Beyond the Bus

What if?

That’s the question buzzing from our paratransit department lately. 

“What if the holiday spirit extended all year?” asked Paratransit Supervisor Craig Frazier in a department email. “If all the rules, boundaries and constraints were gone, what could we do to make our service better?”

Some of CATA’s paratransit riders rely on our Spec-Tran service to take them to the Greater Lansing Food Bank. Each month, the food bank chooses a Saturday and a new location to launch a pop-up event.

“This often creates issues with our Saturday Spec-Tran service,” Craig said, “as the clients can’t always give us an exact return time.” He said for some clients, the food bank may provide a majority of their monthly groceries.

Thus, the paratransit department asked the key question: What if? 

What if we provided a special food bank shuttle for all participating Spec-Tran clients?

They answered this question last month, when they launched a six-hour bus run to the South Church of the Nazarene, November’s mobile food bank location. On a chilly, 20 degree day, volunteers of all ages set up food while our Spec-Tran picked up clients.

The Spec-Tran then drove these same clients home as they finished up at the food bank. They shuttled passengers in waves that accommodated their needs.

“This is just one example of what can be done to make a great service even better,” said Craig. The department is continuing to generate new ideas to enhance services.

What if all the rules and constraints were gone -- what could you do to help those around you?

Rin (left) and Ron's son, Thiago (right), smile with Ron. 

To say that Ron DeLeon enjoys his work is a significant understatement.

“I love driving, I love transportation, I love dealing with people,” Ron says, practically unprompted.

“I love my job!”

Ron has been driving for CATA going on 21 years. The Sexton High School grad is an animated guy with a passion for life, laughter and storytelling. And his passengers give him a steady stream of tales to share.

In the span of 10 minutes, he bounces from one story to another, including one from 2016 about a then 4-year-old immigrant boy named Rin who loved chewing gum.

“That one really got me,” he said.

Ron often drives routes through Michigan State University’s campus. For a time, when he drove past Bessey Hall in the morning, he saw a young boy and his mom waiting for the bus. The boy would always wave.

“One day, I stopped and gave him candy – I asked his mom first,” Ron said. “So, it turned into, whenever I saw him, I stopped to give him gum, candy ...  whatever.”

On one particular morning, Ron pulled over with his usual treat, but Rin gave Ron a pack of gum instead. His mom took a picture to commemorate the moment. She shared the post on social media, along with a story that got Ron’s attention.

She shared that she and her son had only been in the U.S. about three months, and her son was having a hard time adjusting to everything – including learning to speak English.

That morning, he didn’t want to go to school, but his encounter with Ron made his day, his mom wrote.

“You never know how you’ll impact someone’s life,” Ron said. “A kid waving at a bus – you wouldn’t assume he was having a difficult time.”

Now Rin has play dates with Ron’s son, Thiago. He has adjusted to his new school and enjoys going every day.  

What prompts riders to share so many pieces of their lives with Ron?

“I just enjoy talking to people,” he said. “I didn’t expect that when you’re that warm and receptive, you’re like a bartender or a therapist. They tell me everything.”

Ron mostly drives bus routes through Michigan State’s campus and is well-known by many students. He's also been named Best CATA Bus Driver in the City Pulse’s Top of the Town contest for four years in a row.

“I take my responsibilities seriously,” Ron said. “The safety of the riders is in my hands, but I love what I do.

“I’ve never had a bad day yet.”