After 25 years serving as director for CyRide, Bob Bourne will retire in July and turn the steering wheel over to someone else.

“I’m old, tired and worn out,” Bourne said. “We’ve had a lot of financial challenges, and we’re starting to turn that corner. It’s just time to go.”

He said CyRide has gotten much better since he first began working there.

“We have improved tremendously, and everything is working well now,” Bourne said. “It’s a good time to turn over to someone else.”

Bourne is currently trying to find a replacement – someone who understands the system and is willing to learn.

“The new director needs to be someone who can jump into this wholeheartedly – a creative and resourceful person with ideas,” he said.

The new director also needs to be someone who will face the upcoming challenges head on.

“A big challenge for the new director will be advancement in technology,” he said. “I think we’ve created a stable environment in maintenance and funding, but we’ve not embraced a lot of technology.”

But he also said the new director will need a lot of energy to keep up with the busy schedule.

“I can’t say I come in at 7 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m.,” Bourne said. “It’s seasonal – different things happen at different times.”

Bourne said there is a lot of diversity within the organization, which lets everyone learn from each other. He has worked with older people and students, and people from all over the world, including Sudan, Russia, Peru, Colombia and Kenya.

During the 25 years Bourne has been with CyRide, he has done much to improve the company.

The year before Bourne came to CyRide, it carried approximately 297,000 passengers a year. Last year, CyRide carried 4.1 million passengers. Bourne said there were only 12 mini-buses that ran three routes from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and carried approximately 1,000 riders per day. Now CyRide has more than 60 buses, 13 routes and carries 26,000 to 27,000 riders each day.

Bourne also said CyRide does a good job of keeping riders safe.

“I put a 19-year-old driver on a bus with 70 passengers and tell them to drive safe through an ice storm,” Bourne said. “Still, there are only about two or three accidents a year that we’re responsible for.”

He said some other accomplishments include the fare-free system, which started as a request by students four years ago, the Moonlight Express and the Gold Route, which also began with students.

Although CyRide has improved over the years, routes have not expanded where the city has, Bourne said. He said the new director would need to address where residents are not served.

Recruitment for a new director is nationwide, and Bourne has appointed a committee to review the resumes. Although some CyRide alumni and some of Bourne’s peers have expressed interest in this position, no candidates have been named.