Butler County RTA Partners with Middletown City Schools to Teach Staff to Ride Public Transit.
March 16, 2023
Butler County RTA Partners with Middletown City Schools to Teach Staff to Ride Public Transit
Deborah Houser, Middletown School’s Superintendent sets out to educate administration staff about the basics of riding Butler County RTA buses. According to the Communications Advisor for Middletown City Schools, Dan Wholer, “about 75 percent of students don’t have access to cars. Many of these students do not have plans to attend college, making public transit an essential skill in helping these students attain post-graduation jobs and lead an independent life.”
BCRTA and Superintendent Houser partnered together to surprise Middletown City School District staff with a simulated activity. Upon arriving at Rosa Parks elementary school, MCSD staff split up into groups. Each group was then tasked with learning how to ride the bus for the day, going to three different locations. In the simulation, their family’s livelihood depended on running errands for the day and the groups had to be back at Rosa Parks Elementary School by 2:30 p.m. to meet a social agency representative. The mission included taking a picture of their groups at Kroger, Primary Health at MHS, and Middletown city building without using a personal vehicle.
At the end of the experience, Middletown staff were able to gain an understanding and appreciation of the necessity of public transit. According to Beth Olthoff, Teacher Leader, said, “BCRTA is an invaluable community resource and provides many individuals the ability to access needed resources and services throughout the area.” Tracy Neely, K-12 Curriculum Coordinator, said, “our community is so fortunate to have BCRTA as a resource. Drivers are safe, kind, and knowledgeable- BCRTA plays a pivotal role in the community to bridge transportation gaps for our families.” MCSD staff, according to Dan Wholer, grasped the importance of educating students ages 12-18 on how to ride the buses.
Middletown High School hopes to implement bus education programs in the future for 6th-grade to 12th-grade students.
BCRTA offers free travel training for groups and individuals. If interested, please reach out to the mobility department at 513-785-4340.
BCRTA’s mission is to support Butler County’s quality of life and economic development through public transportation solutions.
Shawn Cowan
Customer Care and Communications Manager
