Rialto Father Inspires Son to Build Shared Career as Riverside Transit Agency Bus Drivers
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Rialto resident Steven Sparks Sr., left, and his son, Steven Sparks Jr. of San Jacinto, continue a family legacy as coach operators for the Riverside Transit Agency.
A Rialto father’s decision to join the Riverside Transit Agency inspired his son to leave cross-country trucking and begin a shared family career transporting passengers across the Inland Empire.
Steven Sparks Sr., of Rialto, and Steven Sparks Jr., of San Jacinto, are both coach operators for RTA. The father and son share the same name, job title and thousands of hours of experience behind the wheel.
Sparks Sr. joined the agency in March 2019 and quickly encouraged his son to apply, believing the position would allow him to spend more time at home with his family.
“When I got hired, I told my son he should apply for a job with the agency, too,” Sparks Sr. said. “He was a cross-country trucker, and I told him he should get off the road so he could spend more time with his family.”
Sparks Jr. followed his father’s advice and joined RTA in October 2019. The two are now among approximately 350 drivers working for the transit agency.
“There’s a camaraderie with the other drivers that makes the RTA a great place to work,” Sparks Jr. said.
The job requires operators to navigate traffic, maintain schedules and interact with passengers throughout the day. Sparks Sr. said he approaches each rider with patience and respect.
“I treat every rider the way I’d like to be treated,” Sparks Sr. said.
He also views his role as providing passengers with a comfortable and dependable experience.
“I like to think I’m their chauffeur,” Sparks Sr. said.
Although the two men typically drive separate routes, they occasionally pass one another during the workday and exchange a smile and wave from their buses.
Their relationship extends beyond their shared profession. Both men are fathers and live within a few cities of one another, allowing their families to regularly gather for barbecues and other occasions in Rialto and San Jacinto.
For Sparks Sr., watching his son develop his own career as a coach operator has brought their family’s experience with buses full circle.
“I remember when I used to take my son to the bus stop for his trips to kindergarten, and he’d get on that big bus,” Sparks Sr. said. “Now he’s driving it and that’s really amazing.”
What began as career advice from a Rialto father has grown into a shared commitment to public transportation and service, with both men continuing to build a family legacy behind the wheel.
