FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Antelope Valley Transit Authority

42210 6^th Street West

Lancaster CA 93523

Contact: Pam Holland

Public Information Officer

729-2222

Older vehicles come to the aid of transit system

LANCASTER – You may have noticed some strange looking AVTA buses running around town lately. The Antelope Valley Transit Authority, in order to keep the local transit service operating on schedule, has had to put some older vehicles on the street. The all white buses sport only the AVTA logo but are providing the same route service as the traditionally striped transit buses.

Since 2001, AVTA has purchased 19 new transit vehicles. Due to an exhaust valve defect in the engines manufactured by Detroit Diesel, the agency has had to ground eight of the new buses.

“This is a problem many other agencies are experiencing right now,” said AVTA Executive Director, Randy Floyd, “The manufacturer is repairing the defect but we are one of many agencies waiting in line to get the work done.”

AVTA is also using paratransit vehicles on their less populated routes. “So far we’ve been able to meet the service needs,” said Floyd, “but funding regulations and vehicle limitations will certainly have an effect on upcoming special events that AVTA has traditionally participated in.”

Those events are the Home and Garden Show at the A.V. Fairgrounds, and Senior Day at the Mall. In the past, AVTA has been able to provide senior citizens with shuttle service to these events. “This year,” added Floyd, “the best we can do is to provide personalized transit planning service to seniors who wish to attend these events.”

For more information, please call the AVTA Customer Service line at 729-2203.