Snohomish County, Wash. - A 92 percent reduction in car thefts and prowls at park & ride lots and transit centers since 2005 has earned Community Transit the American Public Transportation Association Security Excellence Gold Award.

The agency's bait car program and other security measures in partnership with the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office helped earn the national distinction. The award is presented to the U.S. transit agency with the best overall bus safety or bus security program. Community Transit earned the APTA Security Excellence Gold Award among all agencies with 4 million to 20 million passengers per year.

"We want our customers to know their safety is a priority, and we want car thieves to know our park & ride lots are a not a good place to do business," said Community Transit CEO Joyce Eleanor. "With our bait car program and Snohomish County Sheriffs deputies patrolling our lots, we have greatly increased our security and improved the peace of mind for our passengers."

Each of Community Transit's 21 park & ride lots and transit centers has signs posted to remind people about the bait car program. That has helped reduce car thefts from 131 in 2005 to just 11 in 2009.

The bait car is outfitted with sensors that notify a monitoring service when someone tampers with the car; the service then notifies local police and monitors the location of the car via GPS. Once police are in position and it is safe, the cars engine is shut off and the doors are locked, trapping the suspect. Video cameras inside the vehicle record images of the would-be car thief.

The APTA Bus Safety & Security Excellence Awards recognize public transportation organizations for their positive safety and security programs, and dedication to improving safety and security. The top honor is the Gold Award, which is given to organizations with the best overall bus safety or bus security program. A Certificate of Merit is given to organizations in recognition of exceptional achievement in safety or security.

Last year, Community Transit was awarded a Certificate of Merit for its coach operator training program, which has helped reduce preventable accidents.

Community Transit is committed to providing transportation options.

Encouraging people to bike and use transit is part of that effort. Call Community Transit at (425) 353-RIDE or (800) 562-1375 for bike maps or bus information, or go to www.communitytransit.org. You can also read our Bike to Work blog at www.communitytransit.blogspot.com.