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Message From The Chairman & C.E.O.The previous Fiscal Year can only be described as a year of movement for GRTC TransitSystem. Kim Smithson once said, “the best actions are those that go above and beyondexpectations.” This year provided an opportunity to see many projects come tofruition, including being named the number one transit system in North America bythe American Public Transporation Association. GRTC was judged number one in itsclass for outstanding business acumen, operational efficiency and community serviceamong peers throughout the United States and North America.An example of this financial acumen, was the merging of two services: CVAN (welfareto-work)service and CARE (ADA paratransit) service. The combined service is nowcalled Specialized Transportation. Specialized Transportation serves both the City ofRichmond and Henrico County. The combination of the services is projected to providea significant saving in operational costs by reducing duplicated functions and takingadvantage of operational efficiencies that currently exist throughout the GRTC TransitSystem. The combined service’s fleet of 78 vehicles provides approximately 255, 000rides per year.It was during this year that we saw the construction begin on our new 12-acre, stateof-the-artCorporate Office/Bus Maintenance Facility located in the Southside ofRichmond. The goal of the new facility is to not only be cost-effective, functional,and aesthetically pleasing, but also environmentally sustainable. As you may know,this building will utilize the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)standards to achieve “silver certification.”We also introduced a new look to our current fleet. Our buses now have agrey metallic look to them with a green stripe on the side to help demonstrateGRTC’s commitment to the green initiative. These are fully-equipped buseswith better seating and lighting to help create a more comfortable commute.On behalf of Daniel Smith, Chairman, Board of Directors, GRTC Transit System,and myself, we invite you to review the Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Report. In it, you willfind information about some of the exciting things GRTC has on the horizon. Pleasenote, GRTC takes the words of commitment from our mission statement to the highestregard. Words such as vision, mission and core values. As a company and as a goodsteward to the community, we cannot accept anything less.Sincerely,John M. Lewis, CEO,GRTC Transit SystemDaniel Smith, Chairman,GRTC Board of Directors