UTA Rideshare now has more than 464 vans on the road. As you can imagine, managing a fleet that size has become a daunting task and UTA’s goal is to continue to grow it. As a result, UTA is making more resources available to support Scott and all of you.

Our hats are off to Scott Miklos, Kerry Wayman, Wendy Karsch, Pat Dierks and Emily Scholer for their hard work and great accomplishments!

Here are some of the changes. Cherryl Beveridge, General Manager of the Special Services will be working with Scott to streamline and standardize agreements, processes and practices to optimize the use and sustainability of the vanpool fleet. Cherryl has been responsible for Paratransit Service that transports people with disabilities and has made great progress with that service.

Felix Montanez, Manager of Maintenance for Special Services will be working with Kerry Wayman to fine tune maintenance and care for our vans. Felix has 31 years of maintenance experience, 24 of those either as a maintenance supervisor or manager. Nathan Hansen is an Accountant that will be working with you to get the accounts current and accurate. I am Jan Maynard. I am an analyst that will be working with the new team.

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Hello From Our General Manager

• Greetings from the Accounting Dept.

• The Maintenance Information Corner

• Debunking the Hankook Tire Myth

• Vehicle Repair Process

• Water Skiing on 4 Wheels

• Q&A

Hello from our General Manager

As the General Manager of UTA’s Special Services, which include our Vanpool, Rideshare, Route Deviation and Paratransit services I thank you for participating in UTA’s most successful service, our vanpool program. Your decision to join a vanpool helps to reduce transportation emissions related to ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter within our communities.

The vanpool service has grown quite rapidly over the past few years, requiring us to make some essential changes which will allow us to better sustain, support and continue to grow this service to meet the demand.

I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to attribute the success of this program to UTA’s Rideshare staff under the leadership of Scott Miklos. The Rideshare staff will continue their focus of identifying rideshare opportunities, promoting all of UTA services, and supporting our community by providing alternative transportation options that reduce congestion and enhance air quality.

As the only public transit agency in the United States receiving ISO9001 certification, we are required as part of the quality service certification/ recertification process to monitor service and implement continual improvement to meet the expectations of our customers.

We are currently identifying opportunities for better monitoring of the service provided to you, including establishing standard contracts with vendors for maintenance, requiring better detailed information on services being provided, including insuring that preventative maintenance is performed as required in the owner’s manual.

That’s where you come in. We need you to help us keep these vans in top condition by following the preventative maintenance schedule outlined in the owner’s manual, including but not limited to changing your oil within the scheduled timeline, making sure you rotate your tires regularly, driving your van like it is your personal vehicle.

As we set our goals and performance measurements for 2008, we do so knowing your participation and commitment is vital to our success. The information you provide UTA by submitting your monthly report allows us to compile data and report to local and federal agencies. Reporting concerns or problems when you are first aware of them allows us the opportunity to be proactive; potentially reducing maintenance costs.

Through ongoing newsletters and personal communication, we hope to share with you important and useful information about UTA, the vanpool program and point of contact information for support staff at UTA, all of which I hope adds value and enhances our service to you.

Thank you,
Cherryl Beveridge
801-287-5350
cbeveridge@rideuta.com

Thank you for being patient as I learn the ways of the vanpool. I am excited to be working with one of UTA’s fastest growing departments.

I trust that the changes made on the accounting side of the program are viewed as improvements. The biggest change so far has to do with gas credit cards issued by UTA. The detail provided with your fuel invoice should match the receipts you have collected. Also gone are the duplicate (pink and gold) copies of your fuel invoices. In the future you will receive one gold invoice and one white copy of the transaction detail. This little change saves many hours and reams of paper. Plus, I don’t like pink paper.

I have also recently added a voucher balance section on the fuel report for those of you who use vouchers as payment. The balance is shown as (xx.xx), a credit. A credit means that you have a cushion that can be used in the future if need be.

For those with leases that don’t include maintenance in your monthly payment, UTA has started mailing invoices for service initially paid for by UTA. You should always request and keep receipts for all work done.

More changes are in the works. In 2008 we will phase out the mailing of recurring lease invoices. Your payment is due by the 5th day of the month. Late fees will be accessed for late payment.

Again thank you for being patient. I appreciate any suggestions for improvement. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Please contact me immediately concerning any accounting issues or dollar discrepancies.

Nathan Hansen, Accountant
801-287-2433
nhansen@rideuta.com

The Maintenance Information Corner

A Pre and Post trip inspection of your vehicle is required in order to help identify and reduce failures on the Rideshare vans. When performing your inspection make sure to look for fluid leaks under the vehicle (all fluid levels should be checked each time you fuel). Check the exterior of the van for any damage, looking for anything that might adversely affect the operation of the van. While operating your vehicle please note any drivability issues that may need to be addressed. It is imperative during the daily pre and post trip inspection to check all tires for the following:

Tire type: All of our vans should have a load range “E” type tire on them. This is the correct rating for the weight and speed of the vehicle. (Located on the sidewall of every tire)

Tire inflation: Tire pressure should be checked visually every day during the pre and post trip inspection as well as with a tire gauge once a week. UTA is in the process of identifying the correct gauge for our vans and will be issuing one to each van. (The correct inflation is listed on the inside of the driver’s side door frame).

