Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk Line: Reagan Mass Transit District updates with Greg Gates & Marcus Cox

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Talk Line: Reagan Mass Transit District updates with Greg Gates & Marcus Cox · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

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  Speaker 1: Welcome Backstock Valley. You're with the Waking crew here on
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  Speaker 1: FM ninety five one and A fourteen sixty WIXN. It's
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  Speaker 1: eight sixteen on your Wednesday morning, and that means it's
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  Speaker 1: time for talk line and I'm joined in the booth
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  Speaker 1: once again by our good friends from the Reagan Mass
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  Speaker 1: Transit District, Marcus Cox and Gregg Gates. How are you
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  Speaker 1: folks good? Brandon well doing well? That's yeah, yeah, you know,
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  Speaker 1: it's so funny. I was driving the other day and
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  Speaker 1: I had just got done hearing the commercial for Reagan
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  Speaker 1: Mass and then the bus came like out of my
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  Speaker 1: way home and I'm like, are these guys are we
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  Speaker 1: getting followed or is it just have we expanded that much?
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  Speaker 1: This is where I'm seeing you all on my rural
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  Speaker 1: drive home, And so that was really cool. That made
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  Speaker 1: me smile to see the bus out on that part
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  Speaker 1: of town. And it's not really a surprise. The addition
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  Speaker 1: of Whiteside County to Reagan Mass Transit District is kind
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  Speaker 1: of where we're starting today appropriately, So it was just
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  Speaker 1: kind of a sign when I seen that, I was like,
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  Speaker 1: it's going to be a good one.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, It's like all of a sudden, you start seeing
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  Speaker 2: the buses and it's like something clicked over or it's
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  Speaker 2: like I never noticed those in the past, and it's like,
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  Speaker 2: oh my god, there they are. Yeah, that type of moment.
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  Speaker 2: Because we also had a conversation with a colleague earlier
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  Speaker 2: this week who said, I keep seeing your buses and
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  Speaker 2: it's like, I'm sorry, that's what we're out there for.
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  Speaker 2: But yeah, Whiteside County. Just to dive off of your
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  Speaker 2: jumping point there, team minus six days I think until
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  Speaker 2: one week until it's official. But we do this signing
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  Speaker 2: next Tuesday, the thirtieth. Our board will approve the definitive
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  Speaker 2: agreement tonight at its regular monthly meeting. The Whiteside County
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  Speaker 2: Board approved it at their meeting last week, so effectively,
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  Speaker 2: next Tuesday, we'll do a transition that will make it official,
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  Speaker 2: and then come six am on July first, everything will
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  Speaker 2: be real in terms of us now serving Whiteside County
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  Speaker 2: as part of our transit district. And I will say,
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  Speaker 2: I know Marcus sort of jumped into this process, but
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  Speaker 2: it's it's gone rather quickly. Yeah, even though it's you know,
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  Speaker 2: coming up on not quite about nine or ten months
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  Speaker 2: of a process, but very appreciative of all who've had
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  Speaker 2: a hand in it and made this a successful transition
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  Speaker 2: or addition in our case to the district.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, yeah, I mean I would say, like Grake
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  Speaker 3: has said, this has been an undertaking that has you know,
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  Speaker 3: did not occur overnight, though it has felt as though
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  Speaker 3: kind of the timeline has gotten quickly expedited on us
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  Speaker 3: here more recently with the approaching one week from today
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  Speaker 3: one of the services will be underway. But yeah, it's exciting.
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  Speaker 3: I think it gives everyone an opportunity to have a
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  Speaker 3: little bit more efficiency in transportation, right streamlining the transportation,
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  Speaker 3: not only and again every time I'm here I say this, right,
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  Speaker 3: I say between Dixon and Stirling, but it's everywhere. It's
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  Speaker 3: between Whiteside, Lee, Ogold, et cetera. So I could talk
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  Speaker 3: all day about it, right, I don't know that everyone
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  Speaker 3: wants to hear about the Whiteside annexation as we talk
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  Speaker 3: all day, But just excited for for everything that coming
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  Speaker 3: down the line here.
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  Speaker 1: Greg, I love seeing your hand go.
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  Speaker 2: Well, he volunteered, so it's like I'd love to see
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  Speaker 2: that go ahead.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, it is exciting news though, I mean again
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  Speaker 1: We've talked about this, you know, many times, but I
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  Speaker 1: think a lot of people, especially if you're new to
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  Speaker 1: the conversation, in an area like hours, you you think
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  Speaker 1: public transportation and you're not really aware of how robust
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  Speaker 1: it is here. You know, what we have is on
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  Speaker 1: par with the scale for like bigger cities like Rockford
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  Speaker 1: and Chicago just scale to our needs. But it's continued
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  Speaker 1: to grow and bringing these additional areas and a lot
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  Speaker 1: of you know, rural areas do not have this kind
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  Speaker 1: of comprehensive public transfer available to them.
