Transdev Transportation Recognizes AVTA Leadership for Handling of COVID-19 Crisis

From left: Rene’ Alvarez, general manager, Transdev Transportation, Martin Tompkins, COO, AVTA, Macy Neshati, CEO AVTA.

The leadership at Antelope Valley Transit Authority, including the Board of Directors, recognizes that many of the residents in the Antelope Valley depend on AVTA’s transit services on a daily basis. Both AVTA and their contractor, Transdev Transportation, are committed to providing the A.V. community members an affordable, dependable, and healthy transit experience.

This commitment includes AVTA and Transdev employees as well, especially the bus operators, mechanics, dispatchers, road supervisors, utility, and all office staff. AVTA has stated many times that their top priority is the health and safety of our passengers and employees.

On May 21, 2020, Rene’ Alvarez, General Manager, Transdev Transportation, joined with other Transdev staff members to thank AVTA and recognize the AVTA leadership for their handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

“AVTA, under the leadership of Macy Neshati, Martin Tompkins, and the AVTA Board of Directors deserves to be recognized and thanked,” said Rene Alvarez of Transdev. “The early protective steps taken, the innovative solutions, and the compassionate approach to managing this crisis has likely contributed to the reason we have had no COVID-19 cases at this location.”

AVTA acted early to take deliberate steps to promote a healthy environment for the AVTA riders and employees. They increased the frequency of cleaning procedures, communicated with employees to address concerns and equipment needs, established cleaning and disinfecting teams at the transportation centers, reduced maximum capacity, and instituted rear door boardings and free fares in order to promote social distancing.

“We simply put people first,” said AVTA CEO Macy Neshati. “We made the decisions necessary to protect people while making certain we could continue to get people where they needed to go.”

Transdev Transportation held a meeting at the AVTA office in Lancaster, California to present a plaque and formerly thank the AVTA team. Martin Tompkins, AVTA COO, and Macy Neshati received the plaque, thanking Transdev and their team for being on the frontline during these trying times.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” urged Neshati. “The things you’ve learned over the past eight weeks, keep doing. Stay safe. Make good decisions. Social distance. Wash your hands.”

AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.