Winter storm Uri proved a tough test for frontline workers all around Texas. As they did in previous disasters like Hurricane Harvey, Texas transit providers stepped up to meet the challenge. Going above and beyond once again, transit drivers – and their colleagues who support, dispatch, and manage them – made a real difference, not only for the riders who depend on them, but also for a whole lot of Texans who rarely use transit at all.

When heat and electricity became unavailable to Texas homes and workplaces, transit staff brought buses to Texans in need, providing safe, heated spaces where they could warm up and charge their phones and computers – even when the drivers were contending with the loss of heat, power and/or water at their own homes.

Kudos for above-and-beyond performance are due not only to drivers, whose work requires them to put their lives on the line every day on Texas roadways and in every kind of weather. They are also well deserved by transit maintenance staff, dispatchers, office staff and top administrators. During the freeze, all these people worked together to coordinate vital services, including:

• Emergency medical trips.
• Patient discharge to rural areas.
• Bringing medical staff to work.
• Helping other frontline workers get to work.
• Helping people in need reach warming shelters.
• Monitoring buildings for water leaks and busted pipes.
• Coordinating local resources to resolve an urgent medical situation.
• Responding to requests for aid from local Emergency Management departments.

Transit Drivers Appreciation Day is March 18.

We’re pleased to present a small sample of kudos and grateful appreciation to and from our partners in transit.

People who provide transportation year-round, in every kind of weather, to every kind of person.
Individuals and organizations who step up and volunteer their unique equipment and abilities to deliver help where it’s needed.

Title
City of Amarillo
City of Abilene - CityLink
Smith County/NDMJ Transportation
Texas City – Connect Transit