Last Drop Off: 5:05 p.m.  

Each stop (to either pick-up or drop off) along the route is (about) 3 - 5 minutes.

And again . . . the cost per desitinaton is a mere one dollar!

IN TRANSIT: Much-Needed New Dispatch System Arrives Soon!  

The SJCTA will soon have in-place a state-of-the-art dispatch operating system that will further ensure that our county stays on the cutting edge of modern technology. This will go a long way to expedite rider scheduling, plus help cut vital time and fuel losses by eliminating errors, duplicate trips and a variety of other cost-savers just not possible with the system that has been in place until now.

This new system is the result of a regional agreement with five other counties which will also be using the same system and was made possible by Federal grants, so that we taxpayers are NOT footing the bill.

The incoming SJCTA Director will also face many new challenges, of course, but especially, the ever-rising fuel costs. We believe that the new dispatch system, as well as other fuel-saving steps (see below) will help him or her to meet that challenge.

{MORE} IN TRANSIT: Major Gas Pain Relief!

It’s no news that all of us are having to pay more - MUCH MORE - to fill up our gas and diesel-powered vehicles these days - whether we’re driving cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, boats, lawn mowers or in the case of the SJCTA, vans and buses.

Recently, we compiled a list of some important fuel-saving tips - gathered from the experts - and we have discussed these with all SJCTA personnel with the goal of conserving as much fuel - and money - as possible.

Perhaps, you could benefit from this information as well, although in YOUR case, I guess the number one money-saving ”tip” would be . . .

. . . to schedule your trips on an SJCTA bus as often as possible and ”Leave the expensive fuel fill-ups to . . . US!”

Here though, are some very real things to consider if you would like to save some money when it comes to keeping your vehicle ”on the road:”

• We all know that one of the very first things we’re always told to do is NOT make any of those ”jack rabbit starts.” A slow and steady acceleration from a dead stop saves a great deal of fuel.
• Modern day engines do not require a prolonged warm-up period as did older ones. In general, one can get into a vehicle, start it up and begin the trip without waiting for the engine to warm up, and in so doing, waste a lot of fuel.
• One trick that we thought was good: BEFORE starting the engine, put on your seat belts, adjust your mirrors, put on your sun glasses and do all the other things that you must or want to do before putting the vehicle in gear and only THEN, turn on the ignition!
• Remove any extraneous ‘’stuff” from your vehicle as that will reduce weight - and the more weight, the more it costs to move it around.
• Train yourself to slow down BEFORE your actual need to stop. Most people have a bad habit of coming up to a stop sign, stop light or any other reason to slow or stop and then hit the brakes. This is very costly! It consumes fuel unnecessarily. Instead, anticipate upcoming slow-downs or actual stops and allow the back pressure of your vehicle’s engine to slow you down rather than depending solely on the brakes. Doing so, also saves on wear and tear of your braking system - which can become very costly.
• When ”on the road” make every effort to maintain a constant speed, rather than speed-up/slow-down. Consistent speed is the key word. Also, did you know that for every ten miles per hour above 55 MPH it is the literal equivalent of your paying 50 cents a gallon MORE per gallon of fuel?! WOW! That alone sort of makes you want to slow down!
• It is very important to make sure that you regularly replace your vehicle’s air filters. We all know to replace oil filters - that’s almost automatic - but many do not realize that air filters really affect fuel consumption. A dirty blocked filter can reduce your MPG by as much as 25%!  THIS JUST IN: In the May issue of Consumer Reports, it is claimed that a dirty air filter no longer affects MPG, as most vehicles engines are now controlled by computers which adjust for dirty filters. Okay . . . but common sense dictates that may well be all the more reason to change filters regularly to avert the computers having to work overtime! Use your own judgment, but at SJCTA we ARE swapping out those filthy filters regularly!
• Speaking of oil: Nowadays, most modern-day engines do not really require an oil change every 3,000 miles as they once did. Experts tell us that you can get up to 5,000 miles between oil changes with regular petroleum products or as much as 7,000 miles between changes if you are using the more expensive synthetic oil products.
• This seems a bit ”far out” but a few experts swear that you can save on your fuel costs if you keep your vehicle clean! Something about increased, smooth air flow. Well, we’re not certain of that - BUT you will notice that ”almost always” when you see one of your SJCTA buses or vans travelling down the road it WILL be super clean, as that is our policy - ”just because!”
• THIS ONE IS SUPER IMPORTANT! Whenever you find yourself at a stop light, at a drive-in bank or a fast food drive-in - or actually, ANY place where you sense you will need to wait for service . . . immediately turn off your ignition! This alone can save you a tremendous amount of fuel. In fact, those hybrid vehicles base a significant part of their efficiency on automatically shutting down the engine in such circumstances.
• When it comes to actually buying fuel, you may save a great deal of money if you do the obvious: Shop around! Ask your friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and others where their best deals are. In our immediate area of St. Joseph county, we often see prices for basic regular gasoline varying as much as 25 cents per gallon! That is really significant! On a twenty gallon purchase, that’s a $5.00 savings!
• Some people go on-line and check out websites that show local prices, such as www.gasbuddy.com
• Oh, and this: Those experts (again!) tell us that we should regularly check the tire pressure on our vehicles to make certain they are inflated to the prescribed PSI. Doing so can result in an on-going fuel savings, which, when combined with the others which we’ve listed here could save you a whole bunch of money.

But again . . . whenever you can . . . rather than fire up the ol’ flivver and pay those exorbitant gas pump prices - just call your reliable and low-cost SJCTA service and say, ”That’s My Ride!”

ABOUT THE SJCTA.INFO WEBSITE

The purpose of this monthly get-together is simple: To keep interested parties informed as to any changes or improvements in the SJCTA system as well as to make available current operating hours, bad weather policy, rates, safety rules ‘n’ regs and so forth.

All such data may be reviewed in more detail in the column on the right-side of this page.

And remember . . . we truly do wish to hear from . . . YOU! Tell us what you think about your transit system and what it means to you and your family. Give us suggestions that might improve service to the community. And let us know if we may quote you and use your name (or just your first name and last initial, if you prefer) in these pages.

THE SJCTA ON-GOING PLEDGE:

To provide a straight-forward ”Onwards & Upwards” program of development with a primary goal of improving all aspects of YOUR bus system so that you may always say, with pride, ”That’s MY ride!”

Phone(s): 1.800.964.5700 (or) 1.269.273.8084

FAX: 1.269.273.8085

Email:  SJCTA@Verizon.net

Postal Mail: SJCTA, 810 Webber Avenue, Three Rivers, Michigan 49093

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”Please Come Back And Visit Us Next Month: The Ride Here Is FREE!”

(You’ve Now Arrived At Your Bus {Buzz} . . . Stop)