Our Story

History

Nearly 30 years after a major bus line stopped providing public transportation for the counties of Pope and Hardin, The Golden Circle Senior Citizen Center was awarded a two year demonstration program to provide transportation in the area. In April of 1977, Rides (then standing for Rural Initiative Development of Effective Services) began operations with four 15-passenger vans to primarily bring people to nutrition centers and deliver meals to the homebound.

Since then, Rides Mass Transit District (RMTD) has expanded with routes connecting eighteen southeastern Illinois counties, and continues to proudly serve the southern Illinois area with clean, comfortable, convenient, and cost effective public transportation.

View milestones

Milestones

Key moments in our history

From a two year demonstration program to a full regional system, these milestones mark how RMTD has grown alongside the communities it serves.

  1. 1977–1978

    Rides is awarded a Section 147 Research & Development Grant.

  2. 1980s

    1980

    Rides expands into Gallatin and Saline counties, receiving Section 18 funding.

  3. 1989

    Rides expands its services to include White County.

  4. 1990s

    1990

    Rides forms the first rural mass transit district in Illinois, RMTD.

  5. 1994

    Rides begins providing a limited service in Hamilton County.

  6. 1997

    Wayne and Hamilton counties join the district.

  7. 1998

    Edwards and Wabash counties join the district.

  8. 2000s

    2000

    Rides Mass Transit District is presented the Transit System of the Year Award from the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) during EXPO 2000 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

  9. 2001

    Shawnee Queen River Taxi begins operations as part of Rides Mass Transit District.

  10. 2002

    September: RMTD’s first CEO retires after 25 years of service.

    October: Bill Jung assumes the CEO position.

    October: RMTD administration offices relocate to Harrisburg, Illinois.

  11. 2005

    May: Rides Mass Transit District is one of five national transportation systems to win the United We Ride Leadership Award at the Community Transportation Association of America’s Expo 2005 in St. Louis, Missouri.

    Lawrence and Richland counties join the district.

  12. 2006

    Crawford County joins the district.

  13. 2007

    Jasper County joins the district.

    Williamson County joins the district.

  14. 2009

    Cumberland County joins the district.

  15. 2011

    Shawnee Queen River Taxi service is no longer available.

  16. 2010s

    2013

    Clark and Edgar counties join the district.

  17. 2019

    RMTD CEO Bill Jung retires, and Adam Lach assumes the CEO position.

    RMTD begins operating SIU Saluki Express service in Carbondale.

  18. 2020s

    2022

    RMTD moves into a new administration office located at 1304 Frank Leberman Drive in Harrisburg.

  19. 2024

    RMTD ends operation as Saluki Express provider in August. Jackson County Mass Transit District assumes the role.