Tire size: The correct tire size is located on the same data tag as the inflation chart. The wrong size tire can lead to stability and handling problems.

NOTE: If the vehicle’s tires have the wrong load rating, inflation or tire size there is a potential for catastrophic failure. Rotating the tires every 3000 to 5000 miles will inherently increases the life and reliability of the tires.

Debunking the Hankook Tire Myth

There has been some misunderstanding regarding the safety of the Hankook tires which are a standard option on our new Ford van purchases. Our maintenance department along with UTA’s Engineering staff has conducted extensive research through the manufacturer and consulted with a variety of other tire manufactures concerning the safety and reliability of these tires and found there is no documented evidence to support any implications that the Hankook tires are unsafe. The Hankook tires are a mid grade, 40,000 mile tire and with proper inspection, rotation and care of these tires we should be able to obtain a minimum of 28,000 to 30,000 miles on these tires. Good news!

It is imperative to have your leased vehicle serviced regularly i.e. oil changes, tire rotations. Any additional service or repairs to a Rideshare vehicle requires prior approval from UTA.

Any NON- STANDARD EQUIPMENT requests for rideshare vehicles will require filling out a justification form that needs to be submitted to UTA personnel for prior authorization.

Please continue to contact the following individuals on any maintenance issues:

Kerry Wayman at kwayman@rideuta.com or 801-244-3250
Felix Montanez at fmontanez@rideuta.com or 801-856-2201
Mike Romero at mromero@rideuta.com or 801-287-5315
Aaron Evans at aevans@rideuta.com or 801-287-5315

UTA has a goal to complete all State inspection and emission testing on all Rideshare vans by April 2008. Please help facilitate this process by being available, returning phone calls and having your van ready when it is scheduled. We appreciate your help and patience during this transition.

Water Skiing on Four Wheels (isn’t recommended)

When it’s raining, drivers often don’t recognize the hazards -- until it’s too late. Hydroplaning occurs when your tires lose contact with the road and ride on a layer of water between the tires and the road. You may not even realize it’s happening until you try to maneuver and find you’re not in control of your vehicle. Your chances of hydroplaning are effected by a combination of circumstances:

- Water volume. Although hydroplaning is more likely with half an inch or more of water on the road, even moisture from dew or fog can create conditions ripe for hydroplaning.

- Speed. Partial hydroplaning can occur at speeds above 30 mph. At speeds above 55mph, your tires may lose all contact with the road.

- Tires. Good tire tread can reduce your chances of hydroplaning. Tread grooves should be at least 1/16 of an inch deep. Check your tires periodically by placing a penny in a tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down. If the top of his head shows, it’s time to get new tires.

When your car starts to hydroplane, there are some simple things that you can do to help maintain control:

• Follow the tire tracks of the car in front of you.
• Don’t steer, brake, or accelerate abruptly.
• Slow down and increase your following distance.
• If you hydroplane, remain calm, ease off the gas, avoid braking, and steer straight. If you do skid, steer in the direction of the skid.
• If you must brake, do so once your vehicle regains contact with the road. Pump your brakes to avoid skidding or brake lockup. Cars with antilock brakes should keep continuous pressure on the brake pedal.

There is also a simple maneuver that can help you to maintain control of your vehicle at higher speeds when there is standing water on the road. By shifting your vehicle’s position from the center of the lane to one side of the lane, and straddling the puddles, your tires will always have better traction up on the higher road surface. A cool head, common sense, and knowing what to do can help you react properly and prevent a disastrous mishap.

• Vehicle Weight. A lighter vehicle gets less traction and increases the risks of hydroplaning. Also, if too much weight is concentrated in the front or rear of your vehicle, you are more likely to hydroplane.
• Road Surface. A smooth surface or roads that accumulate a lot of water create ideal hydroplaning conditions.

The chances of your vehicle hydroplaning are greatly increased after heavy rains, when water has had time to accumulate on the road.   

Questions and Answers:

Q. If I am the Van Lessee and I leave the vanpool how do I transfer the lease to a new Van leader?
A. The current Van Lessee contacts Wendy Karsch at 287-2060 and submits the new Vanpool’s Point of Contact
information. wkarsch@rideuta.com

Q. What are “passenger trips”?
A. Passenger trips are the number of passengers a van transports to and from home and work.

Example: 8 passengers to work = 8 one way trips, 8 passengers home = 8 one way trips or a total of 16 passengers trips for the day.

In October 2007 UTA had 147,456 vanpool passenger trips which reduced over 5,500,000 vehicle miles. Thanks a lot!