Speaking of First

Tire safety statistics the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlighted in a May 12 announcement stopped me in my tracks.

After 41 years with First Transit, Inc., one could easily say that Area Vice President Dennis Jensen knows a fair amount about public transit. “I’m not allowed to retire,” jokes Jensen. “They won’t let me.” His good humor and his transit expertise are just two of the qualities that First Transit colleagues love about Jensen.

Inspired. That’s the word that First Transit employees chose to describe their feelings about the company’s involvement in the Special Olympics USA Games hosted by Princeton University June 12-20.

Twenty-two new buses recently rolled into service for Sun Metro, the El Paso public transit system. The 2014 New Flyer Xcelsior models replaced the 1991 models that had logged more than a million miles each. We welcomed their improved fuel economy and more aerodynamic design, but just as importantly, we welcomed what the buses represented for both Sun Metro and First Transit – Progress!

Most transportation professionals are familiar with the popular “Most Wanted” list that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) publishes at the beginning of each year. Imitation being the highest form of flattery, it’s fitting to launch Speaking of First with a slightly narrower, perhaps more achievable variation on the NTSB list – a list of the half-dozen most wanted transit and vehicle improvements in 2014.