VIA general manager outlines safety, fleet and outreach plans; board reviews vehicle-lease extension and FY27 budget intent

The board introduced Nick Shonfeld as VIAgeneral manager; Shonfeld, who said he joined VIA in early April, presented operational updates including ridership gains, safety monitoring and technology changes.

"Every single thing that we touch, everything that we're scoping operationally speaking, safety is at the top of our list," Shonfeld said, summarizing an emphasis on driver and rider safety.

Shonfeld said VIA recorded month-over-month growth in ride requests and completed rides (about 2% growth) and noted an operational milestone: a single-day on-demand record of 336 rides on May 28. He outlined two new systems: Samsara telematics to monitor unsafe driving behaviors (seat belts, rolling stops, cellphone use) and Fleio, a fleet-management system to support preventive maintenance and cost control.

To support operations, Shonfeld recommended strategic hires including a road supervisor to help ensure on-time performance and a mechanic to implement preventive maintenance. He emphasized community outreach plans and noted that the rider app and website are now available in Spanish; staff said outreach will include community events such as the local Junth celebration and senior-center visits.

On fleet strategy, staff presented a proposed vehicle-lease-extension resolution designed to maintain a minimum fleet of 17 working vehicles while Takata pursues vehicle procurement. The resolution would permit up to three one-month lease extensions per vehicle at $3,000 per month, approved monthly by the executive director subject to conditions. Those conditions include evidence of consistent mid-to-high-level repairs, data-driven justification for not completing particular repairs, and a plan for ADA compliance (for example, wheelchair lifts) and minimizing inconvenience for passengers who need lift-equipped vehicles.

A board member moved and another seconded the lease-extension resolution; the transcript records the motion and second but does not record a roll-call vote or a final outcome for that motion in the provided transcript.

Staff also presented the FY27 resolution of intent, an annual MDOT filing that estimates planned spending and funding sources. The packet lists estimated state funds of about $1,527,167, local funds of about $441,511, fairbox revenue of about $23,200, and other funds (mostly VIA reimbursements) of $280,234, for a total estimated FY27 expense of $4,122,477. Staff said the MDOT project manager Alex Sim Simonetti had reviewed the numbers.

Board members and attendees praised improved on-time performance and rider satisfaction since VIA operations began. One board member said riders who had previously lost jobs because of unreliable service now report that buses are arriving on time. Shonfeld said VIA will continue to refine processes and share monthly operational metrics, including waiting-time data and on-time performance.

Next steps noted in the meeting: staff will obtain wheelchair-user ratio data from VIA before the next meeting to inform vehicle procurement decisions; the board recorded a motion and second on the lease-extension resolution but did not record a final vote in the transcript; staff will continue community outreach and implement Samsara and Fleio as described.