THOUSAND PALMS — Have you seen a couple of Sunline buses motoring throughout the Coachella Valley that look extraordinarily different from others in the agency’s fleet?
The bigger-than-life art you see wrapped around the buses is the award-winning handiwork of two local student winners of SunLine Transit Agency’s 2018 Student Art Contest. Each first got a glimpse of their artwork on a hydrogen fuel cell bus for the first time at a recent unveiling ceremony held at La Quinta City Hall.
Of the 115 entries representing 10 different schools in the area, a fourth grader from Carter Elementary School – Nadia Frutkin – and a sixth grader from Palm Desert Charter Middle School – Chanbin Park – were the contest winners. Each of their works of art are now showcased on the side of a SunLine bus circulating throughout the Coachella Valley —and will remain there throughout the next 12 months.
“This unveiling ceremony (was) a celebration of the entire program and how it increases awareness on the importance of transit while educating local students on how SunLine is one of the nation’s leaders in alternative fuels – which ultimately contributes to the air quality in our communities,” Lauren Skiver, CEO and general manager for SunLine Transit Agency said in a prepared statement.
If you have not seen them yet, keep your eyes open. The transit agency’s fixed route and paratransit vehicles travel more than 4 million miles per year, covering over 619 bus stops located throughout a 1,120 mile-service area, carrying approximately 4.82 million riders.
The contest, which was co-sponsored by the City of La Quinta and Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), encouraged students to submit entries focused on the art contest’s theme, “SunLine Buses are Important for the Coachella Valley and the Environment.” Participating students were asked to include buses and landmarks unique to the Coachella Valley.
For more information on SunLine Transit Agency, click here.
Image Sources
- SunLine Art 1: SunLine
