GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS
While driving down Wisconsin’s highways, you may have spotted the bright green and white motorcoaches that say GO Riteway Transportation Group. This premier ground transportation leader has more than 1,100 vehicles and serves a wide variety of individuals, corporate groups, students, tourists and travelers in both Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
GO Riteway’s interesting history dates back three generations to 1957 when Roland (Rollie) and Pearl Bast started Riteway Bus Service, Inc. with just four school buses for the Germantown School District. As demand increased, the company gradually began serving other school districts and answering the transportation needs of charter and tour services. This led the company into a new era of growth and the opening of additional locations:
- 1974: A new office and garage opened in Richfield, Wis.
- 1984: The company’s first motorcoach was purchased.
- 1985: A second location opened to serve students at Milwaukee Public Schools.
- 2000: Riteway located its corporate offices at 6970 S. 6th St. in Oak Creek (an additional school bus terminal is located on South 10th St.).
- 2003: The company introduced commercial service options including luxury sedans, SUV and executive van service.
- 2011: The company rebranded itself from Riteway Bus Service to GO Riteway Transportation Group and introduced airport shuttle service.
- 2016: GO Riteway won the school bus transportation contract for the La Crosse, Wisconsin School District.
- 2017: The company proudly celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Interestingly, GO Riteway is still family-owned and -managed today, and is led by a dedicated and innovative team driven by the same values established in its early days. And although operating a family-owned business might be challenging for some companies, the Basts seem to thrive on it. Co-owner and Vice Chair R.J. Bast acknowledges that the family is fortunate that “they are very close and all get along. It helps, too, that we each work at different locations and have different focuses in the business,” he says. And across the board, each is dedicated to delivering the best possible experience to every passenger.
According to Ron Bast, Chairman of the Board of the company’s family ownership group, the company’s success really starts with great people. “Thanks to the efforts, honesty and hard work of our employees, our organization has grown in both size and complexity these past 60 years. We hire good people and let them do what they do best,” Bast says.
Co-owner and Vice Chair Rochelle Bast, agrees. “Our drivers, our maintenance crew and our support staff are the face of GO Riteway. They make it happen every day,” she says, adding that, “we work hard to honor and recognize these people. And in keeping with the legacy of Mom and Dad (referring to the late Roland and Pearl Bast), we always try to figure out how we can be better.”
Much like his other family members, R.J. Bast also takes pride in seeing GO Riteway’s drivers and staff provide great service to customers. “It’s gratifying to step on site at one of our schools or at a corporate event and observe GO Riteway drivers and staff fulfilling customers’ expectations,” he explains, adding, “I truly love this business. There’s always a lot variety when putting the puzzle together every day.”
With 18 years at GO Riteway, R.J. Bast has seen many changes in Oak Creek since the company first opened its terminal there in 2000. “Both City officials and School District leaders have been very forward thinking as they built new schools and developed the Town Center. It has been exciting to work here and to see all of the positive changes taking place,” he notes.
Along the way, GO Riteway has seen many positive changes as well. Today, its versatile fleet consists of school buses, motor coaches, luxury and mini coaches, executive sedans, SUVs, and vans that offer numerous travel options. It can move any number of passengers to any location, and while the company is based in Wisconsin, they will go anywhere in the U.S.
What’s more, GO Riteway passengers can feel confident that they are traveling in the finest and safest vehicles the market has to offer. Their experience is made perfect, thanks to the work of dedicated crews who make consistent safety checks on every vehicle and clean them after every trip. Skilled maintenance technicians know the fleet inside and out and keep everything in tip-top shape. Professional drivers are friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. GO Riteway has a lot going for it and is always willing to go the extra mile.
What Type of Travel Do You Need?
- Airport Transportation
Every day, thousands of travelers rely on GO Riteway’s door-to-door, stress-free airport transportation to get them to the gate on time and home to their loved ones – safely, quickly and efficiently. 365 days a year, GO Riteway’s team of drivers pick up and drop off passengers at home, work, school and hotels throughout Wisconsin and Illinois with the company’s updated, modern vehicles that ensure an efficient, comfortable solution to airport transportation. - Corporate Transportation<
Whether your specific needs are for employee/client airport transportation, point-to-point transfers, group outings or conventions, GO Riteway offers the experience, fleet and people to meet your business needs. - Premium Chauffeur Services
Corporate travel demands great attention to detail and high standards, and GO Riteway delivers with its chauffeur services, offered throughout the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. Its fleet of late-model Cadillac sedans, GMC SUVs and executive vans is the largest in Wisconsin, so whatever the travel need, you are covered. - Group Transportation
With one of the Midwest’s newest fleets of motorcoaches, GO Riteway moves large groups locally, regionally and nationally, with safety and comfort as top priorities. Using full-size, 56-passenger motorcoaches and 33-passenger mini coaches, GO Riteway partners with universities, Fortune 500 companies, K-12 schools, professional sports organizations, tour operators and more. GO Riteway’s service area includes all of Wisconsin, Chicagoland and Northern Illinois. It also extends nationwide with tour operators using its Milwaukee charter bus rental service for cross-country, multi-day charter bus tours. - School Bus Transportation
GO Riteway’s school bus services offer transportation for athletic teams, special needs groups, field trips and extracurricular activities. With nearly 1,000 school buses in the fleet driven by professionally trained drivers, you can count on GO Riteway for transportation efficiency, safety and unparalleled customer service.
GO Riteway has buses that run on propane, gas and diesel fuel. Of particular note is their use of propane, a domestically produced alternative fuel. With a 30,000-gallon propane tank at the Oak Creek facility, fueling vehicles with propane can produce lower amounts of some harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases (depending on vehicle type, drive cycle and engine calibration), that benefits the environment.
Be More Than a Ride. Be a Solution.
GO Riteway is always looking for drivers and is quick to point out that this could possibly be the best part-time job in town! Opportunities range from driving children to and from school to transporting executives in a black car to and from airports and meetings. GO Riteway offers paid training and will work with you to earn your commercial drivers license (CDL).
So wherever your next travels take you, choose GO Riteway for your ground transportation – operating with safety, integrity and teamwork while providing superior transportation solutions since 1957.
GO Riteway Transportation Group
6970 S. 6th St. • Oak Creek
414-570-5200 • goriteway.com