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  Speaker 2: Ironically enough, I think the one hundred second county in
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  Speaker 2: the state of Illinois it was going to take or
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  Speaker 2: it is going to take its first ride, I think
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  Speaker 2: later this week for the first time, or potentially next
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  Speaker 2: week with the start of the new fiscal year. And
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  Speaker 2: I would say that, yes, probably other areas of rural
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  Speaker 2: America don't have as robust but hopefully there's efforts underway
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  Speaker 2: to actually you know, provide that as an opportunity because
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  Speaker 2: transit deserts have not gone away. I will say that,
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  Speaker 2: you know, looking around our service area and even our
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  Speaker 2: expanding service area, we still know there's unmet needs. We
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  Speaker 2: still know that some people are still relying on family,
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  Speaker 2: friends or just not taking advantage of the public transportation
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  Speaker 2: system like they could. So there's still a waste to
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  Speaker 2: go and I fully believe people's quality of life can
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  Speaker 2: still be improved by efforts of not only Ragan Mass
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  Speaker 2: but others obviously in rural America. So as much as
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  Speaker 2: we would like to rest on our current operation, I
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  Speaker 2: think we have a ways to go to make it
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  Speaker 2: even more beneficial to all.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I got to make sure I keep talking
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  Speaker 3: what I was going to say, right. So everything Greg
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  Speaker 3: is saying I completely support and agree with. And I
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  Speaker 3: love to add kind of a little bit of data
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  Speaker 3: statistics to anything just to kind of help to kind
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  Speaker 3: of localize pieces. Right. So it is funny that you
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  Speaker 3: mentioned seeing, you know, hearing the jingle and then seeing
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  Speaker 3: our vehicles, because I feel like anytime I talk with
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  Speaker 3: someone that is the first thing they say, I see
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  Speaker 3: your buses everywhere. And that's true. I mean any given day,
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  Speaker 3: between all of the providers that we have that are
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  Speaker 3: assisting with transportation throughout the areas, you're looking at twenty
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  Speaker 3: five vehicles across you know, a couple of different counties
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  Speaker 3: here and Obviously the more populated areas you're going to
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  Speaker 3: see Dixon, right, Oregon, Rochelle, et cetera, you're going to
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  Speaker 3: see our vehicles a lot. And you know, we've provided
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  Speaker 3: almost ninety five thousand rides last year. The growth in
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  Speaker 3: terms of the ridership is just continuing to kind of
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  Speaker 3: increase demand is there, like Greg had said, And so
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  Speaker 3: it's important and I know it's coming up on our agenda, right.
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  Speaker 3: But part of the reason that we want to make
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  Speaker 3: sure that we're getting out into the community right, going
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  Speaker 3: to events, to be able to interact with the public,
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  Speaker 3: is to remind them that we're here and that we're
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  Speaker 3: available and that we're accessible. Right, We're accessible, Our vehicles
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  Speaker 3: are accessible, and we want to make sure that the
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  Speaker 3: transportation challenges that you may face or in the event
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  Speaker 3: that you know, rather for convenience or necessity, that you're
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  Speaker 3: getting an opportunity to go to where you need to
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  Speaker 3: and we can assist with that and not make things
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  Speaker 3: any more you know, difficult or challenging than they may
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  Speaker 3: already be.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think it's important is the fact that
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  Speaker 1: this is also your meeting needs, but this is also
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  Speaker 1: now providing something that again because of our area, people
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  Speaker 1: never thought of as an option. There are plenty of
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  Speaker 1: cities like well Ahead where it is a choice not
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  Speaker 1: to own a vehicle to use public transportation and that's
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  Speaker 1: how you live your life and it works fantastic for people.
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  Speaker 1: And I mean you think of the fact of the
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  Speaker 1: cost of insurance, the cost of fuel, that's a whole
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  Speaker 1: gripe in itself, car repairs, things like that. So this,
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  Speaker 1: you know, again, it's meeting needs, but it's also providing
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  Speaker 1: an option and something that you know, which kind of
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  Speaker 1: transitions into a point that we always want to talk
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  Speaker 1: about when we talk about this is fair Free for Friday,
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  Speaker 1: is actually trying it out right, Like maybe the idea
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  Speaker 1: of an option sounds crazy until you actually get to
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  Speaker 1: try it.
