Key Successes:
- The shuttle vendor brought new coaches to the playa.
- The placement, size, and infrastructure given to the bus depot camp benefited operations.
- Ridership was about the same as the previous year, with no reported incidents or accidents.
Just as the event itself seems to evolve, so have the shuttle busses. Brand spanking new coaches greeted our customers, fully equipped with luxury seating, and spacious room for purchased goods. This alone provided an impetus for travelers with a need to make their way to Gerlach or Empire! A number of people even made the trip twice, obviously to fulfill all their needs.
Once again our bus vendor management was at the top of their game, providing first rate drivers to drive their coaches. The ride into town is a value at only ten dollars, and most all customers who returned had nothing but kind words for the driver and their experience.
Big thanks to the Placement Department for moving us off of a busy corner and intersection per last year, and a bit farther down the road where C and D met Rod’s Road. DPW did a terrific job of providing the Depot with ample shade and bike racks, allowing the bus to simply pull up alongside to load and unload passengers. Our Bus Depot camp was also provided much needed and ample room to house its hard-working and fun-loving crew, directly across the street from the Depot itself.
The shuttle service started on Wednesday at 10am, deploying every 2 hours, with the last bus at 4pm. On Saturday the last bus departed at 2pm, so as to give time to Burners preparing for the biggest event on the Playa. Ridership remained about the same as 2010, with no accidents or incidents to report.
We strongly suggest to keep the Bus Depot in that exact location, as it is by far the easiest access for both bus and customers, with high visibility as well.
Submitted by,
Jim Wierzba aka jimmy the kid