

2. Ready for the first customers! Pictured above and
bottom left: Building & Grounds Department Laborer Kevin
Small is on the job on Mortimer St.; System Safety Manager
Dave Kester with Radio Control/Dispatchers Alvin Metcalf
and Sergio Rivera; RTS Operator Donavon Raymond; Chief
Information Officer Miguel Velazquez, Chief Financial Officer
Scott Adair, Director of Project Management Brock
Bafford; Transit Center Supervisors Evonda Ramos
and Ralph Palumbo.
Pictured right: CEO Bill
Carpenter welcomes RTS Bus
Operator Veronica Cheves who
drove the first bus to ever arrive at
the Transit Center’s Mortimer Street
Gate 27.
Pictured below left: The first
customer arrives and loads his bike
onto the bike rack.
Pictured below right: The first lineup
takes place. Customers disembark
and enter the Transit Center for the
first time.
Transit Center
‘Firsts’ on
Opening Day.

3. L to r: Manager of Field Operations Reggie
Hill and Director of Transit Center &
Field Operations Jim Ramos.
Pictured above:
Customers fill the Transit
Center on Opening Day.
Pictured left: A customer
buys bus passes on the
Ticket Vending Machine.
Pictured right: Smiling
customers enter the Transit
Center for the first time.
Pictured right:
Director of Customer Service
Krystle Hall helps a
customer find his gate.
Pictured far right: Director
of Engineering and Facilities
Management Mark
Ballerstein guides
customers.
Pictured far right, below:
Operator Development Coach
Carol Camacho pauses for
a picture between helping
customers find
their way.
Ambassadors in Action! Thank You For Your Help.

4. Comments or Questions?
For suggestions, ideas or questions, please contact Carole Dowling (cdowling@myRTS.com) at 654-0730.
Media coverage is archived on individual websites. Visit:13WHAM/Fox, WHEC, WROC,
Time Warner Cable News, WXXI, Democrat & Chronicle and Daily Messenger.
Photos above, l-r: Horse-drawn trolley from 1934; last lineup at Main & Clinton, Nov. 28, 2014; first lineup at the Transit Center.
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