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  Speaker 2: Yep.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, the Fair Free fourth Friday, which is coming up
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  Speaker 3: in two days from now, so that will be June
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  Speaker 3: twenty sixth. So this is the perfect uh, you know,
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  Speaker 3: segue for you to potentially if you have not given
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  Speaker 3: us a shot before, or even if you have. Right
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  Speaker 3: this is open to anyone that utilizes our services. You
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  Speaker 3: schedule a ride for this Friday and your trip or
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  Speaker 3: trips right round trip, single, one way et cetera. Are
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  Speaker 3: fair free, there's no cost to you. It gives you
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  Speaker 3: an opportunity to go out and utilize the service. See
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  Speaker 3: what your thoughts are, make sure that it fits what
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  Speaker 3: it is that you're looking for. The best way to
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  Speaker 3: do that call our dispatchers eight one five two eight
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  Speaker 3: eight two one one seven. The one thing that I
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  Speaker 3: always maybe want to make sure that we point out
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  Speaker 3: right is that we do provide extensive amounts of rides
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  Speaker 3: each day. So you know, on our schedule at any time,
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  Speaker 3: there's anywhere between one hundred and fifty to two hundred
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  Speaker 3: people that need a ride each day, and so there
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  Speaker 3: is a little bit of flexibility that has to occur
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  Speaker 3: within the scheduling from the passenger side, and so just
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  Speaker 3: a reminder that they're you know, if you ask for
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  Speaker 3: a nine am pickup, we try to do that within
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  Speaker 3: forty five minutes, kind of just to make sure that
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  Speaker 3: we can get you to where you need to go,
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  Speaker 3: but also have the adaptability to make sure that we're
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  Speaker 3: getting everyone where they need to go on time as well.
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  Speaker 1: Awesome love it and so what do they need to
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  Speaker 1: do to you know, they want to schedule that fair
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  Speaker 1: free Friday ride or you know, maybe just start in general,
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  Speaker 1: what's the best way for them to do that?
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  Speaker 3: Best way would be to call our dispatch center, so
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  Speaker 3: again eight one five two eight eight two one one seven.
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  Speaker 3: Once they call in, they'll be in touch with one
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  Speaker 3: of our dispatchers that will answer the line. They'll go through,
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  Speaker 3: they'll gather information from that individual. So we'll create a
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  Speaker 3: user profile for each individual rider that will then allow
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  Speaker 3: us to understand, you know, where it is that their
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  Speaker 3: home addresses, get some basic details to make sure that
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  Speaker 3: everything that's input matches what our system needs. And then
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  Speaker 3: I would say that first call takes three minutes, four minutes,
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  Speaker 3: and then next time you call in, you know, they'll
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  Speaker 3: be able to pull up your information quickly. We have
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  Speaker 3: a drop down listing of everywhere that you have ridden
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  Speaker 3: or your most common popular transportation locations, and you could
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  Speaker 3: probably call in and schedule a week's worth of rides
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  Speaker 3: within a minute from that point going forward.
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  Speaker 1: Fantastic, fantastic, Absolutely love that. The next point that you
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  Speaker 1: guys kind of want to get it real transit day.
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  Speaker 1: Is this something just with Reagan Master or is this
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  Speaker 1: another I love the list of national days every morning
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  Speaker 1: and going those out, so maybe this is just the
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  Speaker 1: first time I'm hearing about it today.
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  Speaker 2: Actually it is a national designated day. I believe it's
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  Speaker 2: through our TAP at the national level, which again is
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  Speaker 2: a national organization and association that we have some affiliation with,
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  Speaker 2: and they put your line sixteens out there as the
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  Speaker 2: date for just you know, recognizing the value of rural transit.
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  Speaker 2: We're going to try to do some things related to
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  Speaker 2: obviously what we're doing on that day and bring even
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  Speaker 2: greater exposure to the value that we're hopefully bringing to
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  Speaker 2: people's lives, their quality of life. And again the engagement piece.
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  Speaker 2: If you have a loved one who has a limited
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  Speaker 2: accessibility to a vehicle or no vehicle whatsoever, and have
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  Speaker 2: that you know, need to become engaged with a transit
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  Speaker 2: district like ours, certainly that'll be some educational pieces educating
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  Speaker 2: our stakeholders even greater than we have been doing so far,
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  Speaker 2: you know, just to push that message out there even
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  Speaker 2: further as to the value that we're bringing, because I
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  Speaker 2: think oftentimes that does the value piece is probably not
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  Speaker 2: accentuated enough when it comes to rural public transportation system
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  Speaker 2: and how it can actually impact the residents in that area.
