TUCSON, AZ and LISLE, IL – National Express Transit, a complete mobility solutions partner, today announced it has signed a three-year contract with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Pima County in Arizona. The services took effect Oct. 1, 2022 and build on a partnership that began in 2012. The contract includes two one-year options to extend.
National Express Transit’s Tucson Customer Service Center team manages the RTA’s Sun Shuttle neighborhood and rural fixed routes, paratransit and on-demand microtransit services, including a call center, dispatch, maintenance and administration. Operations also include services to and within Green Valley and Sahuarita.
National Express drivers and maintenance personnel support a fleet of 81 buses, cutaways, vans and sedans, including roughly 50 ADA-compliant vans and Prius hybrids provided by National Express. Drivers receive special training in caring for passengers with unique mobility challenges in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including those using wheelchairs and mobility devices.
“National Express Transit is honored to begin this renewed journey with the RTA of Pima County and make a positive, lasting impact on mobility throughout the region,” said Eddie Cranford, Regional Vice President, National Express Shuttle and Transit. “We’re excited to build on our strong partnership in support of the RTA’s 20-year regional transportation plan to provide clean, safe, reliable transportation services.”
“The RTA has enhanced service requirements for National Express under the new contract to provide Sun Shuttle and Sun Shuttle dial-a-ride transit services throughout the region,” said Jim DeGrood, RTA Deputy Director. “Quality customer service is important to the RTA, and we are working with National Express to ensure a high-level of responsive service in our ever-changing transit environment.”
Residents have many options to commute around Pima County without a car to support cleaner air and reduced congestion. Visit https://www.suntran.com/ to download the Sun Tran app or call (520) 798-1000.
National Express Transit’s local team also operates the Sabino Canyon Crawler electric shuttles for visitors to Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in southern Arizona.
-END-
About National Express Shuttle and Transit
National Express Shuttle and Transit operates mobility systems that enhance peoples’ lives by transforming their daily journeys. These solutions help public and private sector customers evolve their mobility programs into the future by reducing carbon emissions and traffic congestion and promoting safe and reliable shared alternatives to driving alone. The company is part of National Express North America (https://www.nellc.com), a business unit of National Express Group, a global mobility leader serving nearly 800 million bus and rail passenger journeys on four continents. Explore at www.nationalexpresstransit.com and www.wedriveu.com.
National Express is dedicated to growing jobs and offering enriching careers and benefits to its bus drivers, managers and other employees supporting Sun Tran. Explore full-time and part-time opportunities at https://careers.nellc.com/.
About the RTA of Pima County
The Regional Transportation Authority is the fiscal manager of a $2.1 billion regional transportation plan approved by Pima County voters on May 16, 2006. To date, the RTA has invested more than $1.4 billion in multimodal improvements across the region. The RTA governing board is comprised of the chief elected officials, or their designee, from Pima County; the Cities of Tucson and South Tucson; the Towns of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita; the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Tohono O’odham Nation. The Pima County representative on the Arizona State Transportation Board also serves on the RTA Board. https://www.rtamobility.com