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  Speaker 2: Within that district, and so I think as much as possible,
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  Speaker 2: that's a message that we're going to carry forward on
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  Speaker 2: that day. And I think just as a tease for
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  Speaker 2: the next fiscal year, and this probably will be more
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  Speaker 2: July conversation than right now, is some of the exciting
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  Speaker 2: things that are coming down the pipe in terms of
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  Speaker 2: what the district will be able to do, and unveil
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  Speaker 2: some of those things at the next July talk show.
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  Speaker 2: I think it's going to be some exciting stuff that,
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  Speaker 2: you know, we can continue to push the district out
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  Speaker 2: there a little further with what we're able to do.
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  Speaker 1: I love it. Little teaser here, something to look forward
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  Speaker 1: to when we break the news in next month's segment.
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  Speaker 1: But upcoming community events you can talk about.
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  Speaker 2: Some of those we can definitely talk about.
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  Speaker 3: Well.
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  Speaker 2: With a petunia parade, there's no reason for us not
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  Speaker 2: to be involved in that, So we will have vehicle
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  Speaker 2: or two and probably some people walking throwing out candies,
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  Speaker 2: stuff like that, and as much as possible, getting involved
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  Speaker 2: with the city markets here locally again having those one
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  Speaker 2: on one conversations where people cannot only win something at
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  Speaker 2: our booth, but also win some more information about rural
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  Speaker 2: transit and ask those questions that they've been meaning to ask,
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  Speaker 2: they just haven't, you know, picked up the phone call
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  Speaker 2: or picked up the phone to have a phone call
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  Speaker 2: with us or our staff about you know, how to
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  Speaker 2: get involved, how to sign up? What is a subscription? Right,
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  Speaker 2: Marcus knows the answer to that one. But yeah, as
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  Speaker 2: much as possible, partnering even more. I will say that
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  Speaker 2: earlier this week we had a chance to partner with
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  Speaker 2: the City of Dixon with that unfortunate explosion in the
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  Speaker 2: mobile park area and assist with several of our buses
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  Speaker 2: assisting with the evacuation and then also taking those residents
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  Speaker 2: back to their home after it was safe. That's what
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  Speaker 2: we're here for, not only to provide public transit, but
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  Speaker 2: also to you know, responded on unfortunate instances like that.
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  Speaker 2: So yeah, partnering is definitely something that we'll push forward
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  Speaker 2: as well.
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  Speaker 1: I love hearing it, Love your guys' response and involvement
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  Speaker 1: when that. We were watching that closely yesterday, so appreciate
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  Speaker 1: the help there, guys. Anything else you want to cover.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we got a second thanks to everybody who got
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  Speaker 2: involved in our golf outing, which was last Friday, couldn't
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  Speaker 2: have asked for a more beautiful day of weather. And
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  Speaker 2: I think we grew the golf outing by at least
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  Speaker 2: twelve to fifteen additional golfers this year. Your radio group
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  Speaker 2: was front and center with giving us items to give
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  Speaker 2: away as part of our raffles and then also a foursome. So,
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  Speaker 2: you know, a kudos to everybody who was involved and
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  Speaker 2: thank you overall for that support.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 3: The only thing I would like to add is that
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  Speaker 3: Greg pose the question, and I don't want to leave
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  Speaker 3: the listeners hanging on what a subscription That would be rude.
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  Speaker 3: I agree a subscription ride is, and I'm glad you
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  Speaker 3: mentioned that because I didn't say that earlier when I
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  Speaker 3: talked about calling in. So a subscription subscription ride, excuse me,
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  Speaker 3: is if you have a recurring ride, if you ride
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  Speaker 3: Monday through Friday, you know you work seven to three,
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  Speaker 3: or you need a ride every other Tuesday or even
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  Speaker 3: you know, twice a month.
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  Speaker 2: Right.
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  Speaker 3: Our system allows us to be able to set up
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  Speaker 3: so that that ride you don't have to call in,
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  Speaker 3: right so, because it can be a little bit challenging
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  Speaker 3: to have to call in every week to set up.
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  Speaker 2: Right.
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  Speaker 3: So, now if your schedule fluctuates, I completely understand, but
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  Speaker 3: if it doesn't, if it is consistent, let us know.
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  Speaker 3: We can put that subscription ride in and it is
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  Speaker 3: set and good to go from that point on until
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: you call and let us.
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  Speaker 1: Know otherwise that something has changed.
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  Speaker 3: So there's nothing that's necessary beyond that original call, and
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  Speaker 3: then we manage everything there from that point.
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  Speaker 1: On, perfect making things easier. Love hearing it, guys, Appreciate
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  Speaker 1: everything you're doing. You coming on the show. I will
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  Speaker 1: hold you to some of those reveals as long as
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: you're able to anyways at the next one. But thank you, guys.
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  Speaker 1: I appreciate it.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Brandon, Thank you